[0:00] And I ask him for a listening device, if you'd like, interpretation service.

[0:06] I'd like to call this meeting to order for the city council meeting of December 2nd, 2025.

[0:20] Madam Clerk, can you please read the call to the roll?

[0:23] Councilmember Aguilar Hernandez?

[0:25] Here.

[0:25] Councilmember Flores?

[0:26] Here.

[0:26] Councilmember Soto?

[0:27] Here.

[0:28] Mayor Putem Estabedo?

[0:29] Here.

[0:29] Mayor Patino?

[0:30] Here.

[0:31] And we're going to get right into the presentations.

[0:36] And we will now read the presentation for the resolution honoring and commending Alexander

[0:44] Senator Posada, Director of Recreation, and parks for his 46 and a half years of devoted service to the city of San

[0:52] Ray.

[1:00] As Director of Recreation of Parks, Alexander, Alex Posada, has been a valuable member of the city team for

[1:09] 46 and a half years as the longest tenured employee in the city's 120 year history.

[1:15] And his contributions and proven ability to lift others up for the betterment of the community is his legacy.

[1:22] And whereas Alex and his team designed a multitude of recreational venues to serve thousands of residents.

[1:29] And since 1979, increased the number of recreational facilities from 2 to 10 and

[1:36] grew the number of city parks from 9 to 33.

[1:39] And looking ahead, the Santa Maria Sports Complex is to open in full winter of 2026.

[1:47] And whereas he helped to organize in 1997, the nonprofit People for

[1:52] Leisure and Youth, known as Play, and to date this group has raised more than $5 million

[1:59] to aid in funding innovative recreation and park services and programs offered in the Santa Maria Valley.

[2:05] And whereas Alex and his team helped lead the successful 1998 All-American City

[2:12] designation granted by the National Civic Lead, they assisted in the

[2:17] development of the 2017 Mayors Task Force on Youth Safety, the Safe and

[2:22] Strong Summer Recreation Program, the annual The Avalos Muertos celebration, and much

[2:27] more. And whereas Alex demonstrated his loyalty and commitment to the people of

[2:35] San Mario, working with a cross section of community groups,

[2:39] civic organizations, schools, businesses, event promotions,

[2:44] managers and residents.

[2:47] In addition to his director duties,

[2:50] Alex served as the interim city manager for one year.

[2:54] I need to say that all these years,

[2:56] Alex just was under the radar.

[2:58] You never heard any complaints about him, under the radar.

[3:01] And then he took that one year stand

[3:02] that the City of Santa Maria, as a city manager, that's not in the resolution.

[3:12] He's been very active in the community, Special Olympics, the American Red Cross,

[3:17] Santa Maria Co-Honus Club, the Action Club for adults with disabilities play.

[3:23] Santa Barbara Foundation, Trustee, and the National Recreation and Parks Association.

[3:28] Whereas Alex will retire on December 5th, and

[3:32] The Santa Maria City Council wishes to recognize him for his outstanding dedication and impactful contributions to the community.

[3:39] Now therefore it is here by resolved on the second day of December 2025 by the City Council of the City of Santa Maria as follows.

[3:49] Alex Posada, Director of Recreation and Parks, is here by recognized and

[3:53] commended for his dedication service and his significant contributions to the city of Santa Maria and

[4:01] community and wishes he and his wife, Julie, and their family well in their future endeavors.

[4:41] Thank you, Mayor, Council Members.

[4:43] I have to present this to you.

[4:44] Pretty, yeah, let's do that.

[5:19] Thank

[5:29] you mayor councilmembers. I'm going to try and handle this like a staff report

[5:33] so I don't get overly emotional about it. I want to thank obviously the council for

[5:39] the recognition tonight and my family of course they're here my son won my

[5:45] daughter Karina our friend and our friend Eddie and my wife Julie and my other

[5:51] son Elias is making a movie somewhere in LA today so he's not able to be here

[5:59] over the years I've sat here and watched other people retire and you know

[6:05] said oh well that's gonna be pretty cool when it happens so when it happens it

[6:09] is cool, but it is still kind of, you know, mixed emotions. So I did want to take an opportunity

[6:17] to thank a few people. My peer department directors, this is a great team, probably one of the

[6:24] best teams that I've worked with in the years that I've been here. Council members, same

[6:29] thing. I think the council, I can't remember any one council member that has ever been not

[6:36] not in support of the programs that we offer for youth in the community.

[6:40] Every council has been supportive, and that's obvious by the growth that you mentioned in the resolution.

[6:45] That didn't happen because we, staff, came up with the idea.

[6:50] Well, we came up with the idea, as council came up with a funding to get it done.

[6:56] City managers, Dave has taken the seat, and so I was so happy a year ago when he took the role on.

[7:04] But I want to thank Wayne Schwammel, who was City Manager, and gave me the opportunity to become director and

[7:14] worked with him closely on several leadership roles in some of our nonprofit groups around town.

[7:21] Our staff in the department is second to none.

[7:24] We have a committed group.

[7:28] Some of them are here. Some of them have retired, but they're here too.

[7:33] But it's just it's it was a pleasure to go to work every day, you know, if the

[7:38] minor things that you have going on in an organization of our size, you know,

[7:41] with over 200 employees, you're always going to have issues. But the staff was

[7:46] able to just step up and handle that. I want to congratulate Dennis Smytherman,

[7:53] City Manager Rollins pointed him as interim director, so he'll be taking over on

[7:57] So Dennis, good luck to you.

[8:00] He has a great team with Angela Oslin as assistant director

[8:03] and Neville Smith as our business and HR manager.

[8:07] That leadership team will continue to do a good job.

[8:15] I want to also thank the community because it's really been the community that has supported us,

[8:20] the businesses in town that sponsor, you know, the VLs,

[8:24] weren't those are, you know, free swim days at the pool,

[8:27] whatever it happens to be, it's really because the business community has stepped up.

[8:32] Our service clubs are also there, especially have to mention Kiwanis, some of my Kiwanis members

[8:37] are here including my club president right now. But Kiwanis and Rotary have stepped up over the years

[8:45] to help build things like Rotary Park and the Kiwanis picnic area at Prester Park and the

[8:52] inclusive playground. They sponsor the, you know, Christmas tree lighting. They do the parade

[8:59] of lights. You know, it's just, it's that kind of community spirit that keeps Santa Maria

[9:04] what it is. And that's a great place to live. Great partnerships with some of our nonprofits,

[9:10] our schools. There's been some good opportunities to do things. For example, the two school

[9:18] communities at Festler and El Camino. Those are partnerships with the school district and now are available for our residents.

[9:25] I'm really happy to be able to retire. I've done my job. I've come to work, you know, those days.

[9:36] This is more than enough recognition for that. So I truly appreciate the opportunity to serve the city and I'll be here.

[9:45] me and my wife you know we're here we're not going anywhere I did tell Dave

[9:51] that I may be joining the crowd out behind the railing every now and then on

[9:56] Tuesday nights but thank you very much for this I truly appreciate it and I

[10:01] thank all my peers and all my friends for all the work that they've done over the

[10:06] years and if I might I do want to thank Teresa Machado Rayburn for her years of

[10:13] service. I'm sorry that she's not here tonight. So thank you.

[10:47] I would like to say a few words

[10:49] about Alex. When he became the interim city manager, it was a tough job to come into that

[10:57] with the transition and dealing with me as a council member in particular. Any laughs and

[11:04] chuckles because, you know, we had some struggles in the city that we've overcome, but he's

[11:10] He's always had the heart of service, it's always come from a place of serving his community through all the organizations he's involved in and all the work he's done for the city.

[11:21] Every time I've called him, every time city constituents have called him, he's there to serve them. He never says no.

[11:28] He was always the type of employee who would say how do I figure it out?

[11:32] And that is really, you know, a testament to the person he is.

[11:38] I'm really sad to see him go.

[11:39] I did ask him to stay one more year, but he said no.

[11:43] And so I just want to congratulate you, Alex,

[11:45] for all your years of service.

[11:47] Thank you so much for everything you did for the city.

[11:52] Is there no?

[11:54] Thank you.

[11:56] Alex, I can't see you.

[11:59] I'll stand.

[12:00] And it's been such a pleasure being able to work alongside you, these like seven and a half years that I've been on council.

[12:11] And so I'm just really grateful and appreciative for all that you do for the residents of San Maria, our youth and really promoting leisure in every opportunity that may come up.

[12:27] And so, you know, I've loved working with you, especially when we got to work with you.

[12:35] So, intimately, as a council when you were interim city manager, it was really a pleasure

[12:39] being able to steer this ship alongside you and I wish you and your family the very best

[12:48] as you embark on this new journey. So, thank you for everything that you've done for the residents

[12:54] of Santa Maria.

[12:57] Councilmember Flores?

[13:04] I call you all.

[13:07] I probably saw my number.

[13:08] You're elected, I answer it.

[13:09] It's whatever constituents again.

[13:11] But I want to thank you for always jumping in,

[13:14] always helping serving our community, serving our city.

[13:17] Never saying no.

[13:19] And I'm so grateful for the way you just helped me.

[13:22] You showed me along the way.

[13:24] I didn't know.

[13:24] And you showed me.

[13:25] And you said, no, councilmember Flores is like this.

[13:28] OK, let's do it like this then.

[13:30] So I'm so grateful for your for your friendship and so grateful that you're able to retire with your family and enjoy the rest of your life, and we'll miss you.

[13:39] Thank you, thank you, thank you.

[13:42] Council Member Escobar.

[13:44] Thank you, Madame Mayor.

[13:46] I would like to erase my signature from that.

[13:50] Now, take it back on.

[13:52] From my heart, but on the other side, you know, looking at your family and your wife, and it's time to.

[13:59] to move on to the next chapter and we're gonna miss you and I met you before

[14:06] being in the council. I think that maybe half of this number you have met you

[14:10] or a bit more and you've never wanted to be the person on the front and be

[14:19] seeing as the one the one and that talks really so highly of you and just when I

[14:28] get things done. There was one time that we called back. It was what we did is

[14:36] some cleanup and have some trash and we need some machines and I called you

[14:44] and you show up on us. It was a Saturday morning and I was like okay I thought

[14:51] you were gonna send somebody you know like usually the bosses would send

[14:54] about it to the, but now he will show up and because he knew that they're in place.

[15:00] We're on a Saturday. And that really marked the way I see you as a leader. You're another one that tells people what to do. And just, okay, this is your job. You lead by example. And you don't see that often. So thank you for everything you've done to the city of San Maria. From the from personal from Carlos and also as a council member for taking the leader when we need you the most.

[15:28] when you step into one of the musical situations that Sidia has passed in the last couple of decades maybe.

[15:37] So we should the best to you and your family.

[15:41] And don't say too long, you know, go out and enjoy and go and do some crazy stuff.

[15:52] If I really just enjoy how fun and wish you the best and a lot of blessings to you and yours.

[16:00] Which are our seats?

[16:02] I want to thank you so much, Alex.

[16:05] The year that you served as interim city manager was very, very, very helpful and because

[16:12] you had all the history, you know where everyone's very alive or dead and that was very important

[16:19] all of us. I think about, you know, different times when I've been at meetings when we talk about

[16:27] I met needs and one example, I'll never forget, we're at the Veterans Memorial and the woman came

[16:33] and she had a granddaughter that was disabled and we didn't have the recreational, we didn't

[16:38] have the swings, none of the recreational equipment. And probably was less than a year.

[16:48] I know

[16:48] have that out at Presker Park. And when people think that we don't listen, you know, it was

[16:54] just one woman came to that meeting and it was done. And this is just one example. There's

[16:59] many other examples of things of the Los Flores Park is just wonderful that we have that.

[17:07] But it's not just, and that's, that was your job, you know. But, but then there's the volunteering

[17:12] you did and the investment you have in the city of Santa Maria. And though you do belong

[17:16] to colonists, that's all right. But, you know, the American Red Cross, I know that you went

[17:23] down to New Orleans at Katrina and helped, and I have no idea what you did there, but I don't

[17:28] think I would have liked gone if they didn't have running water in showers and flush toilets,

[17:33] but in the special Olympics, I had a man say to me one time about how great it was,

[17:41] because he had a daughter that was in special Olympics, how great it was to live in the city of

[17:45] San Maria, where they did this for kids because they moved here for that reason, they moved

[17:51] here for that reason because they had been living someplace else.

[17:55] So all the things that you do in your job and out of your job and thank you for the family

[18:00] for putting him, loaning him to us for this time.

[18:04] So thank you.

[18:07] And that's it.

[18:09] That's it.

[18:21] Next, I would like to read the resolution,

[18:25] 2025-203.

[18:28] It's a resolution of the Santa Maria City Council commending Mark Vandy Camp Public Information Officer for

[18:36] 22 years of exemplary public service.

[18:39] Whereas Mark Vandy Camp has worked for the residents of Santa Maria for nearly 22 years, continually finding opportunities to lift

[18:47] others and the city organization by listening, supporting, and contributing extra effort.

[18:54] Whereas following a 17 year award-winning newspaper career as a writer and editor, where

[18:59] he met people from all walks of life, in March 2004, Mark joined the city manager's office

[19:07] as the organization's first management analyst and was eventually promoted to become its

[19:12] first public information manager.

[19:14] And whereas to strengthen transparency and trust, he coordinated city, departments, bilingual

[19:22] communications across a variety of platforms provided accurate resources and institutional

[19:27] and budgetary knowledge, elevated the quality of life of city budget documents to earn multiple

[19:34] national awards, was instrumental in launching the city on social media and television, coordinated

[19:40] He created the website, helped coordinate the smart city, safe city campaign, and led his team to usher in live captioning in English and Spanish for public meetings.

[19:54] And whereas to maintain and enhance city services, he volunteered twice as co-chair of both successful measure you sales tax add on campaigns approved by voters in 2012 and 2018.

[20:08] And whereas to help the community and mentor the next generation of city staff and leadership,

[20:14] Mark has volunteered as secretary to serve to serve Santa Maria, led the city's census

[20:20] outreach in 2010 and 2020, to ensure a more complete count and representation, chair the

[20:28] UCSB Economic Forecast Project North County, was on board of directors, was founding President

[20:37] of City Slickers Toastmasters Club and its first

[20:40] distinguished Toastmaster, a past president of the Central

[20:44] Coast Literacy Council and its first Lifetime Literacy

[20:47] champion is the City liaison for the tourism and

[20:51] marketing district, served on other boards and organized

[20:54] many blood drives, United Way campaigns, and hosted tours

[20:58] of the historic San Maria City Hall.

[21:01] Whereas Mark will retire on December 27th and the City of

[21:05] Santa Maria Council, City Council wishes to recognize him for his outstanding dedication and impactful contributions to the community.

[21:13] Now, therefore, it is hereby resolved on this second day of December 2025 by the City Council of the City of Santa Maria.

[21:21] As follows, Mark Van De Kamp, Public Information Manager, is hereby recognized and commended for his dedicated service and his significant contributions in the Santa Maria community,

[21:34] and wishes to see him and his wife Rina well in their future endeavors.

[22:41] Well good evening, Mary and council members, directors, fellow employees in the Santa Maria community.

[22:49] I am just so blessed. Today, I can finally express my gratitude to all of you.

[22:55] Santa Maria is a beautiful community, community, rich in history and culture, and most importantly,

[23:01] it has some of the most caring and kind people that I have ever encountered.

[23:06] I joined the city nearly 22 years ago because I wanted to continue my passion for communications and also help make things happen.

[23:14] To help this organization and our great community to grow and improve.

[23:17] It's been my turn at the wheel to help inform our customers what we do for them on a variety of platforms and I only succeeded with help from all of our 10 departments.

[23:28] What we do is city employees, it's a public service.

[23:32] Our jobs exist to serve everyone, and I mean everyone.

[23:37] From what I hear being out and about, and on the phone, and with all these emails, and when I go and talk the groups,

[23:43] a lot of people in Santa Maria appreciate the wide range of services that we provide.

[23:48] There really is power in giving back to your community.

[23:52] Sometimes we may not see or fully understand our individual impact, and

[23:56] And sometimes we may think that in the big picture it is irrelevant.

[24:00] In truth, each of us makes a difference.

[24:04] Anyone can stand on the sidelines and complain.

[24:08] Others get involved and make a difference.

[24:10] By helping others in need and being that catalyst, that is what instills the sense of pride in San Maria.

[24:17] There are just so many opportunities here.

[24:21] All you need to do is look and then do it.

[24:24] But step up and help to quote Calvin Coolidge, the 30th President of the United States.

[24:31] Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.

[24:35] It's just so fulfilling to see how all of us pull together and serve this community.

[24:41] So to quote another American, Tim McGraw, always stay humbling kind.

[24:50] There's a lot of thanks tonight.

[24:51] I'd like to thank both of my mayors, the city councils, all of my city managers.

[24:57] I'd like to thank God, my wife, my family, the hundreds of co-workers, all the volunteers, the agencies, the schools, the businesses that I've been so blessed to work with.

[25:09] And to the local journalists, I want to say thank you for your vital services, we've made a good team.

[25:15] You matter, readers, viewers, and listeners understand how essential it is to have dependable and accurate local news sources, so thank you.

[25:26] So working for the city all these years has been about the best thing that's ever happened to me with one qualification, meeting my wife was number one.

[25:36] And after Christmas, I will retire, which gives me a few more weeks to include dad jokes in my interactions.

[25:43] Here goes, I know some jokes about retired people, but none of them work,

[25:53] but I have a whole big honeydew list at home.

[25:56] So again, I'd like to extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you to all of you and to all the city employees past and present and our great community for all the kindness and the well wishes that you've shown me during my time here in Santa Maria.

[26:11] Thank you.

[26:34] This is this is a regular for now, so go ahead.

[26:38] So sure.

[26:47] Mark, thank you so much for your service to the city of San Maria.

[26:52] It's been a pleasure getting to work alongside you and we're just so

[26:59] appreciative of of your work and ensuring that the city of San

[27:05] and its residents are informed and up to date

[27:08] with all things happening in the city.

[27:11] So thank you so much.

[27:13] And I wish you and your family all the very best

[27:16] in your retirement.

[27:21] First I want to thank you.

[27:23] There is always something going on in Santa Maria.

[27:25] A lot of people say there's nothing happening in Santa Maria.

[27:27] It's like there's so much going on every day

[27:30] during the week we have so many activities on the weekends.

[27:35] And all of that has to get communicated to the community.

[27:37] and you've done a really good job communicating and being the voice for the city, so I want to thank you for that.

[27:44] The other thing I really appreciate about you is that you stay really calm under pressure.

[27:49] I've never seen you stressed out, I've never seen you raise your voice, you're just really calm and collected,

[27:54] and that's a very distinct skill to have, especially in my career.

[28:00] We don't see that a lot, so I really appreciate, I want to thank you for your years of service.

[28:06] And the other thing was that you were always very humble and very grateful for

[28:11] the opportunities that the city gave you and once again, that's another skill that comes from a heart of service.

[28:18] So thank you so much.

[28:20] Council Member Flores.

[28:24] It's been a pleasure just working with you.

[28:26] We were able to work together at Serve Santa Maria with our pastor and it was just a pleasure to see all that you do.

[28:33] And to keep our city informed on what's going on.

[28:36] I remember I was having a town hall meeting, I go, oh my God, where do I get the information?

[28:41] And you were the man, you provided everything for me, I was able to give it to my community

[28:47] and inform them of numbers to call, websites to look up, direct numbers to call, not your

[28:53] number, but other numbers.

[28:56] And so that was so important to our community that they have correct phone numbers and who

[29:02] to call.

[29:02] So I want to thank you for your service here to our city and you and you do display us

[29:09] Just a character of humbleness and I'm so grateful for your for your service here and all that you do. Thank you

[29:17] Council miss remember it's good better. Thank you. I have one for you. Oh

[29:25] What do you call cheese the cheese that is in yours?

[29:30] Not you

[29:33] Mark, I have a, we've, it's contagious.

[29:41] It's a, Mark, we have a special, a special bond due to one of the clubs that we've

[29:50] imparted for so many years, those masters, and it's interesting that on my club I started

[29:58] and there was part of the inspiration for me.

[30:00] I'm Mark to the joke of the day at the end of every session. And you can ask my club. They hate them, but they laughed them a lot. And you represent a person that does a lot. Your name is all over the place. But stay true to yourself. And you, as I mentioned, as it was mentioned by councilmember Hernandez, you stay calm. And you went through a lot of

[30:29] stuff, you know, COVID, emergencies, all sort of drama and things that happen that we

[30:38] sell, we need to send maybe a press release, we need to send this, we need to send that,

[30:43] and I'm like, oh, I don't know how it's like to be a Marxist because there's a lot of

[30:52] stuff happening and providing the information that is as accurate as possible. It's just a huge

[31:00] responsibility. So take it for your leadership, for your service to Santa Maria and all the

[31:08] not just here, but all the nonprofits and I wish you the best to you and your wife that everything

[31:16] It's going to be great and we're going to miss you guys.

[31:20] This is a tough council meeting because two at a time, two people that has been for so

[31:28] many years, it's going to be hard to feel the shoes and thank you for leaving the marking,

[31:36] not just this building but the whole city.

[31:40] Council member flies, I'm sorry, Mark and I work very close together on so many issues.

[31:52] And I go back to think about what I read here, just the Chair of the UCSB Economic Forecast

[31:59] Project, founding president of the Toastmasters Club, past president of Central Coast Literacy

[32:06] council. And that is really important in the city of San

[32:10] Rhea unless you've ever been to any of their meetings or their dinners to find out the

[32:14] impact they have on our community and in our community. But the serve San

[32:20] Rhea. And again, a person who is so invested in our community and shows that

[32:26] passion, that love, and everything he does. And we laugh about different things that

[32:31] go on because there are people that report things that go on and it's not real reporting

[32:39] or real accuracy.

[32:40] Never have I gone to a meeting with information that I got to mark from Mark that was erroneous.

[32:47] And a lot of times I'm on the fly, I'm going someplace to a meeting, I'm giving a speech

[32:51] and all of a sudden I think, hey, when did we do this or how much did we earn on this

[32:56] or how much did something cost?

[32:58] I can call Mark on the phone.

[32:59] And I'll probably still be calling you, Mark, after December 26th.

[33:03] I could call Mark on the phone, and he could give me the answer just like that.

[33:07] He didn't have to research anything.

[33:10] And the historical knowledge that he had, and I always trusted anything he said.

[33:14] I had never had to go and apologize as I, oh, I misspoke, misspoke.

[33:19] So the measure you was immense in our community, the measure you that brought more money into

[33:28] our community and that you put that together and that it was enormous, that's an

[33:33] enormous thing. You, many, many times you could come into these chambers and he's

[33:40] giving tours and he'll call me, I've got some fourth graders coming, I've got

[33:44] some Kenny Gartner's coming, can you make it down here? Are you going to be

[33:47] around? And I always like to talk to kids, they always have the best questions and

[33:52] Mark was always, always taking them around the city hall and around the

[33:57] And they look at our chambers because they, you know,

[34:00] in the comment that it's so beautiful in here,

[34:02] I'm amazed that more people haven't been in here,

[34:04] but anyway, it's just, Mark, we're just going to miss you.

[34:09] I'm going to miss you.

[34:11] Thank you very, very much.

[34:46] Mm-hmm, I know.

[34:47] I don't, Dave.

[34:49] Dave.

[34:54] Are you going to let people know?

[34:58] There's a cake in the back.

[35:00] OK, that's it.

[35:02] That's the reason why it came here, so.

[35:08] Catch him, catch him in the exit.

[35:14] He's coming back, he left his stuff here.

[35:24] The next item is the public comment period, Madam Clerk, could you please read the criteria?

[35:32] Speaker's may provide public comments on any matter within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City Council.

[35:38] Each speaker will be limited to three minutes, maximum and 15 minutes for public comment period.

[35:43] Unless the majority of the council objects, the mayor may provide speakers more or less time to speak.

[35:47] All comments or queries shall be addressed to the council as a body and not to any specific member there are

[35:53] Pursuant to government code section 5 for 9 5 4 2 a 2 the RELF and Brown Act no action or discussion by the city council

[36:01] She'll be undertaken on any item not appearing on the post agenda except to briefly provide information as for clarification

[36:08] Provide direction staff or schedule matter for a future meeting

[36:12] Thank you and we have two requests to speak. There's Dion Nielsen Price followed by Gary Paul.

[36:24] Good evening Miss Price.

[36:27] Good evening Mayor Patina and City Council. My name is Dr. Dion Nielsen Price and I'm a composer and I have to say I've been enjoying your wonderful community spirit and leadership.

[36:41] I retired from University 20 years ago and I am a composer and it was just a new chapter

[36:48] and I'm busy now, if not busier than I was then, so it's something.

[36:54] But I am, as I said, composer and co-producer of Behind Barbed Wire Redux, a glimpse into

[37:04] Central Coast Japanese-American life in World War II.

[37:09] I am here to invite you to the commemoration that will take place

[37:15] January 23rd, 2026 in the Clark Center for Performing Arts

[37:22] in a Royal Grande.

[37:24] We particularly want to invite the residents here in Santa Maria

[37:29] because the lives of so many of your neighbors, so many families

[37:34] were turned upside down.

[37:35] Several of the men were arrested immediately after the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December

[37:42] 1941.

[37:45] And that was months before the mass incarceration of Japanese American families.

[37:52] Although the internment was in desolate, it was miserable in camps in the desert.

[37:59] The people kept their spirits up with sports and music.

[38:04] and in our multimedia commemoration we have a big band that plays swing music of the 1940s that was heard in the camps.

[38:15] We have soloists, vocalists, saxophonists, an orchestra that plays music that I composed earlier for the commemoration we did in Southern California and in New York City.

[38:27] and we have the people of honor video by Central Coast Historian Jim Gregory.

[38:35] I believe the highlight of the program will be the elderly survivors who live in Santa Maria,

[38:44] who will share stories of their childhood years in the camps,

[38:49] and one of them is with me here tonight,

[38:53] and she's just great.

[38:55] I have made so many friends, we did this last January, maybe some of you were there.

[39:01] We had a lot of people on the committee and a lot of our audience was from Santa Maria.

[39:08] The event was sold out a week before and so that's one reason we're doing it again so other

[39:16] people will have a chance to see it.

[39:18] but it is a redox which means that it's a repeat with changes.

[39:24] The commemoration on January 23 is titled Behind Barbed Wire Redox.

[39:32] Redox is a repeat with some changes.

[39:36] So the tickets, you need to get your tickets early and I will leave flyers on the table in the back.

[39:44] And I think I asked if they would take one to the mayor.

[39:49] I see it on the table here.

[39:51] And I do have one, Dr. Price.

[39:54] Yes, I do.

[39:54] Okay.

[39:54] Thank you very much.

[39:56] Well, I hope to see you all in January.

[39:58] Thank you.

[39:58] Thank you for bringing that to us.

[40:01] I'm Gary Hall.

[40:16] Good evening.

[40:17] Madam Mayor, council members, staff and the citizens of Santa Maria.

[40:22] First, I wanted to congratulate the guys that are already gone.

[40:28] Alex and Mark on their retirement, and I hope that they will not be confronted with the challenges Santa Maria's senior mobile home residents confront every day.

[40:39] Now for the record, my name is Gary Hall, I'm a resident of Rancho Buena Vista Mobile Estates at 2135 North Railroad Avenue here in Santa Maria.

[40:47] I represent the North Santa Barbara County, manufactured homeowners team, or Nesbitt.

[40:54] Nesbitt's primary goal remains to provide protection to all Santa Maria mobile home residents,

[41:00] presently living in an unregulated rental market that translates into the simple word of affordability.

[41:08] Affordable mobile home living is vanishing here in Santa Maria and all across the state.

[41:14] I appointed out to you many times how the 2020 Model Ease and Enforcement Agreement.

[41:21] With all their flaws have proven to be ineffective in protecting homeowner equity and maintaining

[41:26] affordable mobile home housing, which of course was what it was supposed to do.

[41:31] I have repeatedly reminded you that three years, five months and 26 days ago, this council

[41:39] passed a motion with the intention of improving the 2020 Model Ease.

[41:43] or replacing it, that improvement attempt failed.

[41:48] We believe it's now time to take action to replace the model lease with a uniform, mandatory,

[41:54] enforceable mobile home rent stabilization program, much like those in our neighboring

[41:59] city and county jurisdictions.

[42:02] A program that protects the residents by maintaining affordability and still provides the park owner

[42:08] with a fair return.

[42:10] We also believe Santa Maria Mobile Home seniors living in senior parks deserve the same

[42:17] protection from conversion to all age parks that is now provided to the seniors in unincorporated

[42:23] Santa Barbara County.

[42:25] You recall that 16 months ago I brought to your attention the inappropriate effort by the

[42:31] owner of Delciello Senior Mobile Home Park in Orchid to convert it into an all-age park.

[42:37] Fortunately, within four months, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors was able

[42:43] to take the necessary action to prevent that conversion.

[42:47] We remain hopeful that Santa Maria will soon take similar action.

[42:51] According to communications with Santa Maria Community Development, personnel over the last

[42:56] few months, we know that the issue is being researched.

[43:00] We are anxious to see the research soon emerge as a new or revised ordinance like was introduced in Santa Barbara County.

[43:10] 2025 is nearly over.

[43:13] I hate watching this year pass because it makes eight years that I've been here without the city taking effective action to address the needs of the mobile home residents.

[43:25] It's past time to add both mobile home rent stabilization and senior mobile home park conversion prevention to a near term future meetings agenda.

[43:35] We need your help. Thank you.

[43:37] Thank you, Mr. Hall.

[43:39] I have a request for a ten minute break to join people in our back room there for cake.

[43:47] So we will reconvene in ten minutes.

[43:50] Thank you.

[45:03] They

[58:16] wish to pull for discussion. I

[58:25] have a motion. I move that we approve the consent calendar. I have a motion and a second. Having heard a motion and a second, is there any discussion? Hearing none, Madam Clerk, can you please call the roll.

[58:38] Council Member Aguilar Hernandez.

[58:40] Aye.

[58:40] Council Member Sato.

[58:41] Aye.

[58:41] Council Member Flores.

[58:42] Aye.

[58:43] Mayor Patimus Cabello.

[58:44] And Mayor Patino.

[58:46] Aye.

[58:52] Moving on to item number 7a.

[58:56] We will now consider the annual appointment of a Mayor Pro Tem to serve a one year period.

[59:02] Madam Clerk, do you have any correspondence or requests to speak?

[59:05] I do not.

[59:07] Okay.

[59:08] I'd like to bring this back to Council.

[59:09] Council, I would like to nominate Council Member Flores as Mayor Pro Tem for 2026, calendar, do I have a second, any discussion?

[59:22] Madam Clerk, can you please call the roll?

[59:24] Mayor Pro Tempettino?

[59:26] I am sorry.

[59:27] Mayor Pettino.

[59:28] I know.

[59:31] I'm good.

[59:33] Councilmember Aguilar Hernandez.

[59:36] I.

[59:36] Councilmember Sado.

[59:38] I'm not sure.

[59:38] Councilmember Flores.

[59:39] I.

[59:40] Mayor Patimus Cabello.

[59:44] Thank you.

[59:45] So you.

[59:46] You.

[59:47] It's a lot.

[59:49] Yeah.

[59:50] So now item number eight is a regular business.

[59:57] We'll now move.

[1:00:00] Moving on to the regular business portion of the agenda, the next item for the consideration as a resolution to adopt the 2026 meeting calendar for the city council, as well as the city of Santa Maria's boards, commissions, and committees. Chief Deputy City Clerk, Donna Schwartz will present the report. Madam Mayor and council tonight, we are asking for adoption of a resolution adopting the 2026 meeting schedule for not only city council but the various board's commissions and committees.

[1:00:28] All meetings of the local legislative bodies shall be open to the public except as permitted by state law.

[1:00:34] City Council, block grants advisory committee, library board of trustees, measure use citizens oversight committee,

[1:00:40] planning commission and the recreation and parks committee are to meet as indicated in the 2026 calendar.

[1:00:47] Approving an annual meeting calendar does provide transparency for local legislative bodies.

[1:00:52] By establishing a publicly accessible schedule, the legislative body demonstrates accountability.

[1:00:57] and ensures that constituents are informed about upcoming meetings and creates opportunities for public participation and staff is available for any questions.

[1:01:07] Thank you. Any questions from the dies? Okay. Any requests to speak or written comments?

[1:01:15] No Madam Mayor.

[1:01:17] Do I have a motion in a second?

[1:01:18] I'll move.

[1:01:20] Second.

[1:01:20] I move.

[1:01:21] Okay. I have a motion and a second. Any further discussion?

[1:01:23] If not, Madam Clerk, can you please call the roll?

[1:01:27] Council Member Estabedo?

[1:01:28] Aye.

[1:01:28] Council Member Aguilar Hernandez?

[1:01:30] Aye.

[1:01:31] Council Member Sado?

[1:01:32] Aye.

[1:01:32] Mayor Potem Flores?

[1:01:34] Aye.

[1:01:34] And Mayor Patina?

[1:01:35] Aye.

[1:01:37] The next will be a report by City Manager David Rowlands.

[1:01:41] Thank you, Madam Mayor and Council.

[1:01:43] Be brief tonight.

[1:01:44] Just want to thank both Mark and Alex for the use of service here.

[1:01:48] They both are very helpful.

[1:01:49] For my first year here at the City with all their information and

[1:01:52] As I said earlier, we're going to find a dead body, we're going to find the information

[1:01:55] very, very helpful.

[1:01:57] As of May, there's 68.5 years of service we recognize tonight.

[1:02:02] The other thing I thought was very impactful, in a sense we talked about the organization,

[1:02:07] the culture here, in the community, there are a number of employees in various departments,

[1:02:12] not just the communication department, not just from the recreation and parks department

[1:02:18] but also the Foreign Department Police Department,

[1:02:20] QE development, so it was really until the impact

[1:02:23] that they both had on the organization.

[1:02:25] We're wishing both great success.

[1:02:28] They give all journalists here tonight

[1:02:30] that they are retiring.

[1:02:31] And finally, I ask for to wish everybody

[1:02:33] a very nice good holiday season this year.

[1:02:35] And looking forward to 2026, thank you, that's all.

[1:02:38] Thank you.

[1:02:39] Now we'll go over the oral reports

[1:02:41] of council members, council member Flores,

[1:02:44] would start with you.

[1:02:45] I didn't have any reports this time, but I just wanted to wish everybody a very merry Christmas and

[1:02:53] a great new year in 2026 and what our city is about to do.

[1:03:01] So it's been an honor being on this board, on this city council with my colleagues.

[1:03:06] It's been a year that I was voted in, so I just want to say it's been an honor serving with everyone here.

[1:03:13] and thank you, Santa Maria.

[1:03:17] Thank you, Council Member Escovedo.

[1:03:20] And Merry Christmas, same happy holidays to everybody looking forward for

[1:03:27] a 2026 where we can keep working on items that are happy, pending, and

[1:03:33] instead of, and particularly during these days, just enjoy your family, enjoy this time.

[1:03:43] I mean, this is a, I tried to have fun and again, thank you to all the directors, all the staff for your service and looking forward to keep collaborating and supporting you guys for maybe challenge in 2026, but we'll do it, we'll do it as a team, we'll work really hard and, yeah, and to you guys make Christmas small.

[1:04:06] Thank you, Councilmember Aguilar Hernandez.

[1:04:10] I attended the Econ Alliance Board meeting, the Women's Law Association meeting.

[1:04:15] And yesterday I went to the groundbreaking of the Royal Theater in Wadalupe where the senator and

[1:04:22] the county supervisor and the state all have given money to revamp this theater, that historic, beautiful theater.

[1:04:31] It's going to be great.

[1:04:32] The other thing I want to remind people is that we do have the tree lighting on Friday, so hopefully, we all can attend, and then the parade of life on Saturday.

[1:04:42] Thank you.

[1:04:43] Thank you, Council Member Soho.

[1:04:45] We have a portable item.

[1:04:46] Thank you.

[1:04:48] November 19th through the 20th, we took, and I think Mr. and Mrs. Ricardo Galbadoin and Mrs. Shelley Springer from San Maria High School.

[1:05:00] as Japerones, we took the mayor's youth council to San Jose State, Stanford,

[1:05:08] Davis, Sac State, and we did a tour of the capital, and we did that all in two

[1:05:12] days. They were great. And there was 47 kids. Only 47.

[1:05:23] Yesterday I did attend the

[1:05:30] but they probably can't, but I haven't been inside in years and years and years and years,

[1:05:36] but that's really going to be great for Guadalupe. And it will be exciting, they'll be able to have

[1:05:43] the plays, there'll be movies shown and everything they want to do out there, and I think it will bring

[1:05:51] a lot to Guadalupe. And this evening, I want to thank everyone for the comments.

[1:06:00] Never given tonight Alex Fosada and to Mr. Van the camp that was so important and we are losing so much that it's you can't put a price on that and the value how much they've given and how much we have, you know, I especially I know I rely on them a lot and but how much they've given to the city of San Maria, which is really important.

[1:06:24] And so this evening I would like to close our meeting in dedication of Mother Gladys LaWanda

[1:06:33] Johnson.

[1:06:35] Now, it's hard to say Gladys Johnson without Ori Johnson, but that couple has given so

[1:06:43] much to San Maria.

[1:06:45] And if any of you have been to the Johnson Temple, that was started by Ori Johnson and his wife.

[1:06:51] They settled in Oxnard, then they came up to Santa Maria.

[1:06:56] They had three children, Richard, they called Ricky, Crystal, and Kirk Edwin, they called

[1:07:03] Eddie.

[1:07:05] They've helped establish food banks.

[1:07:07] They have worked so much in the city of San Maria.

[1:07:10] They were recognized by our Chamber of Commerce a few years back, but I think maybe the recognition

[1:07:18] I gave them was with Ricky at Eddie.

[1:07:20] They were great football players in a Friday night at Santa Maria High School.

[1:07:24] It was really a pleasure.

[1:07:26] And I just used to all love to go to all the football games at Santa Maria High School.

[1:07:30] But I would like to close tonight's meeting in remembrance of Mother Gladys Lomona Johnson.

[1:07:37] Merry Christmas everyone in Santa Maria, and we'll see you next year.

[1:07:40] This meeting is adjourned.

City Council Meeting

Agenda

Transcript