[3:31] Good afternoon. Good afternoon.

[3:35] There we go. Good

[3:37] afternoon, everyone. I would like to

[3:39] call the September 29, 2026 close

[3:42] session city council meeting to order.

[3:44] City clerk, may we have a roll call?

[3:46] >> Council member Howard Clark,

[3:47] >> present. Council member Lodge

[3:49] >> and accounted for.

[3:50] >> Council member Peterson

[3:51] >> here.

[3:52] >> Mayor Prom Mayos

[3:53] >> here.

[3:53] >> Mayor Koopa

[3:54] >> here.

[3:56] That is everyone accounted for. So we

[3:59] will go into the public comment period.

[4:02] City clerk, are there any registered

[4:04] speakers for today's close session?

[4:06] >> No registered speakers, mayor.

[4:07] >> All right, then with that we will

[4:09] proceed to close session. Thank you for

[4:11] joining us. The report of close session

[4:12] will be will occur after the

[4:14] deliberations.

[33:05] 29 2026 adjourned regular city council

[33:09] meeting to order. I would like to point

[33:11] out that this meeting is being hosted

[33:13] through the live stream on the city's

[33:14] website and by Zoom teleconference.

[33:17] Would also like to remind council to

[33:19] have their microphones turned on and

[33:20] position so the audience can hear. City

[33:23] clerk, may we have a roll call?

[33:25] >> Thank you, mayor. Council member Howard

[33:27] Clark

[33:27] >> present.

[33:28] >> Council member Lodge

[33:29] >> here.

[33:29] >> Council member Peterson

[33:30] >> here.

[33:30] >> Mayor Po Mayos

[33:32] >> here.

[33:32] >> Mayor Koopa

[33:33] >> here.

[33:34] >> The invocation this afternoon will be

[33:35] led by community solutions coordinator

[33:37] Christian Tikis after which I will lead

[33:40] us in the pledge of allegiance. Please

[33:42] stand.

[33:46] » Good afternoon. Please bow your heads.

[33:49] Heavenly Father, we come before you

[33:51] today with grateful hearts acknowledging

[33:52] that every good and perfect gift comes

[33:54] from you. Thank you for the blessings

[33:56] you have given us, for this community we

[33:58] have the privilege to serve and for the

[34:00] people you have called into positions of

[34:02] leadership and responsibility. Lord,

[34:05] today we especially give thanks for our

[34:07] interim city manager and for the

[34:08] dedication, leadership and service

[34:10] provided over these past five months. We

[34:13] are grateful for the willingness to step

[34:14] forward during a season of transition to

[34:17] carry the responsibilities of a of

[34:19] leadership and to help guide our city

[34:21] during this important time. We ask that

[34:23] you bless and honor that service. And

[34:26] now, as we welcome our new city manager,

[34:28] we recognize the beginning of a new

[34:30] season for our city. We ask that you

[34:33] grant our new city manager wisdom,

[34:35] discernment, courage, and humility.

[34:37] Provide clear direction and decisions

[34:39] ahead and surround our leadership and

[34:40] with people who will offer wise counsel

[34:44] and work together in a spirit of unity.

[34:47] May this transition be marked with

[34:48] cooperation, mutual respect, renewed

[34:51] hope and purpose, and a shared

[34:53] commitment to the people we serve.

[34:56] Remind us that leadership is not simply

[34:57] a position or title, but an opportunity

[35:00] to serve our faithful and and to leave

[35:02] things better than we found them. May

[35:05] your blessing rest upon our city and our

[35:07] leaders, our employees, our families,

[35:09] and every resident who calls this

[35:10] community home. Guide our words, our

[35:12] decisions, and our actions as we move

[35:14] forward together. grateful for those who

[35:16] have brought us to this moment and

[35:18] hopeful for what lies ahead. In Jesus

[35:21] name we pray. Amen.

[35:28] to the flag of the United States of

[35:31] America and to the republic.

[35:48] » We will move on to the city attorney's

[35:50] report from close session.

[35:52] >> Uh thank you, mayor and councel. Uh I am

[35:54] happy to report that the city council uh

[35:58] voted five to zero. The motion was made

[36:00] by mayor Koopa and the second was made

[36:02] by council member Clark to appoint uh

[36:05] Ernie Raina as the next city manager of

[36:07] the city of Hemet.

[36:12] » Okay, thank you very much. We will now

[36:15] move to public comments. We will take

[36:17] public comments on items not listed on

[36:19] the agenda. City clerk, are there any

[36:21] registered speakers? Yes, we do have uh

[36:24] two registered speakers. As a reminder,

[36:26] all public comments on non-public

[36:28] hearing items have a three minute per

[36:29] person time limit. All who wish to

[36:31] speak, including council members and

[36:33] staff, need to be recognized by the

[36:34] mayor before speaking. For those who

[36:36] wish to join via Zoom, you will be asked

[36:38] to raise your hand. If you would like to

[36:40] speak, please state your name and the

[36:42] item you are commenting on before

[36:43] speaking. Our first speaker is Judith

[36:46] McFersonson, followed by Bella.

[36:53] Please come to the microphone.

[37:02] » Yes, if it's green, it's on and you can,

[37:04] you know, you can adjust that. Thank you

[37:06] so much.

[37:07] >> Okay. Good afternoon, mayor and council

[37:10] members. My name is Judy McFersonen and

[37:13] my family has owned property in the down

[37:15] in downtown Helmet for many years. I'm

[37:17] here today because we finally need a

[37:19] clear answer about something that has

[37:21] affected our property for years. Parking

[37:24] requirements in the downtown village.

[37:27] For years, we have watched businesses

[37:30] open around our property while being

[37:31] told in one form or another that parking

[37:34] was not required per downtown village.

[37:37] But after reviewing the city's own

[37:38] downtown Hammet specific plan, that does

[37:41] not appear to be what the adopted plan

[37:43] actually says.

[37:45] Downtown Village is a real zoning des

[37:48] designation,

[37:49] but being located in the downtown

[37:51] village is not the same thing as being

[37:53] exempt from parking requirements. The

[37:55] specific plan establishes parking

[37:57] standards. It allows qualifying adjacent

[38:00] street parking and multiple parking

[38:02] within 300 ft to count toward those

[38:05] requirements. It also provides a process

[38:08] through which additional reductions may

[38:11] potentially be approved as part of a

[38:13] parking management plan, including

[38:16] shared parking, valet parking, on street

[38:19] parking, and proximity to transit.

[38:22] Those are parking standards, credits,

[38:24] and possible reductions. They are not a

[38:27] blanket parking exemption. That

[38:30] distinction is extremely important to

[38:32] our family because we own a private

[38:34] parking lot at 135 East Florida Avenue.

[38:37] And for years, businesses have been

[38:38] allowed to open around us and their

[38:41] customers use our privately owned

[38:42] property for parking. We have repeatedly

[38:45] questioned how those businesses

[38:46] satisfied their parking requirements. If

[38:49] the answer written on an application or

[38:51] given by city staff was simply downtown

[38:53] village, then we want to know the legal

[38:55] basis for that determination. We are not

[38:58] asking the city to treat anyone

[39:00] unfairly. We are asking for the

[39:02] opposite. We want the rules applied

[39:04] consistently, transparently, and

[39:06] according to the adopted specific plan

[39:09] for each property that received this

[39:10] treatment. The city should be able to

[39:12] show the calculation. How many parking

[39:14] spaces were required? How many

[39:16] qualifying street or municipal spaces

[39:19] were credited? Was a reduction granted?

[39:21] Who approved it? And under what

[39:23] provision of the specific plan? Our

[39:25] family's private property cannot simply

[39:27] become the solution to everybody else's

[39:29] parking requirements without our

[39:31] permission. So today, I am asking the

[39:34] council and community development

[39:35] department for a complete accounting of

[39:37] how these parking determinations have

[39:40] been made and for confirmation that our

[39:42] privately owned parking lot has never

[39:44] been counted formally or informally

[39:47] toward another property's parking

[39:48] requirement without our consent. This

[39:51] has gone on far too long. We aren't

[39:53] asking for special treatment. We're

[39:55] asking the city to follow its own

[39:56] adopted rules and respect our property

[39:58] rights. Thank you.

[40:01] >> Thank you very much, Judy. Next speaker,

[40:04] >> Bella.

[40:07] » Afternoon, everybody, and welcome to the

[40:10] city to the new city manager. Um what I

[40:13] would like to say is I attended the

[40:15] measure Q open house on Saturday and

[40:18] based on the discussion that was

[40:20] observed with city staff and questions

[40:22] that were asked by um some of the

[40:24] residents um there's an observed

[40:26] misalignment on how Measure Q funds

[40:29] would be distributed. There's clear

[40:31] confusion on if 72% of measure Q will go

[40:35] to public safety or is it that council

[40:38] will have discretion on how the

[40:39] estimated 16 million will be allocated.

[40:42] If doing the back of the envelope math,

[40:44] public safety will get 72% of the

[40:47] general fund, which apparently that's

[40:48] what it is, 100% of measure U and now

[40:51] 72% of measure Q, leaving peanuts for

[40:54] the rest of the city, which based off

[40:57] the city council meetings that I've

[40:58] observed, that was not what was the

[41:01] understanding. Um, people will soon be

[41:03] voting on this measure that not even the

[41:06] council or city staff have clarity on.

[41:09] And that was clearly observed during the

[41:10] measure Q meeting that I attended on

[41:13] Saturday and how the funds will be um

[41:16] dispersed. But we were told council

[41:20] decides and I don't know who is getting

[41:22] manipulated here. If it's the residents,

[41:24] if it's council, I'm not sure who, but

[41:28] residents are made to believe that

[41:30] without measure Q, they're going to be

[41:32] losing the boots on the ground and fire

[41:34] services. and council has been made to

[41:37] believe that they have an opportunity to

[41:40] decide on how the estimated 16 million

[41:43] of measure Q will be allocated when in

[41:45] reality if it's based off of one of the um the the sides it will only

[41:52] be around 4.5 million on which will be

[41:55] used for city other city needs. Um the

[41:58] residents deserve better. I'm asking

[42:00] that the council ask questions. I sat

[42:03] here I still have a minute. I sat here

[42:05] or watched it online, not sure, a few

[42:07] sessions ago and there was a city reper,

[42:10] city staff that talked about with the

[42:12] dispensaries that on their new software

[42:15] that it's not set up to collect 12,000

[42:19] 25 Yeah. 12,500 of fees from the

[42:22] dispensaries, but not anybody on the

[42:24] council asked them, "What are you doing

[42:28] to rectify that? What are you doing to

[42:30] set it up to collect those fees?" yet

[42:33] you all want us to pay more taxes, but

[42:36] there's not even any clarity on if it's

[42:39] really going to be used the way that you

[42:41] all have been, I guess, presented it

[42:44] with. So, I'm asking for clarity. I'm

[42:47] asking people are going to be voting on

[42:49] this very soon. And this a complete

[42:51] misrepresentation

[42:53] if it is not clearly understood amongst

[42:56] city staff. So, I'm asking that council

[42:59] ask questions to the city attorney and

[43:02] city manager and that it is very clear

[43:05] on what the expectations are here.

[43:08] Please ask questions. We need this from

[43:10] you.

[43:12] >> Thank you very much. And just a comment

[43:14] on that. Uh the measure Q allocation

[43:18] distribution will be on the next city

[43:20] council uh agenda and we will be

[43:23] discussing it at a public meeting. So,

[43:25] thank you very much.

[43:28] Moving on to discuss discussion item

[43:33] number 14.

[43:35] A did you want to say anything before I

[43:38] do?

[43:39] >> Um, mayor, I I can certainly give uh my

[43:42] required report under uh the Brown Act

[43:44] if you'd like or if you wanted to have

[43:46] staff or sorry, council and staff give

[43:48] comments. What would your preference be?

[43:50] >> Uh preference would be that we go first.

[43:52] >> Okay. So, with that, um, I'd just like

[43:56] to give a a short background on our

[43:59] search for city permanent city manager

[44:01] that has been going on for several

[44:03] months now. And, uh, we did receive over

[44:06] 30 applications for city manager. The

[44:10] full council interviewed eight

[44:13] candidates,

[44:14] called back two of them for further

[44:16] interview,

[44:18] and had a unanimous vote on appointment

[44:23] of

[44:26] Ernest Raina. I got it right that time

[44:30] because I just pronounced his name wrong

[44:32] a little bit ago. Um, and u, it's been a process. It has been uh

[44:39] challenging. We had of the 30 candidates

[44:43] we had the the eight were outstanding

[44:46] and I had made the comment uh that if we

[44:50] could roll them all into one, what would

[44:52] we have? And council member Lodge said

[44:54] we'd have a very big fat city manager.

[44:58] So, thank you for that. Uh, any other

[45:01] council members want to make a comment

[45:03] before we go through the legal mumbo

[45:06] jumbo from city attorney?

[45:09] Go ahead, Connie. Make it short.

[45:11] >> Very short. One of our uh consultants I

[45:15] told

[45:16] I want this certain type of city manager

[45:20] and he knew exactly who I was talking

[45:22] about because it was someone I had met

[45:24] at Cal Cities. and I just saw him at the

[45:27] Cal Cities and I told him, "Bingo, you

[45:30] got it. Right on." So, I'm very pleased.

[45:35] And that's all I'm going to say. Very

[45:37] good. Anyone else?

[45:40] >> Nope.

[45:43] >> Go ahead.

[45:44] >> I just want to welcome Ernie. Um, I

[45:47] think you're going to do a great job

[45:48] after interviewing you. You gave a great

[45:51] interview. Uh, you were ready, you were

[45:53] prepared, and that was good.

[45:55] um with Noah, you know, I want to thank

[45:58] you, Noah, for all you did and coming in

[46:01] at a time where you were needed and you

[46:03] did a great job. I was pleased with you.

[46:05] So, um I was ready to have you on

[46:09] full-time and hopefully you would have

[46:11] continued, but things don't always work

[46:13] the way you think they're going to work,

[46:16] but I'm I'm thankful for what you did

[46:18] and uh I thank you for giving your time

[46:21] as city manager, Ernie. you you'll be

[46:24] welcome.

[46:25] >> So, okay. If there's no other, then Mr.

[46:30] City Attorney, would you please give us

[46:32] the the legalies that we need to have?

[46:34] >> Sure. I I will happily engage in the

[46:36] mumbo jumbo. Mayor say

[46:40] >> um so I I did just uh want to give a

[46:43] little bit of public information on Mr.

[46:45] Rea. He has more than 25 years of

[46:47] progressively responsible leadership in

[46:49] city management, municipal finance, and

[46:51] regional government. uh all of it in

[46:53] service to Riverside County communities.

[46:56] Uh he joined the city of Paris in 2019

[46:58] as the director of finance and city

[47:00] treasurer and was promoted in 2021 to

[47:02] deputy city manager and later to his

[47:05] current role of assistant city manager.

[47:07] Uh in that role, he serves as the

[47:09] principal operational assistant to the

[47:11] city manager with executive oversight of

[47:14] finance, public works, information

[47:16] technology, emergency management,

[47:19] municipal enforcement services, and the

[47:21] public safety contract administration.

[47:23] Uh he's been directly involved in budget

[47:25] development, labor negotiations,

[47:27] long-term financial planning. And in

[47:29] 2026, he was primarily assigned to the

[47:32] executive effort regarding measure B,

[47:34] which is a voter-approved local sales

[47:37] tax measure that will strengthen the

[47:38] city of Paris's long-term fiscal

[47:40] position. Before joining Paris, uh, Mr.

[47:43] Rea served as the finance director and

[47:45] city treasurer for the city of Eastale.

[47:47] And before that, for more than seven

[47:48] years as the chief financial officer of

[47:51] the Western Riverside Council of

[47:52] Governments, WRCOG, a regional agency

[47:55] that serves over 17 cities in our area.

[47:58] Um, additionally, he began his career

[48:00] with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians

[48:02] where he spent 13 years in their

[48:03] accounting, audit, and financial

[48:05] administration roles. So, if you're

[48:07] wondering what kind of city manager uh

[48:10] the council member was looking for, I

[48:12] think that answers it. Um, on to the

[48:15] requirements uh that I have to provide

[48:17] under the Brown Act. Uh, the proposed

[48:19] agreement uh with Mr. arena. Uh copies

[48:22] of which are outside on the table next

[48:24] to the public um request to speak and

[48:27] the agendas. So anyone feel free to take

[48:29] a copy. They will be posted online uh

[48:32] very shortly. Um the proposed agreement

[48:34] has an initial annual salary of $330,000

[48:38] per year. Um annual creases annual

[48:40] increases of 2% subject to salary

[48:43] compaction and fiscal emergency

[48:45] provisions. uh very similar to our other

[48:48] agreements. It has salary adjustments

[48:50] tied to the next highest paid city

[48:52] classification and that's where the um

[48:55] annual salary was set at because of that

[48:57] benefits include uh city deferred

[49:00] compensation contributions. uh Kalpers's

[49:02] retirement health, dental, vision

[49:04] benefits and applicable management

[49:06] employee terms, including city paid life

[49:08] insurance and a $500 automobile

[49:11] allowance or a city provided vehicle,

[49:13] which is the same benefit that other

[49:14] management level employees at the city

[49:16] are provided. Um, he'll also be uh

[49:19] provided with uh vacation time, credit

[49:23] for his CalPOR's agency service, uh 60

[49:26] hours of administrative leave uh that is

[49:28] prrated initially, and he will be

[49:30] allowed to participate in the city's

[49:31] gym, employee assistance, and group

[49:34] health insurance programs. Uh that

[49:36] concludes the required disclosures there

[49:39] may be.

[49:39] >> All right. Thank you very much. And with

[49:42] that, um,

[49:44] would like to entertain a motion. What

[49:48] is your pleasure, council?

[49:54] » I would do a motion to accept approve.

[49:59] >> Approve.

[50:01] I use the wrong word. Approve. And it's

[50:06] someone help me with the last name

[50:07] because you've already I messed it up

[50:10] for you. already considered me.

[50:13] You'll you'll never be the same.

[50:15] >> Yes. Ernie Raina.

[50:17] >> Rea.

[50:19] >> Okay, we have a motion. Do we have a

[50:21] second?

[50:21] >> I second that.

[50:22] >> Okay, it has been moved and seconded.

[50:24] Uh,

[50:26] can we have a roll call, please? We I

[50:30] want both.

[50:31] >> Or do you want to go on board?

[50:32] >> I want vote voice and then we hit the

[50:34] button.

[50:34] >> Okay. Council member Howard Clark.

[50:37] >> Yes.

[50:38] >> Council member Lodge.

[50:39] >> Most definitely. Council member

[50:40] Peterson.

[50:41] >> Yes.

[50:41] >> Mayor Poten Males,

[50:42] >> just one question. Are you okay with a

[50:44] 1967 uh Volkswagen for your vehicle

[50:48] then? Yes.

[50:51] >> And Mayor Koopa.

[50:53] >> Yes.

[50:54] >> But it has no brakes.

[50:55] >> You push

[50:58] >> push our Okay, everybody push your

[50:59] buttons. This is going to be recorded.

[51:03] And confirm.

[51:06] There it is. It is official. Welcome,

[51:09] Mr. Raina. And with that, would you

[51:11] please

[51:16] go to the microphone and tell us a

[51:18] little bit about yourself and introduce

[51:20] your lovely wife?

[51:26] » Well, thank you, uh, Mayor Krupa and

[51:28] members of the city council. Is your

[51:30] line green?

[51:30] >> It's green. Yes. I just got to stand a

[51:32] little closer because I'm taller. So,

[51:34] the whole thing on the left side over

[51:35] there,

[51:36] >> this is the

[51:39] Wow, look at that. That's fancy. I like

[51:41] that.

[51:42] >> How's that? Is that better? Getting

[51:44] closer.

[51:44] >> Did it.

[51:45] >> Well, just a quick introduction and

[51:47] thank you for the kind words. Um, I

[51:49] think city attorney Pacificico said a

[51:51] lot of that. Uh, my name is Ernest

[51:52] Raina. I go by Ernie. Um, and so Raina

[51:55] is the last name. I'm here with my

[51:57] beautiful wife Dolores Rea as well.

[51:59] We've been married 25 years. Um, and so

[52:01] I'm looking forward to this next chapter

[52:03] of my life. but also in reviewing and

[52:05] reading the description for the job, I I

[52:07] thought it fit pretty well. Um, and so

[52:09] the skills that were once described here

[52:11] at the DEIS um are the skills and the

[52:13] traits that I bring to the city. Um, I'm

[52:15] really eager, excited to get started.

[52:17] Um, and working with the city council,

[52:19] uh, the residents of the of the city as

[52:21] well, city staff um, and I have a plan

[52:23] of what to do going forward. So, like uh, city attorney Pacificico said,

[52:27] um, I just had a voter approved measure

[52:28] passed in Paris. So, we're under the

[52:30] same type of operation that that he is.

[52:32] So, it's very familiar to me. So, I'm

[52:34] super excited to get eager and get

[52:36] started with everything and go from

[52:38] there. But, uh I will uh given my 30-day

[52:40] notice at my previous employer and I'll

[52:42] be starting here soon. So, I'm looking

[52:43] forward to all that. But I just want to

[52:44] say thank you for giving me the

[52:45] opportunity and uh we'll we'll go from

[52:47] there. But thank you.

[52:48] >> Thank you very much and welcome.

[53:00] » We'll do that after. Okay. Yes, stick

[53:03] around. We're going to take a formal

[53:04] picture afterwards. So, um, with that,

[53:08] there being no further business, there's

[53:10] a bug in here, this meeting is adjourned

[53:12] to the next city council meeting on

[53:15] October 13, 2026. Thank you so much

[53:18] everyone for joining us. We are

[53:19] adjourned.

City Council Meeting 9/29/26

Transcript