[0:07] Good evening. Thank you all for being here this evening. Call this meeting to order. Please, all rise for the pleasant allegiance.

[0:15] to the United States of America and to the Republic for keeps stands by May, under

[0:25] gun, indivisible, whatever it is, go roll

[0:33] call please.

[0:36] Council member Nishihita.

[0:37] Here. Council member Zaki Kinhata. Here. Council member Wong.

[0:40] Here. Vice Mayor Patino. Here. And the nursing. Here. Let the record show all the

[0:46] Council members are present.

[0:49] The City Council is authorized to take action only on the item listed on the evening's agenda.

[0:55] Public comment is welcomed and encouraged on all the agenda items.

[0:59] If you wish to address the council, please complete a speaker card and submit prior to the

[1:05] oral communication item.

[1:07] This help ensure we can allocate sufficient time.

[1:10] for all speakers, I will call on the speakers at the appropriate time.

[1:17] City Clerk, please confirm the remote public.

[1:20] Common access is active.

[1:24] Yes, Mayor, it is active.

[1:26] Okay. At this time, we have a two-proclamation, and we're waiting for Jacob to get here.

[1:35] And we're going to go ahead and we're going to go with the proclamation 2.2 proclamation.

[1:40] I have a question.

[1:41] Type, please.

[1:42] Proclamation recognizing the James Logan High School Baseball Team

[1:45] 226 CIF North Coast Section D, Vision 3 Champions.

[1:51] City of Union City Proclamation recognized the James Logan High School Baseball Team

[1:55] 2026 CIF North Coast Section Division 3 Champions,

[2:01] whereas the James Logan High School Baseball Team has brought great pride

[2:06] to Union City and the New Haven Unified School District by winning the

[2:11] 2026 California Inter-Scalship Federation CIF, North Coast Section Division

[2:18] III Championship, and whereas this championship reflects the team's hard work,

[2:25] skill, discipline, and strong commitment to one another throughout the season and

[2:31] whereas the City of Union City probably recognized the students,

[2:36] athlete of the James Logan High School baseball team.

[2:40] Kamari Robinson, Isaiah Palisuma, Marcus Young, Ivan Perez, Marcus Meese,

[2:51] Calvin Angler, Ricky William, Emilano Ramirez, Lester Miranda,

[2:57] Andrews Osgura, Amado Veray, Santoj, Nicholas Engler,

[3:06] Danema Castro, Mason, Yamagata, Vasili Vega, Leo Osgura,

[3:16] Sophia Park, Jaden Archilera, Octavia Gonzalez, Colton Steven, Isaac Marino, Nathan Lali,

[3:28] and Kelb Diggala Burnett.

[3:31] And whereas the team's success was made possible through the leadership of head coach Luis

[3:38] sort of assistant coach, many Gomez, and Cesar Hermannis and Mike Limor, and the support

[3:47] of a principal, Ron Polk, athlete, Dr. Eli Baga Sony, athlete, trainer, Rocco Perez,

[3:57] team photographer, Ella Vega, and Marco Casas, and program coordinator, Norma Higgins,

[4:06] and Erika Wraeson-Tosh and whereas James Logan baseball athlete earned a mission

[4:14] valley athletic league MBAL all league recognition one athlete received MBAL

[4:23] honorable mention and one athlete was named James Logan High School scholar

[4:30] athlete of the year were at six member of the team were awarded new

[4:36] New Haven school foundation scholarship showing that these student athletes have worked hard

[4:42] not only on the field, but also in the classroom and in the community.

[4:48] And whereas the James Logan High School baseball team has shown the value of teamwork,

[4:53] leadership, sportsmanship, and the school pride serving as a strong example for young people

[5:00] across Union City.

[5:02] Now, therefore, the City Council of Union City does hereby recognize and congratulate the James Logan High School Baseball Team for winning the

[5:12] 2026 CIF North Coast Section Division 3 Championship and extend our best wishes to the player coaches, staff, families, and

[5:23] Supporter for the continued success.

[6:18] You can call them up one by one, but this one is for you.

[6:25] All

[6:28] right boys, I'm gonna call each name and then when I call your name up come up and line up, Kamari Robinson,

[6:38] Isaiah,

[6:45] Palasuma,

[6:52] Marcos, Jung,

[7:01] Ivan, Perez,

[7:08] Marquez, Mice,

[7:15] Calvin, Aguilar,

[7:22] Rekai, Williams,

[7:29] Emiliano, Ramirez,

[7:30] is

[7:40] Leicester Miranda,

[7:51] Andres Osegera,

[7:57] Amato Vera Santos,

[8:07] Nicholas Aguilar,

[8:15] Donovan Castro,

[8:23] Mason Yamagata,

[8:36] Wesley Vega,

[8:44] Leo Osegera,

[8:54] Sappite Puck,

[9:07] Jaden Archileta, Octavio

[9:15] Gonzalez,

[9:27] Colton Stevens,

[9:34] Isaac Moreno,

[9:46] Nathan Lolli,

[9:55] Caleb the Gollabernet,

[10:14] Justin Gardene,

[10:21] Keonee Speakman,

[10:31] and Coach Cesar Jimenez.

[11:24] Let's have several rows and some of the folks also kind of squat so that way we can fit

[11:30] everyone in one frame.

[12:41] Okay everyone just wanted to say a quick thank you so I want to start off by thanking Mayor

[12:46] Singh and all of our city council members for awarding us this proclamation to celebrate

[12:50] our championship.

[12:52] Our athletes work extremely hard in every aspect of their lives to accomplish something

[12:56] like this, and it's truly beautiful to see that our program is gaining the recognition

[13:01] that they deserve and all the efforts that they put in. I also want to thank our James Logan

[13:08] High School staff and the students for supporting us. Thank you to Principal Ron Polk and Ethelague

[13:13] Director Eli Baguizan. Thank you to Dr. Thompson and everyone in the New Haven District office for

[13:19] supporting our aspirations to compete at the highest level. And thank you to all of our families

[13:23] for all the sacrifices and effort to support our athletes and coaches.

[13:28] Thank you to our entire coaching staff for your commitment to the players.

[13:33] And lastly, I want to thank the community for your massive support this entire season.

[13:37] We couldn't have done it without you.

[13:40] And we are not only representing our school but we're representing our city.

[13:43] And we hope to continue to make our city proud in the years to come and

[13:47] look forward to the opportunities that are ahead.

[13:49] Thank you.

[13:49] I

[14:01] wanted to say thank you so much for bringing the pride back to our city.

[14:07] This is a great team work.

[14:09] I will thank all the coaches, our student and the families and relatives and the fans

[14:16] to showing up at the games on myself on the baseball fan, you know.

[14:21] I think you guys, some of the guys are a big guy, you know, like I see that this kid is

[14:26] like a Mark McGuire like a Oakland age and I see that you know San Francisco

[14:33] giants and the Oakland age they need some help you guys you got to step up yeah

[14:39] so great job thank you so much thank you

[14:52] do we have Jacob here now is he here

[14:57] Okay. All right. So

[15:00] So, if I go hand with 2.1, please.

[15:06] Certificate recognizing, check up, Jacob McAloy for his victory at the Rumble and the Oone professional boxing event. Okay, so we have the certificate for Jacob here. You guys want to come down there again.

[16:24] Yeah, I would just like to say thank you. So this whole city, you know, I grew up here in Union City.

[16:31] and we really have a special village here.

[16:35] I'm not sure what it is if it's the fact that we,

[16:38] a lot of us all went to the same high school

[16:41] and we kind of just have this special

[16:43] close knit community here in Union City.

[16:46] So it's pretty awesome that we got the baseball team here

[16:50] just to represent Logan and overall our athletics.

[16:54] I got to teach out Logan for the past couple of years

[16:56] and to hold an event at Logan as the first professional boxing event we

[17:05] ever had in our city was really something special and to headline it I'm

[17:09] just grateful and to come out the win and get the knockout in the fourth

[17:13] round it was really just a special moment back in April so thank you

[17:18] everybody thank you Mayor Singh and especially thank you Vice Mayor Patinio for

[17:23] coming out and supporting. I really appreciate you guys. Thank you so much.

[17:38] Thank you so much for

[17:39] your dedication, hard work, paid off, and we're so proud of you guys. Keep going. Thank you so

[17:45] much.

[17:57] You guys can leave if you want to. You're good. You're good.

[18:05] That was good idea.

[18:23] The item three is the oral communication and this is the time for the member of the public

[18:29] to address the City Council on a matter not listed on the tonight agenda.

[18:34] In person speaker card are requested to assist the City clerk with the speaker queue but are

[18:41] not required.

[18:42] remote speaker will receive the same time allowment as in person speaker for those participating remotely.

[18:51] There's anybody on the zoom as tight.

[18:55] Mayor, I have three speaker cards and I do not see any hands raised on the zoom.

[19:02] Okay.

[19:03] Mayor, would you just give it a couple more, one more minute so that it's a little bit too loud.

[19:09] Okay. Okay. Yeah. I couldn't hear you.

[19:42] Mayor, we can proceed. Okay. Um, okay. Let's

[19:46] show it. We'll have two minutes. Okay. Give me a speaker, please. All right. Two minutes

[19:51] it is. Uh, the first speaker is going to be Jack Quay, uh, followed by Ishita Karla

[19:57] and Kakshi and Melva. I'm apologies for the name Nevo Walla, followed by Ruben Lopez.

[20:06] Welcome.

[20:07] Thank you for allowing me to speak to the City Council and Mr. Mayor Singh.

[20:25] So since I have two minutes, I'll speak very fast.

[20:28] But five years ago, I was here raising some issues about a project approved by this city

[20:38] because I was not allowed to go outside, but no picture was allowed to be taken and

[20:45] not allowed to talk to others.

[20:47] I raised the issue that there is no authorization to act as an agent.

[20:53] and the City Council and Camilla helped,

[20:56] so the project was stopped.

[20:59] Later, fast forward, I did find

[21:02] that the contractor used standard siding,

[21:05] much standard siding that would not provide enough strength

[21:10] for earthquake resistance.

[21:15] So help for, thank you for saving lives

[21:18] at our Contemporary HOA

[21:20] because your action does mean a lot to us.

[21:24] Now, fast forward. I left after three years on the board.

[21:29] Now the HOA has started to resume to do the rest of the siding project. And again, I was

[21:39] told that I cannot set foot on our contemporary HOA property. No picture to be taken, no talking

[21:46] to other people, and the event certain imply they will sue me if I do that.

[21:51] But I already found a few problems, the same problem, that there is no authorization

[22:00] to apply for permit from the owners.

[22:02] I also found that there are bad anchor boats in the foundations.

[22:07] I like to share a few pictures if I may.

[22:12] Is that okay for me to siti-clar?

[22:23] I'm not just encuples are severely rusted, not capable of taking on the screens.

[22:29] The concrete foundation is also a surprise, sir.

[22:33] The time is over.

[22:34] Thank you.

[22:35] So, I would appreciate if the City Council helped us again to save lives.

[22:40] Thank you.

[22:43] Next speaker is Ishita Kaurala and Kaurushi Malbongwala together.

[22:48] Evening

[22:59] everyone, thank you for having us here today.

[23:02] We are Syrobrhythm, a student-led club at James Logan High School dedicated to improving

[23:09] the quality of life among senior citizens, especially those with neurological conditions

[23:15] through neuroscience-informed music practices.

[23:19] Through our work, we aim to foster memory recall, encourage meaningful connections, and even promote

[23:26] long-term emotional well-being. Over the past couple of months we've partnered with the

[23:31] Masonic Homes of California, where we've held five visits and collected over 75 surveys.

[23:38] We visited numerous departments, including the memory care, as well as independent and assisted

[23:44] living communities, allowing us to understand how music can impact seniors with varying cognitive

[23:51] of abilities and experiences.

[23:56] Additionally, we are spreading awareness

[23:58] through a monthly series inside the mind,

[24:01] where we share information about the connection

[24:03] between music and the brain, as well as raise awareness

[24:07] about neurodegenerative conditions.

[24:10] As we continue these efforts, we aspire to maintain our weekly

[24:14] visits, collaborate with the Masonic Homes of California,

[24:18] the host community events, and expand awareness

[24:21] the support and individuals affected by neurological conditions.

[24:26] With your support, we hope there's friends in this community,

[24:30] because while a song may only last a few minutes,

[24:33] the connections and memories it creates can last a lifetime.

[24:37] We also want to say that we're open to any future partnerships

[24:41] and if the city is holding an event that aligns with any of our goals,

[24:44] you know we're to find us. Thank you.

[24:46] Thank you so much.

[24:48] All right.

[24:52] Final speaker is Ruben Lopez.

[25:04] Yes.

[25:04] Hello, City Council.

[25:05] Unicity Council.

[25:06] Thanks for letting me speak in this open forum.

[25:09] I've lived in Unicity for the last 25 years.

[25:12] I'm from Mountain View where it was really nice and quiet,

[25:14] but we couldn't afford it.

[25:16] So we moved to Unicity where my wife's family had a town home

[25:19] in Contempo.

[25:20] And the last time I was here to be honest was 2005.

[25:23] When the city was considering using M&M domain to kind of take over a

[25:27] Contemporal because it had become geralect. But over the last, say, 20 years, 21 years, I have made a

[25:33] conscious effort to improve the community. I've joined the board. I've been Vice President. I've

[25:38] tried to do neighborhood watch. I tried to communicate with neighbors. And at this point, we have a

[25:42] siding project that started in 2021. And there were some issues with the permits. So we spoke to the city

[25:51] and one portion of the project was done and now the project has resumed and now we have some permit questions as I believe each owner should have filled out this piece of paper and submitted it to the city to give the city permission to assign the permit.

[26:09] I do not think that has taken place. I would like to contact the city and find out more but my concern is safety.

[26:16] safety. Do you have a permit to do the project and safety? We have found some issues and I have taken pictures

[26:24] Some damage to the building from neglect and at this point. We want to make sure that all the owners

[26:32] Signed this permit form like like it's supposed like they're supposed to and we also want to get your help and making sure the project is going smoothly and

[26:41] safely because we have some safety issues in terms of

[26:44] of a termite damage, wood rot, anchor bolts,

[26:48] and I have photos to prove it.

[26:50] And at this point, we appreciate your time and your effort

[26:52] and we hope that we could speak with some of the people

[26:55] in your departments and we could garner your support

[26:57] and your help in making sure that the project is done right

[27:01] according to permit.

[27:02] And with all of our safety concerns addressed.

[27:05] Thank you very much.

[27:06] Thank you.

[27:07] Thank you.

[27:09] Joan, I was at the Denver Park last Saturday

[27:12] And there were several complain number one complaint was they are toying the vehicles from there and charging 600 dollars.

[27:24] It doesn't matter you get the vehicle back in an hour or two hours or 10 hours.

[27:30] That was a huge complaint right there.

[27:32] and then some of the structures are so bad and I know we don't have no control on HOA,

[27:43] that's number one, but there's so many complaints that don't want anybody to fix their roof

[27:52] or it's one of the guys has a roof leaking so I went over there and looked at it, then I met

[28:00] with the president but they do not want to listen to anybody out there so I don't know at this time

[28:09] what can we do for those community it's outcry there several issues and there's a parking close

[28:17] to the contemporary park if somebody park right there they have the tow truck waiting and they take

[28:25] the car within a few minutes and they clock you in for $600 just like that. So maybe perhaps we

[28:35] would like to meet with the HOA president?

[28:42] Yes, I'd be happy to meet with the HOA president.

[28:45] We do have Carmella Campbell here who oversees the building division and I'm sure she can

[28:51] address their issues, what they need to do to get through the building permit process. It sounds

[28:56] like there's some legal concerns that making sure they have a proper authority from the H.O.A. or the property owners.

[29:05] The other thing is they start working and then they leave it in there for months after months.

[29:12] Right. They're not getting done. That's another issue I found there.

[29:16] The huge crowd there. Go ahead, Vice Mayor.

[29:21] Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you for being on top of this.

[29:23] I remember Mr. Lopez and many others coming up to me five years ago about the same thing and I seems it's starting all over again if we could get a hold of it right now before it gets too far like it did last time.

[29:36] It'd be really good because last time it was already pretty far down the process and it got pretty bad so we could just get on top of it now. Thank you.

[29:46] Yeah, the one more thing that I want to mention if there's a car parked close to the

[29:52] Contemporary park. It should be a free parking. They cannot take the vehicles from there. They taken the vehicles from there. I heard I mean I

[30:00] I can see, personally, anything, but I heard they just for the money, 600 bucks, it's just the easy money. And if I could ask that Mr. Lopez perhaps provide some contact information to Carmella Campbell, we can follow up with him.

[30:19] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much. OK. OK. The. You want to raise your hand so they know who to. Yeah. Great. Thanks.

[30:32] Okay. Next item on the agenda is consent calendar. The consent calendar consists of item that may be approved with a single motion. However, any council member or member of the public may request that an item be removed for separate discussion.

[30:51] Councilmember, do you have any item? Would you like to move?

[30:57] Councilmember Nishirra? No. Okay. Okay. Anybody in the audience? Okay. Say none. Somebody can make a motion.

[31:07] Okay. I'd like to move to the consensus and calendars item 4.1 to 4.13. Okay, there's a second.

[31:17] second motion by councilmember Wong second by councilman Sakakihara and a

[31:23] roll call please. Councilmember Nishihara. Aye. Councilmember Sakakihara. Aye.

[31:29] Councilmember Wong. Aye. Vice Mayor Patinio. Aye. And Mayor Singh. Aye. Motion passes unanimously.

[31:36] Item five is a public hearing type, please.

[31:44] Public hearing and adopted resolution

[31:46] confirming the economic and the community development director's report

[31:49] Board concerning weed abatement assessments.

[31:53] Okay, so we have a criminal out here.

[32:06] Thank you, Mayor, and-

[32:07] Thank you.

[32:14] Tony, would you mind changing back to the PowerPoint presentation?

[32:20] I'm sorry.

[32:22] I was notifying Tony to switch to the PowerPoint since it's under, thank you.

[32:28] Okay.

[32:28] Thank you.

[32:32] Good evening, Mayor and Council.

[32:34] I'm here to talk to you tonight about the last step in the city's weed abatement program.

[32:40] first I was going to provide a little bit of background what's occurred up to this point.

[32:46] Of the city has a weed abatement program and it focuses on the abatement of weeds and other debris

[32:52] on this on a site due to property owner in action. It includes Alameda County

[33:00] fire department staff performing inspections on vacant properties, then information is then reported

[33:05] back to the city. And we take the necessary next steps. I will say this year we tried a different

[33:12] process. It's an alternative process that's allowed in state law that allows us to consolidate

[33:20] all of these cases together and bring them to the council so they can only have to take one action

[33:26] versus having to address all of these on a site-by-site basis through a code enforcement process involving

[33:31] our legal team to be able to get warrants to go on the property to perform the work.

[33:36] So the process we're following now is much more efficient saving staff time and resources.

[33:42] With the goal, of course, of having all the weed abatement work done before the Fourth of July

[33:47] holiday, that's our goal every year. Side.

[33:52] I wanted to just provide a quick overview of the process

[33:55] to date, which started in April, 2026. That is when Alameda County Fire Department staff performs

[34:02] their first inspection. Out of that we identified 36 properties with overgrown weeds so then the next

[34:09] two steps are part of that state law process. The first of these is we came to council in May

[34:15] and the council took action to clear the weeds and nuisance and then set a public hearing

[34:21] for June 9th. We then noticed all of the folks that were on the list. The public hearing was held.

[34:28] we heard no objections and then next slide we then the Alameda County Fire

[34:38] Department staff went out on June 15th and identified out of those 36

[34:43] properties eight properties were still in need of abatement. The following week

[34:49] the contractor performed the abatement work out of those six properties out of

[34:54] the eight properties six were abated unfortunately to their access issues and

[34:58] dogs, so they weren't able to access the property.

[35:01] What we did is we forwarded those onto our code enforcement process to follow up.

[35:08] And then tonight, here we have a public hearing regarding the assessment of levies for

[35:16] that work that was done slide.

[35:19] As I said, we, after the program abated six properties, the assessments ranged from $710

[35:25] $10 to $1,800 and this does include a city administrative fee of 20% to cover our costs.

[35:33] There was total assessments worth $6,780 and those costs will be covered by the property

[35:41] owners through leans placed on upcoming property tax bills, which our finance department

[35:46] will be following through after the council takes action tonight.

[35:50] Staff recommends that the City Council hold the public hearing and by motion act upon any objections by property owners for assessments on their parcels associated with the 2026 weed abatement program and adopt a resolution confirming the EC director's report was essentially the list of properties that were assessed and the amount that were being assessed for each property that was included in exhibit A concerning the weed abatement assessments.

[36:16] And with that, I'm concludes my presentation.

[36:19] I'll open it up for questions.

[36:21] Thank you, Camila.

[36:22] Let me ask the city council if they have any question

[36:25] or comment for you.

[36:27] Okay, voice mayor.

[36:28] Thank you, Mr. Mayor.

[36:29] Of the six properties that you did the weed abatement on,

[36:34] are the property owners living on the property?

[36:38] All the properties were vacant.

[36:40] Okay, are the property taxes up-to-date payment?

[36:44] I don't know actually, I mean to, to, I believe so, that's not something we typically look into, but we will definitely get it on the assessor role, and they will be paying those lanes and their next property or they will be on the bill.

[36:59] Yeah, I was just asking because I was thinking maybe they might be deceased and no one's filed any paperwork for probate or anything like that.

[37:08] It's true and I think what happens when we do put it on the county roster if that is the case

[37:14] You know, we'll work with them and build a lot of snow if they if they can't put the leans on the property tax

[37:18] But that's a that's a good comment. Okay. Thank you. Chris. You're gonna say something

[37:24] Yeah, I was just gonna say I mean it is it is possible that these are held in trust or something along those lines and

[37:30] You know, I think typically

[37:32] That we will ultimately get compensated

[37:35] Even even immediately to special assessment so

[37:37] So it should be fine.

[37:40] Thank you.

[37:41] That's your concern is to me.

[37:44] Okay.

[37:45] Consumers.

[37:46] Okay.

[37:47] Consumers one.

[37:48] Consumers.

[37:49] Nisha here.

[37:50] Okay.

[37:50] Cramella on the.

[37:53] The lean on the property.

[37:55] Is that the same code.

[37:57] Apply to to this for the V.

[37:59] Abidment as well.

[38:01] Like to be somebody not paying their.

[38:05] Citation.

[38:06] actually this is a little bit different for work that's done we can lean the

[38:11] property bit per state law we are not allowed to lean the property for fines

[38:15] associated with code enforcement that's my understanding. Okay is that right

[38:20] Chris?

[38:23] That's correct there's some unpublished case law that basically suggested for

[38:27] a fine you can't lean a property and so you can for abatement actions so in this

[38:35] instance because it's a baitman action we can we can do that but for like an

[38:39] administrative fine you can't so what's the highest fine uh it's a thousand

[38:44] dollars that's our fireworks is the is an example of where we've gone to the max per

[38:50] violation it sounds like a firework yeah thousand dollars yeah is it each time

[38:56] or every year or each violation each violation yeah so for instance for our

[39:01] fireworks if there's multiple violations in a night well we can do two

[39:04] expectations. Okay, so how does it work? I mean, the read's going to grow every month or two months?

[39:13] I don't know. I mean, do we want to go again to go to more down the child in another thousand

[39:20] dollars half a system works. That's a great question, Mayor. The weed growth tends to be seasonal.

[39:28] And so I think for us are, you know, we could do it more frequently, but the primary goal is to make

[39:33] sure that we get an address prior to, you know, during, before the 4th of July, to mitigate that

[39:40] fire hazard. You know, we could look at other options, but I think that, you know, after the rainy

[39:46] season and going into the spring and the summer is when it tends to go up. There is a provision in

[39:52] the code that basically says that if you notice them and they have a continuing violation within a year,

[39:57] you can theoretically go back out there and address it, so we can certainly look at that if there

[40:01] There's an option for these particular parts.

[40:03] Is it that becomes an issue again?

[40:05] Okay.

[40:06] Thanks so much.

[40:07] And let me go ahead and open the public hearing.

[40:11] It is about 742.

[40:14] There's anyone who would like to speak on this agenda item.

[40:19] Say Nana close this hearing.

[40:22] Mayor, we should also check on Zoom.

[40:24] But fortunately, I do not see any raised hands on Zoom as well.

[40:28] So we can.

[40:29] Yeah.

[40:29] Yeah, thank you for reminding me, appreciate it.

[40:33] I'll keep in mind.

[40:35] So this hearing is closed 743 and bring it back

[40:39] to the council.

[40:40] Somebody can make a motion.

[40:43] I'll make the motion to the C council hold the public hearing

[40:48] and by motion act upon any objections

[40:50] by property owners for assessments on their parcels

[40:55] for the 2026 weed abatement program

[40:57] and adopt a resolution confirming the EC Director's report,

[41:01] exhibit A concerning weed abatement assessments.

[41:05] There's second.

[41:06] I'll second.

[41:07] Okay.

[41:07] Motion by Vice Mayor Patina.

[41:09] Second by Council Member Sakkar Kihar.

[41:11] Vocal, please.

[41:12] Council Member Nishihirah.

[41:14] Aye.

[41:14] Council Member Sakkar Kiharah.

[41:16] Aye.

[41:16] Council Member Wong.

[41:17] Aye.

[41:18] Vice Mayor Patina.

[41:19] Aye.

[41:20] And Mayor Singh.

[41:20] Aye.

[41:21] Motion passes unanimously.

[41:23] And the next item is number six.

[41:27] City Manager report, please.

[41:29] Right?

[41:32] Dr. Resolution approving the economic development strategic plan accepting the economic development division six month work plan.

[41:41] Okay, so we have a call here or Gloria.

[41:46] Okay.

[41:47] You don't mind I'm going to stand down here for ease of our transitions in the presentation.

[41:53] Good evening there, council members.

[41:55] So happy to be here this evening.

[41:57] This is, as you know, a review and approval of our strategic plan.

[42:05] And really tonight is about celebrating the completion of the plan.

[42:09] All of you have had participation in discussion.

[42:13] So this plan is not just to direct staff.

[42:15] It's also to keep us in response to your priorities and objectives

[42:22] that you have identified for us.

[42:25] So we are going to be this evening reviewing the stakeholder contributions, which I mentioned

[42:31] include you.

[42:33] We're going to talk about very briefly what economic development means to the city.

[42:38] And most importantly, we're going to be talking about the metrics and measuring success and

[42:44] the market data that impacts results.

[42:48] We're also going to be reviewing a six month work plan.

[42:51] And then we're going to open it again for discussion and questions.

[42:56] Joining me tonight, as you know, is Dena Belzer, who really is a recognized leader in the

[43:02] field of economic development and would have been a great pleasure to work with her.

[43:07] Also presenting this evening is going to be Kyle Weddington, who is our economic development

[43:12] coordinator.

[43:14] So at the end of this presentation, we are going to be asking you to pass a resolution

[43:20] to adopt the economic development strategic plan and second way to accept the economic development

[43:27] six-month work plan. Next slide and I would like to hand it over to Dina.

[43:40] Welcome, Dina. Thank you. Good evening mayor and see council members. It's a pleasure to see

[43:46] you all this evening and I feel like we've become old friends in the process of working on this plan.

[43:51] So I thank you for the opportunity to work with you and your fabulous staff.

[43:57] Just to review, and I think you all know this, you could probably give this presentation

[44:02] at this point, but also to help inform the public, we want to remind everybody of what the

[44:08] purposes of the economic development strategic plan.

[44:11] And first is to provide clear economic development goals and priorities.

[44:16] So as you know, the plan has a vision statement and a series of goals which Gloria will talk about in a minute and then to identify short and long term actions that the city can take to work towards achieving these goals and finally to provide clear metrics and I know metrics is a question that you all have had throughout the process.

[44:40] So we want to talk about that and just review and be sure that everybody understands.

[44:44] So just, again, to refresh that everybody's memory, that an economic development strategic

[44:53] plan can work to really consolidate the city as a partner with your private sector.

[45:00] Your business community, your real estate developers, your property owners, you can use this partnership

[45:07] and strategies to help attract businesses to retain the businesses you can that are here

[45:15] and to try to really help grow your economy. But you can also use the plan to help promote the city,

[45:23] so that people really understand what makes Union City special.

[45:28] The plan also is intended given the implementation matrix and the metrics to keep council informed

[45:36] about what staff is doing and to decide on priorities and to set a path forward in response

[45:46] to conditions that the city may or may not control.

[45:50] It gives you the opportunity to work with regional partners as you may recall last summer.

[45:56] we spoke with the economic East Bay Economic Development Alliance, the East Bay EDA. They're

[46:02] a fabulous partner and have provided a lot of support to Union City and other cities,

[46:07] and then finally to provide information for the businesses in your community.

[46:13] What we need to really remember is that the economic development strategic plan can control the market

[46:19] and that you can't control what individual property owners are doing. And I know this is

[46:25] It's often very frustrating, particularly to elected officials when your constituents come to you and complain about a property owner who is not keeping their property up to par but there's not a lot the city can do about that.

[46:43] So it's important to focus on what you can do and to be as proactive as you can.

[46:49] So next slide, please.

[46:53] The other thing about why economic development matters to Union City is that this is really

[46:59] your opportunity to work on creating jobs for your community members, but also creating

[47:09] jobs for the economy beyond and people who live beyond Union City because you are part of

[47:15] system and you want to keep that system healthy and vibrant because your residents commute out,

[47:21] your workforce commutes in, people work here, they live here, it's sort of all together.

[47:27] And so the stronger your community, your local economy is, the better it is for your residents,

[47:32] even if they don't work here. It also creates the opportunity to generate sales tax, property

[47:39] tax and hotel occupancy tax, transit occupancy tax, which we'll talk about in a minute.

[47:46] And these funds all contribute to your general fund.

[47:49] So just to review, I just went over these next slide, please.

[47:58] Next slide.

[47:59] There we go.

[48:01] These are really important contributions to your general fund.

[48:06] Again, the property tax, sales tax, hotel occupancy tax is also a potential big

[48:13] source. And then we also want to look at the opportunity for when your property within

[48:20] the city is acquired or when it has been vacant and is then occupied because then that's

[48:27] when you get the unsecured property tax revenues that also contribute a significant amount

[48:33] to the city's funds. So next slide please.

[48:40] Just wanting to remind you that this economic

[48:44] development strategic plan was created based on robust input. Of course, we spoke to all

[48:50] of you both individually and as a group multiple times. We also talked to a series of businesses

[48:59] and some of your leading industries and also representing some of the industries that you're

[49:04] most interested in attracting and expanding here within Union City. We talked to key property

[49:12] the owners that represent kind of the range of options and opportunities and then also

[49:18] real estate experts and developers and they gave us excellent feedback. They helped us

[49:23] really understand what the city's strengths are, what some of your challenges are and what

[49:28] some of your forward facing opportunities are. And so we incorporated all of that information

[49:35] in the plan, in the goals and in the strategies that we created.

[49:39] So next slide please.

[49:42] So now let's talk a little bit about the market indicators and why we track them.

[49:48] So again, we want to really understand some of these larger measures generally of economic growth

[49:58] because they set a context for what the city can do.

[50:01] So again, these are all the things that the city may not be able to control.

[50:06] But what you do want to be able to do is be aware of these trends so that you can be proactive in adjusting what your strategies are in order to address the trends and conditions that are coming.

[50:19] So next slide, please.

[50:22] So these are the market indicators that we've recommended in the strategic plan be tracked.

[50:27] and that these be presented to you in the quarterly updates that staff will be doing for you so that you have contacts for understanding whether or not the activities and actions that staff is conducting are actually effective given the changing conditions.

[50:49] So, it might be that staffs and council work together to set up a work plan, you do the

[50:55] work plan, and at the end of the quarter, the staff comes back, reports to you on these

[51:02] measures, and then also reports to you on what they've done, and then draws the connection

[51:08] between what staff actions are doing and how they think they are responding to these trends

[51:13] So that the city can continue to proactively select its priorities for what action staff will be doing in the coming quarter.

[51:23] So you're both looking backwards and forwards at the same time.

[51:26] What did we do?

[51:27] What have we done?

[51:28] How have things changed?

[51:30] How is this going to set our direction going forward from the future?

[51:33] So real estate really looking at vacancy rates?

[51:38] Are they going up or down?

[51:39] what kind of development is happening in our commercial sector, focusing primarily on the

[51:46] parts of the commercial sector that support business, so that's primarily retail, industrial

[51:51] and office. What are the retail vacancy rates? Are we managing, keep our shopping centers full,

[51:59] or do we need to be talking to property owners to see how we can support them? Talk to brokers

[52:05] about what they might need in terms of helping to attract more businesses.

[52:09] What are major leases and lease renewals?

[52:12] So this gives us a sense of people who are committing to union cities.

[52:17] So for example, billions to one is one of your life science-related businesses.

[52:22] They've committed to the city and are expanding where Tenaya was here doing creating pharmaceuticals.

[52:31] It was sort of a test lab for the business, and they've decided to go in a different direction.

[52:39] So they've vacated their space, but now there's a new tenant that space isn't vacant.

[52:43] So that's good to know.

[52:44] It's good to know that the space is turning over.

[52:47] How are our sales tax revenues doing, and of course, in time of recession, you expect to

[52:52] see those sales tax revenues go down, but you've been very proactive in terms of addressing

[52:58] when you've had issues with properties that were seeing a decline in their sales,

[53:05] you worked with union landing in particular and that partnership between the city and union

[53:10] landing was really able to turn that around and make that center much more attractive and is now

[53:17] performing very well. Hotel occupancy tax, one of the things that you've been doing is talking to

[53:24] to your hotels and understanding how they're working with the business travelers.

[53:30] Looking at major land and property acquisitions, as I said a minute ago, every time our property

[53:35] transacts or cells, then it's reassessed, the value is reassessed, and that bumps up your

[53:40] property tax values.

[53:42] Finally, the business license applications or renewals tells you something about who the businesses

[53:47] are, who are here, and finally, building permits tells you what kinds of activity is going

[53:52] on.

[53:53] So next slide, please.

[53:59] So again, we've already really talked about these.

[54:02] These are things that you need to know about,

[54:04] but that you really can't control inflation.

[54:07] I've listened to the radio coming down here,

[54:10] a long conversation about what is the federal reserve going

[54:13] to do on interest rates tomorrow, right?

[54:15] Like now we're all big followers of the federal reserve.

[54:18] What are geopolitical events?

[54:20] We know that right now the war in Iran

[54:23] is driving gas prices up, something we have no control over, but it's good to know.

[54:29] What are the supply chain challenges and how have tariffs affected that?

[54:35] But one of the things that's been interesting about working here in Union City is that businesses are starting to discover each other and ways in which they can work together.

[54:44] And we're seeing this in other communities where we're working as well.

[54:47] while we're suddenly somebody who's purchasing goods and services realizes it's much faster

[54:53] and more efficient to look for suppliers within the region than to try to import from offshore.

[55:01] So all these behaviors are shifting, so it's good to know about them.

[55:05] There is sometimes in a built out city like Union City, a lack of available land or the cost

[55:11] of the land is very high.

[55:12] This can be problematic, but again, it's something that you can't control.

[55:18] And finally, one of the things that's really been important for CDs to understand is

[55:23] the ways in which the retail industry in particular is shifting in response to e-commerce.

[55:30] So this is where thinking about things like streamlining, you're permitting for certain

[55:35] kinds of businesses is very, very helpful.

[55:38] I don't know for those of you who've been following what's going on in San Francisco,

[55:42] took six years for a food chain to get a permit to operate there, and once the new administration

[55:51] came in, they really looked at how they could cut that red tape, and now they had a ribbon

[55:56] cutting last week.

[55:57] So this is a very important kind of function that economic development can serve in the

[56:04] face of this kind of retail transformation.

[56:06] So next slide, please.

[56:10] This is my final slide.

[56:11] I probably have talked beyond my allocated time.

[56:14] But again, this is to just talk about how we measure progress.

[56:18] And again, this iterative process of prioritizing goals

[56:21] and strategies, monitoring the market, reporting out quarterly,

[56:26] and then evaluating whether or not we're on track.

[56:29] And again, I call your attention to the implementation metrics

[56:32] starting on page 35 of the plan, which for every strategy in the plan there is a performance metric that can be measured and measurement will be reported as part of the quarterly report to council and to engage to engage council in a dialogue around what actions going forward or what strategies that are in the plan.

[56:57] and a council and staff jointly want to really prioritize.

[57:00] So this is how progress will be measured

[57:04] and how you all will keep your kind of finger

[57:07] on the pulse of what's going on with your economy.

[57:10] So with that, I'm going to turn it back over to Gloria.

[57:13] Thank you, Dana.

[57:15] Appreciate it.

[57:17] Next slide.

[57:22] So I am going to give you a very brief overview

[57:25] of the three primary goals or the goals and objectives.

[57:29] Next slide. One thing I want to say about this strategic plan is that it's very robust.

[57:37] If you will, we're going to review the vision, which all of you have provided input.

[57:42] There are four primary goals. There are 13 objectives and 45 strategies. I think what's important

[57:51] when we think about this plan and how much content there is is that given our focus at any given time,

[57:58] We have a great deal of objectives and strategies that we want to lay out.

[58:03] What you, the council, have done is help us prioritize those areas that you think are the most

[58:09] important for us to focus on and where we can get results to achieve our goals and objectives.

[58:16] So again, it's a very robust plan. It's all there. At any given time, this market conditions change.

[58:22] We know what the tools are, we have strategies in place.

[58:27] We can respond very quickly.

[58:29] Next slide.

[58:33] This is a vision for economic development.

[58:36] And this is very important.

[58:38] I'm going to actually take the time to read it because it really does weigh the foundation

[58:43] for all that we do.

[58:46] So Union City is a great place to do business based on transparent and responsive government services.

[58:52] Union City is committed to retaining its existing businesses, attracting new businesses that

[59:00] include high wage jobs for Union City residents and growing the city's revenues. Union City

[59:08] will continue to offer clean and safe business districts and improving the quality of life

[59:15] for as residents. So that, again, as I mentioned, is the vision that all of you and our stakeholders

[59:23] have contributed to, and I think it does a really good job of laying out the work of what

[59:29] economic development means to Union City. Next slide.

[59:39] So as you know, on June 9th, we had

[59:43] a special City Council study session where we received your feedback. And I have to say

[59:49] that I was really pleased with the feedback that you provided and the topics that you elevated

[59:54] for us to focus on.

[59:56] And I think that you will find when we review the...

[1:00:00] Work plan that those some very many of those topics are have been things that we will be focusing on in the next six months. But also I think really important about the feedback that you provided is that we do have objectives and strategies that respond to the feedback that you provided us. So that is very reassuring to know that what you what is important to you is in fact reflected in the plan.

[1:00:28] goal one.

[1:00:35] Next slide, sorry. And so goal one is about sustaining, retaining, and growing

[1:00:40] union cities existing business. You know, it's all about keeping our businesses in union

[1:00:46] city, which really means that it's about keeping the jobs that we have and the revenues and

[1:00:52] finding ways to support our businesses so that they can grow. This goal also requires that

[1:00:59] we monitor our economic indicators

[1:01:02] to figure out where things might be headed

[1:01:05] and how we can continue to work with regional and state

[1:01:09] partners to deliver available resources.

[1:01:14] But I really want to say that at the heart of this goal

[1:01:17] is really about maintaining those strong relationships

[1:01:21] with our businesses.

[1:01:22] And that is something that we focus on every single day

[1:01:25] because having those strong relationships helps us understand what they need and what we need to do to help them continue to grow and remain in our city.

[1:01:38] And this is, I think, Kyle and I spend a great deal of time on, as I mentioned, every day that we're here.

[1:01:46] Next slide.

[1:01:47] So goal two, this is probably the goal that is the most necessary for us to keep track

[1:01:57] of our available inventory, building those relationships with brokers, with property

[1:02:04] owners, and everyone else that presents an opportunity for us to bring new businesses

[1:02:10] to Union City, whether it's in the industrial sector, in the retail sector, those relationships

[1:02:17] help us stay on top of these opportunities and when those opportunities present

[1:02:22] themselves it provides an opportunity for us to shift our focus and to respond

[1:02:29] to whatever those opportunities might be. I have two images up here. One is

[1:02:36] semi-conductor. As you know we just had the US Joint Consortium event.

[1:02:41] semi-conductors are growing. You all have heard what AI is doing. We have other

[1:02:47] semi-conductor companies here in Union City, so we will continue to work with

[1:02:52] them and see if there are other ways to expand the focus in semi-conductor.

[1:02:58] The same with robotics. When Kyle does a quarterly update, we'll be talking to you

[1:03:06] about some new robotic businesses that are coming to Union City. So again it's

[1:03:11] always about keeping an eye on what's going on in the landscape and looking for opportunities

[1:03:16] to bring those new creative and innovative businesses to Union City.

[1:03:22] Goal three, next slide.

[1:03:25] Goal three is about fostering investment in Union City's industrial and commercial areas.

[1:03:32] And one of the things that Dena said today is, you know, understanding that we can work as

[1:03:40] as we can to foster investment, but that everything has to be lined up, financing, vacancies,

[1:03:46] and working with our property owners, shopping center owners, to encourage them to make

[1:03:53] the kind of investments that's going to result in a return on their investment.

[1:03:58] So, it's always a balancing act, but it's a very important, very important goal.

[1:04:03] I'm going to use the objective 3.4 to just sort of re-emphasize.

[1:04:10] There's been, you know, a lot of discussion and a lot of love for the Alvarado Historic

[1:04:15] District.

[1:04:17] So that is an area that we will, at some point, begin to focus on, but again, it's about

[1:04:22] the market conditions, what vacancies are there, how much retail space is available, is

[1:04:28] their customer demand for the goods and services.

[1:04:30] So it's all about balancing and understanding what the market conditions are and how they support our ability to achieve the objectives that you have asked us to pursue.

[1:04:42] Next slide.

[1:04:46] And goals 4 is really about doing everything that we do to help implement goals 1, 2, and 3.

[1:04:55] being able to tell the story of Union City, telling a strong story and as you know we did the special insert, which really helped promote Union City, not only two external audiences, but also to our community.

[1:05:13] And Kyle and I have had the opportunity to present to the Human Resources Commission and the Planning Commission.

[1:05:19] and the feedback that we received universally from the members is that they did not know the

[1:05:27] great businesses that we have in our city. So getting the word out there and promoting

[1:05:32] not only to the external audiences but as I've mentioned to our community itself. So that's

[1:05:38] part of the new marketing strategies that will be worked on because it's an important story

[1:05:44] to be told. So with that, next slide.

[1:05:52] And I'm going to hand it over to Kyle who is going to talk with you about the work plan going forward. Thank you.

[1:06:03] Thank you, Gloria.

[1:06:05] Good evening, Mayor and City Council members. As Gloria just said, I will be going over our work priorities for the July to the end of the year time frame.

[1:06:16] As Gloria said, there's 45 strategies as part of this economic development strategic plan,

[1:06:22] and that's a lot, especially given that we're just a team of two.

[1:06:25] So with much of your feedback and the conversations we've had with you in developing this plan,

[1:06:31] we identified priorities that we will focus on.

[1:06:36] I don't want to exhaust the list, that's a long list there, but we bucketed the type of

[1:06:41] work that we do in ongoing work and deliverables.

[1:06:44] So, here you'll see a lot of the ongoing work.

[1:06:47] It's a lot of the work that we do day-to-day depending on business as approaching us.

[1:06:52] Oftentimes, it will be rapid response if a business has a dire need and needs to again

[1:06:57] in communication with someone from the city, we'll assist with that.

[1:07:01] These are things that we that cannot fall off that are a priority kind of year-round.

[1:07:08] Next slide, please.

[1:07:11] And then here you have deliverables, and both of these are for specifically goal one.

[1:07:17] And you'll see there's a lot for goal one, and that's because a lot of what we do, as

[1:07:21] Gloria said, is sustained, retained, and attempt to grow the businesses that we already have.

[1:07:28] Some of the highlights in the deliverable section for goal one that we are focused on in the

[1:07:32] next six months are on the screen.

[1:07:35] some of my favorites manufacturing day and the emergency preparedness trainings.

[1:07:40] Two programs that I work very closely with to promote to our businesses.

[1:07:44] Next slide please.

[1:07:47] Goal 2.

[1:07:49] We have two ongoing tasks here but also two deliverables.

[1:07:54] Those two really being outreach to the businesses to determine how we can assist them in elevating their shopping centers

[1:08:03] and elevating their storefronts and just achieving the goals that we've set out in the vision.

[1:08:11] Next slide, please.

[1:08:15] Again, looking at fostering investment here, you'll see the main deliverable here is that we were

[1:08:21] developing marketing material to highlight some of the opportunity sites here in Union City

[1:08:26] so they can gain exposure and we can hopefully attract someone to invest in those sites

[1:08:33] and increase the business profile here in Union City. Next slide, please.

[1:08:39] Go for the marketing piece to all of this.

[1:08:43] You'll see two deliverables here, developing that marketing plan that Gloria had mentioned just previously,

[1:08:50] and then also updating the economic development webpage that there's a one-stop shop for businesses

[1:08:54] to easily access the information that Gloria and I have,

[1:08:59] But also make ourselves available and have our contact information out there so that people know that we are here to help and to assist.

[1:09:08] But also direct them to other resources within the region such as SBDCs and SBAs.

[1:09:16] And next slide, please.

[1:09:21] So kind of bringing that all together.

[1:09:23] We will be measuring the indicators, many of which Dina went over previously.

[1:09:31] some of like real estate vacancy rates, sales tax revenue, and keeping track of business

[1:09:37] expansions and new businesses to the city.

[1:09:41] And what these help us do is by reporting these out to you, they'll help us remain

[1:09:46] lean and flexible as the market shift so that you can make decisions that are best for the

[1:09:55] city and the future.

[1:09:56] That's why we want to report to you quarterly so we can remain flexible and shift priorities as needed.

[1:10:02] So while the deliverables and the ongoing work that I've presented to you just now are for

[1:10:08] the July December timeframe, as we report back out, we want to be able to also show you the numbers,

[1:10:15] and you can decide based on those how we want to prioritize staff work to better utilize economic

[1:10:22] development here in the city. Next slide please.

[1:10:26] And so if that's, we'll recommend that the City Council adopts a resolution approving the economic development strategic plan and accept the economic development division six month work plan.

[1:10:37] Thank you.

[1:10:38] Thank you.

[1:10:39] Appreciate it.

[1:10:40] Great report.

[1:10:41] Let me ask the city council if they have any question for you guys.

[1:10:46] Yes.

[1:10:47] Vice Mayor Patinia.

[1:10:50] Okay.

[1:10:52] Yeah.

[1:10:53] Okay.

[1:10:54] Okay.

[1:10:56] Council Member Nishirra.

[1:10:58] Yeah.

[1:10:58] Thank you so much for that, for that report.

[1:11:02] One of the things that's helpful are the metrics around the proactive things that we're

[1:11:05] doing, the outreach.

[1:11:07] Are we using some type of CRM system or something like that to keep track of all the relationships

[1:11:12] because as we start you know getting some numbers back as we ask for like how

[1:11:17] many business have we contacted what you know do we have a systems track all

[1:11:21] that you know what we have is it's called blue dot and I can tell you from day

[1:11:26] one when I arrived in Union City is contact management contact relationship

[1:11:31] management is key and there are you know you have sales force you have some

[1:11:36] very sophisticated elaborate tools that are out there, but they often have more things

[1:11:43] than we actually need.

[1:11:45] So Blutot is helping us, number one, just keep track of all of our primary contacts.

[1:11:52] It also has the flexibility to track emails that go out and also we can track the relationship

[1:12:01] contact that we make.

[1:12:02] So that so far has been, I think, the most rational tool for us because these tools can be very

[1:12:11] expensive. And this is a very affordable tool.

[1:12:16] So one functionality that BluDot has that I've

[1:12:19] been trying to use a little bit more is when I go out to visit businesses I can come back and

[1:12:25] BluDot has a tool to go to that business profile and I can take notes on what happened who I talked

[1:12:31] with what I learned, and I've been trying to utilize that more and more to your point council member to ensure that there's a record of that and I just next week comes and I haven't forgotten.

[1:12:43] So I'm making a concerted effort on my part as the primary database manager to ensure that those notes are well kept for future reporting purposes.

[1:12:52] Thanks Kyle.

[1:12:56] That's it. That's it. Thank you. Thank you, Gloria.

[1:13:00] No other question. Thank you.

[1:13:02] It's not not not right now. Thank you.

[1:13:06] There's anybody in the audience would like to speak on this items.

[1:13:11] Say,

[1:13:15] you know, you can just come over here, please.

[1:13:19] Mayor, how many more minutes do you want to provide?

[1:13:22] Just two minutes. Thank you.

[1:13:24] My name is Ruben Lopez, I've been here 25 years, and I've seen Union City steadily progress.

[1:13:29] But if you look at some of the smaller shopping centers in the neighborhoods, say like Alvarado

[1:13:34] and Dyer, they're pretty dilapidated.

[1:13:36] I mean, no one's reinvesting in them, so it's nice to see that you guys are kind of seeing

[1:13:40] what's going on in your city and what direction you want to go and how you can help promote

[1:13:44] that, facilitate it and encourage it.

[1:13:46] So I think that's great, because many times I'll see a shopping center, and it looks like

[1:13:49] no one's taking care of it, you'll see broken sprinklers, and that really bothers me.

[1:13:53] When I see broken sprinklers, because I know they'll be there for six months for a year.

[1:13:57] So I think that it's great to see you guys working together.

[1:13:59] It's just hard to find sometimes the right software that can help you help you with your needs.

[1:14:05] So that will be a challenge and issue and hopefully Blue Dot will have what they need.

[1:14:08] And they'll figure out how to use more of it to leverage the tools within it to help you facilitate what you want to get done.

[1:14:15] So again, just the local shopping centers, the small little mom and pop stores, they need to be updated.

[1:14:21] They need to reinvest, and I saw reinvesting, and I think that's important.

[1:14:25] I think they're kind of absent, and they just let the businesses run.

[1:14:29] And in some cases, they're security issues.

[1:14:31] So it's nice to see you guys trying to facilitate an industrial area or a business area, and

[1:14:37] also considering safety.

[1:14:38] Because if you have a popular business, or say a smaller one, a startup one, sometimes

[1:14:43] people will want to break in.

[1:14:44] If your business has good quality products, merchandise, or something that's trendy, you

[1:14:49] actually be a jeopardy. So if you could help them as well, you thought they're security.

[1:14:53] So they'll remain a business for many years in a union city. That'd be great. So it's

[1:14:58] nice to see you guys.

[1:15:00] I'm trying to see where the future will go and how you can make that happen. Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay.

[1:15:09] Well, it's my patina. There's any. We should also know there's no. There's nobody on the on the. No, but I just wanted to know for the record. We have no one raised hands on zoom. Okay. All right. Consumers. Thank you.

[1:15:25] I just want to thank staff. Dina Kyle and especially wanted to thank you. Gloria here that you will be.

[1:15:33] retiring and we'll be losing you so that's a huge loss for us but thank you so much for leaving us in a great spot with this plan in place.

[1:15:43] And I know a lot of work went to this all three of you and others as well.

[1:15:48] And I did see, you know, a good summary of the feedback that we had provided.

[1:15:52] And so I've kind of pointed out the areas that I personally feel like are the priorities.

[1:15:56] And I know that that's also reflected along with all the other council members feedback in the plan.

[1:16:00] So just want to appreciate the work that's gone into this and I'm excited to start to see the quarterly updates going forward.

[1:16:06] Thank you.

[1:16:08] Thank you so much.

[1:16:09] Councilmember one.

[1:16:11] Do you have any comment?

[1:16:13] Right?

[1:16:14] No?

[1:16:14] Okay.

[1:16:15] Yeah.

[1:16:15] So I just wanted to piggyback on the councilman Sarkar Kehara.

[1:16:21] I think we have done a great job to put this together.

[1:16:24] we came a long way. I had a member back in 2024 how we were struggling and

[1:16:33] credit goes to the planning department and all the staff member and they

[1:16:41] worked very hard to back to the one of the speaker's point on the Alvarado

[1:16:49] and dire that little strip model is all packed up and there was last place was empty was and then

[1:16:59] what is called mountain mic pizza yeah he he came and they they took the space only space left

[1:17:06] there is the right eight place hopefully you have some update in near future so looking forward

[1:17:15] to that as far as the sprinkler and the paving only can do so much about that but that's

[1:17:23] the owners water, it's not the city water, let it flow. So we are continuing to thrive

[1:17:31] our industrial area with the city managers office and all the CRX, everybody working together

[1:17:41] to clean up the area. So it's a proud to say, you know, it's been blessing for

[1:17:46] last few months that we were able with the police help and clean up all the

[1:17:52] areas and it's hardly any complaints out there and we all know each other, all

[1:17:58] the industrial owners, property owners, we work together. So, you know, it seems

[1:18:06] like we're heading the right direction. Thank you so much for your report. Thank

[1:18:10] Thank you, Deena.

[1:18:13] If I could just make a closing comment, Scott, thank you to Council members like Ahara.

[1:18:18] Thank you for acknowledging that I'm going to be retiring.

[1:18:22] It's been a pleasure to work here in Union City and one of the things that I can say about

[1:18:27] economic development is that it is not a one person job.

[1:18:32] Every department in the city has the contributions to make and I can tell you that I have worked

[1:18:37] very closely with our police department with public works and every department that you

[1:18:44] can think of has contributed to any successes that we have in economic development and I know

[1:18:50] that Kyle will continue to rely on those relationships because it is extremely important that we all

[1:18:58] work together to achieve the outcomes that we're looking to deliver to the community. Thank you.

[1:19:05] Okay, good luck with your time and Gloria. Thank you.

[1:19:17] The next item on the agenda is 6.2 type. Please.

[1:19:25] Oh, do we need to make a motion? I'm one step ahead.

[1:19:32] I move that we adopt a resolution approving the economic development strategic plan and accept the economic development division six month work plan.

[1:19:41] There's a second.

[1:19:43] Second.

[1:19:44] Motion by Councilman Saka.

[1:19:46] Okay.

[1:19:46] Second by Councilman Wong.

[1:19:48] Roll call, please.

[1:19:50] Councilman René Chihira.

[1:19:51] Aye.

[1:19:51] Councilman Murasaki-Kuhara.

[1:19:53] Aye.

[1:19:53] Councilman Wong.

[1:19:54] Aye.

[1:19:55] Vice Mayor Patinho.

[1:19:57] Aye.

[1:19:57] And the nursing.

[1:19:58] Aye.

[1:19:59] So motion passes unanimously.

[1:20:01] Okay.

[1:20:02] Now it's official.

[1:20:04] Okay.

[1:20:04] Now it's 6.2.

[1:20:06] Please.

[1:20:07] Thank you.

[1:20:08] Thank you.

[1:20:08] Receive informational report on public services grant allocation process.

[1:20:15] Okay, so we have Kermella here and Francisco.

[1:20:21] All right, great. Thank you, Mayor and Council members for your time.

[1:20:25] I'm going to present the public services grant allocation process.

[1:20:28] So some background. The city receives an annual allocation of CDBG funding from HUD

[1:20:32] and as part of that, there's 15% of CDBG allocation can be utilized for eligible public services.

[1:20:37] City provides approximately 315,000, 65,000 in CDBG funds, and approximately 250,000 in general fund

[1:20:45] monies to support public services. A need assessment study, original analysis of impediments to

[1:20:50] fair housing, and consolidated plan utilized to identify priorities that best serve residents.

[1:20:56] The priority is identified in the three reports helped to serve residents while meeting the

[1:20:59] strategic planning goals identified in the city's five year consolidated plan. Next slide, please.

[1:21:04] The

[1:21:07] notice of funding availability or NOFA is utilized to outline the application requirements,

[1:21:11] evaluation criteria, review procedures of the process, and scoring methodology.

[1:21:16] Application requests some of the following information, minimum applicant eligibility requirements

[1:21:21] where applicants must complete a pre-application to confirm eligibility for the NOFA.

[1:21:26] Examples of eligible programs are activities that can be provided, applicable CDBG requirements,

[1:21:32] and application review and approval process.

[1:21:34] Yes, the application evaluation and scoring criteria is also provided to ensure transparency.

[1:21:39] Applicants are provided with scoring sheet to see what questions will be asked and the

[1:21:43] scoring value of those questions throughout the application.

[1:21:46] Next slide, please.

[1:21:50] Staff also provides a mandatory technical assistance workshop for all of the applicants.

[1:21:54] The workshop covers following the following application requirements, funding priorities, scoring

[1:21:59] criteria, submission deadlines, contract requirements, and training on Zoom grants, which is the

[1:22:05] portal that would be used for the applicants. Applicants who fail to attend are not eligible

[1:22:09] to submit an application. The workshop provides an opportunity for applicants to ask administrative

[1:22:13] and programmatic questions about the NOFA and about the application portal.

[1:22:17] Workshop helps ensure applicants all get the same information regarding the NOFA and helps

[1:22:22] to maintain a fair and transparent process. Many other agencies utilize a process similar to

[1:22:26] this when reviewing applications for public service needs as it is the best practice.

[1:22:36] Next slide,

[1:22:37] committee to select a subcommittee to help review applications where three member HSE subcommittee

[1:22:41] is formed to help review and score.

[1:22:44] City staff and HSE subcommittees score different sections of the application.

[1:22:48] City staff reviewed questions are scored on an all-enough basis and deal more with objective

[1:22:52] questions having to do with eligibility and compliance, where HSE subcommittee members

[1:22:57] review questions and are scored on a sliding scale and deal with more subjective questions

[1:23:01] about the programs and services being provided.

[1:23:03] There's a maximum score of 100 points available for applicants, and 50 points is the minimum

[1:23:08] threshold needed for funding an award.

[1:23:11] Also want to note that staff completes its scoring of all the applications first, and

[1:23:14] then coordinates with the subcommittee so that they can complete their review and scoring

[1:23:17] to finalize the awards and recommendations.

[1:23:20] Next slide, please.

[1:23:24] Continuing on with the scoring and recommendation process, the staff and HRC subcommittee finalize

[1:23:27] the scores and create funding recommendations.

[1:23:30] Those funding recommendations are then brought back to HRC for final approval, and those recommendations

[1:23:35] is then incorporated into the CDBG annual action plan and presented to the City Council for approval and submission to HUD.

[1:23:41] Next slide, please.

[1:23:45] In terms of a typical NOFA timeline, the entire process takes approximately six months to complete

[1:23:51] and can be impacted based on the release of the city's CDBG HUD allocation.

[1:23:56] That date is impacted also by Congress's approval of the federal budget and can sometimes move the submission to late June or even July.

[1:24:02] For the city staff, the NOFA is prepared in December and we do outreach to the HRC committee and also create the HRC subcommittee during that time.

[1:24:11] In terms of the NOFA issuance that happens in January, where we also provide an application deadline at the end of January and provide a technical workshop for applicants in between that time period.

[1:24:23] For February through April, we have the application review and preparation review process and preparation of the CDBG annual annual action plan.

[1:24:31] The staff begins a review of the applications in February and HRC subcommittee review and

[1:24:36] planal scoring and funding recommendations are made by the end of February.

[1:24:41] Those recommendations are then brought back to the HRC in early March and the recommendations

[1:24:45] are then incorporated into a draft action plan starting in March.

[1:24:50] I do want to note that there's a mandatory 30-day public comment period for the annual action

[1:24:53] plan that needs to be published for public comment.

[1:24:56] So once that draft action plan is published for a 30-day comment period in March, it will

[1:25:01] go through April and then that action plan will be presented to the City Council in May

[1:25:05] at the end of the public comment period. Once that action plan is presented to Council,

[1:25:11] it is then submitted and approved and is then submitted to HUD by the end of May. Next slide,

[1:25:15] please.

[1:25:19] And for applications to score below the minimum threshold, there are common reasons

[1:25:22] for applications to score below minimum threshold. A number of them are insufficient or incomplete

[1:25:27] responses on their application, an inability to commit to required reporting, or an inability to

[1:25:32] meet federal, NOFA or other minimum program requirements.

[1:25:36] Staff also provides technical assistance to those applicants who score below the minimum

[1:25:39] point threshold and works with them to provide feedback on their application and how they

[1:25:44] can improve their scoring for future rounds of funding.

[1:25:46] This is done after the NOFA process has been completed and funding and allocations have

[1:25:50] been made to ensure fairness to the other applicants.

[1:25:53] Next slide, please.

[1:25:56] So staff recommends that City Council receive this report on the City's public service grant

[1:26:00] allocation process and provide feedback. I want to thank you for your time and city

[1:26:04] staff is here to answer any additional questions you may have on the process. Thank you, Francesca.

[1:26:09] Let me ask this. You can't say if they have any question for you. Weiss, Mayor Patinio,

[1:26:15] okay. Consumers, okay, okay. Consumers, okay. Consumers, okay. Consumers, okay.

[1:26:30] Consumers,

[1:26:30] on. Okay. Bring it back to the anybody on the zoom. No mayor. All right. Okay. All right. Any

[1:26:38] comment?

[1:26:41] All right. So I think it's going to be if that was two years budget this time. So I

[1:26:50] know we don't have nothing to come into the city council. Is that correct? Yeah. So it's usually a

[1:26:55] biannual process. Currently we're at the end of the two year cycle. So beginning starting up this

[1:27:00] December we'll be starting the new NOFA process and and we'll be working with a

[1:27:06] with the biannual budget for that. Just for the clarification process go on

[1:27:12] the I see it says you have to have a 50 score or how how do you score it's how

[1:27:20] much how many time you bring in the goods to to union city or your basis and

[1:27:26] in the union city or what is the criteria?

[1:27:29] What are you looking at?

[1:27:31] So we made the 50 score as the minimum threshold

[1:27:35] based on applications we've reviewed in the past.

[1:27:39] Anything under a 50, we would be taken a chance

[1:27:42] on an applicant.

[1:27:43] So if they were in the 40 range,

[1:27:45] we would not necessarily be in a good place to say

[1:27:49] that this applicant can provide good services

[1:27:51] and can provide the reporting that we're asking for,

[1:27:53] especially if they're receiving federal funds

[1:27:55] or if they're receiving general funds.

[1:27:58] So if you look at it in total, we have 100 points available.

[1:28:02] We looked at 50 as the minimum threshold.

[1:28:04] If you get 50 points, anything above that,

[1:28:06] we can work with an applicant.

[1:28:07] If it's the first time applicant,

[1:28:09] they're, you know, and they score above 50,

[1:28:11] we will work with them as a first time applicant

[1:28:13] and make sure that they can provide the reporting that we need,

[1:28:17] the services that we're asking for.

[1:28:19] And with, usually, if you're in that 50 range,

[1:28:22] you're usually getting a minimum of about $10,000 so with that we can please have proof of service

[1:28:28] and proof of the services they can provide to the residents. But a 50 score is something that we

[1:28:35] felt like that is a minimum that you have to meet in order to to get funding from the city.

[1:28:40] And I just wanted to follow up that we do produce the scoring criteria and matrix sheet that we give

[1:28:47] to all the applicants with it's part of the application process.

[1:28:51] So they know exactly what the questions are that the applications will be scored on.

[1:28:57] Very transparent.

[1:28:59] Yeah.

[1:28:59] I mean, it's, I see the daily bowl out there, you know, they have three big vans going out

[1:29:08] there, bringing a lot of purchase, fresh produce to center the service, I mean, I don't see

[1:29:17] anybody else bring in that kind of stuff to our city, at least. Now I spoke to the executive

[1:29:24] director, Sajana, and she told me it's so much a daily will bring in the fresh produce

[1:29:32] that have to give away on Monday and Thursday as well. They're continuing to do on Tuesday as well,

[1:29:41] but it's so much coming out. So hopefully we look into that. Thank you so much.

[1:29:47] Yeah, and just to note, I have reached out to the ED at DailyBall and talk to them about their application and what they can do in terms of updating their application and the answers that they're providing to make sure that they're getting full.

[1:30:00] We'll credit for some of these questions that they didn't get credit for. You know, so I wanted to make sure that they knew if they focused on these specific areas specifically reporting, that would, that would have got them over the minimum threshold easily. But because they were, they were unable to provide reporting to the city, that as, as a manager, I couldn't in good conscience provide over, you know, what they were requesting, I think they were requesting something in 30 to $50,000.

[1:30:28] dollars without any reporting coming back to the city to say that they they're showing how they're serving the residents.

[1:30:33] So I did provide some suggestions on how they can do that and work with other organizations that they're serving.

[1:30:39] Get an MOU with those organizations to help them provide the reporting for them.

[1:30:42] And then they can provide that to us. How often you hold a training? Is it is that once a year or something?

[1:30:49] Well, the technical assistance workshop is more about the NOFA itself and the application itself.

[1:30:56] applicants are more than welcome to reach out and say if they if they were thinking about applying

[1:31:01] here's what we do you know and I can go through the process and provide some technical assistance

[1:31:06] to see well if you're focusing on this if you're not providing this type of reporting this is a type

[1:31:10] of reporting that we would be looking for in the NOFA and they can look at those old samples of

[1:31:15] a NOFA to see what what we're requiring and what we're asking for and even if they meet the eligible

[1:31:20] requirements sometimes their organizations that don't necessarily meet the eligibility requirements

[1:31:24] It's the minimum eligibility requirements as a non profit 501 valid 501 C3 or a public agency they don't meet that they can apply so you know that that's one of the minimums that we require because then it takes out other organizations who may be in it for profit organizations that are trying to come in and get and get assistance through the city. So we want to make sure that we're helping our nonprofit partners throughout the city to serve residents.

[1:31:49] Thank you for the clarification, so we have to make a motion on it, can somebody make a motion?

[1:32:00] No motion required. This is the feedback.

[1:32:03] Receive the informational report. Thank you so much.

[1:32:07] Thank you.

[1:32:11] So the next item on the agenda is

[1:32:14] 6.3. Receive an informational report on unions that

[1:32:18] these homelessness response efforts July 2026.

[1:32:22] Okay, so we have Asus here.

[1:32:25] Asus Garcia and Elaine Rinnington.

[1:32:32] Allora, thank you.

[1:32:42] Good evening Mayor, City Council members

[1:32:45] and the community.

[1:32:48] Our pleasure to be here this evening.

[1:32:50] My name is Laura Buzzo,

[1:32:51] Director of Community and Recreation Services.

[1:32:54] We are pleased to provide you an information report on Union City Homelessness Response

[1:33:00] Enversed.

[1:33:01] I'm joined this evening by a Chasse du Piedadev, Manager for Youth and Family Services,

[1:33:06] and his Suscarcia Coordinator, and Elaine Winnington, Outreach Worker for our Homeless Program.

[1:33:14] So our Homeless Program efforts align and support Union cities.

[1:33:19] Yes, thank you.

[1:33:20] A strategic plan approved by City Council around goals see economic and community development

[1:33:26] and public safety and strategy three, which is to assess needs and identify appropriate

[1:33:32] services to support unhoused individuals in collaboration with community organizations

[1:33:38] in County of Alameda.

[1:33:40] As well as develop internal response protocols and communication strategy to provide regular

[1:33:46] status updates to City Council, commissions, and the general public.

[1:33:52] Next slide.

[1:33:54] Union City's homelessness response and support efforts also aligned

[1:33:58] with Elimita County's Home Together Plan.

[1:34:02] That includes a five-year strategic initiative of framework to address homelessness

[1:34:06] as well as goals and strategies over four category, primarily focusing on

[1:34:12] on homelessness prevention,

[1:34:14] connection to shelter and resources,

[1:34:17] increasing housing solutions and strengthen coordination.

[1:34:22] Alameda County is currently updating

[1:34:24] the home together community plan of for 2030.

[1:34:29] Next slide.

[1:34:32] Union City's multi-departmental and community-centered approach

[1:34:35] addresses homelessness through a coordination with staff,

[1:34:38] community organizations,

[1:34:40] and Alameda County.

[1:34:43] Our multi-department efforts include the City Manager's Office that provides coordination, direction, and oversight,

[1:34:51] police departments that supports with enforcement and standby support,

[1:34:57] economic and community development that provides rental assistance, affordable housing, public-private partnerships,

[1:35:05] information technology that supports with reporting system and data collection and tracking.

[1:35:11] Community Recreation Services, which provides a safe parking program,

[1:35:15] which supplies distribution, case management, outreach, and engagement,

[1:35:20] which you'll learn more about in this presentation.

[1:35:23] And then as well as our public works department, which provides property,

[1:35:26] abatement, and cleanup support.

[1:35:29] I will now turn it over to Chastity Epidetic to provide an update on the Alameda County

[1:35:33] point in time count.

[1:35:37] Good evening, Mayor City Councilmembers.

[1:35:41] To best understand the needs and serve are on House Community and Union City.

[1:35:45] It's important to gather reliable data.

[1:35:48] Every two years, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, otherwise known as

[1:35:53] HUD, requires communities to conduct a point in time count of individuals, youth and families

[1:35:59] experiencing homelessness, and to also provide specific data related to their demographics

[1:36:04] and characteristics.

[1:36:10] Next slide, please.

[1:36:18] The point in time count was conducted on January 22nd, 2026, from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m.

[1:36:26] The Union City homeless program staff worked in coordination with Alameda County Housing

[1:36:32] and community development, as well as healthcare for the homeless, to conduct the

[1:36:36] by-annual event on January 22nd from 5 to 10. To engage the on-house community

[1:36:42] in the morning hours, the effort relied heavily on city staff and volunteers.

[1:36:48] Tonight, we're going to touch on the highlights of the preliminary data report that was released

[1:36:54] on May 19th, 2026. You can see from this slide that there overall there was a reduction

[1:37:00] of 13% from 2024 to 2026 going from 9,450 individuals who are homeless in Alameda County to 8,201.

[1:37:13] Next slide.

[1:37:17] This slide provides more specific data regarding regions within Alameda County.

[1:37:22] Union City is captured under South County and then you can see the numbers have remained stable since 2024.

[1:37:29] It went from 1074 to 1064.

[1:37:36] Next slide.

[1:37:40] And then this specifically shows data amongst Fremont Hayward, New York, and Union City.

[1:37:46] You can see that the number reduced from 191 in 2024 to 141 individuals counted in 2026.

[1:37:56] So a difference of 50 individuals, which equates to about 26% reduction in homeless individuals

[1:38:04] in Union City.

[1:38:05] And then overall, you can see it's 2% of the total population within Alameda County.

[1:38:13] So this data, you know, demonstrates the efforts of the Union City homeless program division

[1:38:19] and as well as our community partners such as the Bode and Tversio Vasquez Health Center.

[1:38:24] Next, I will pass to Hesu's Garcia homeless program coordinator to provide more information

[1:38:30] regarding our services.

[1:38:33] Next slide, please.

[1:38:35] Good evening, everyone.

[1:38:37] Mayors, members of the City Council.

[1:38:40] Just, we just want to touch on this slide real quick just to kind of show like the four

[1:38:45] prong approach that we have for homelessness, which is the response, outreach, our caravan

[1:38:50] program, and then our case management efforts.

[1:38:53] next slide please.

[1:38:58] So these are our numbers between July 1st, 2025 to June 1st of 2026. So it's

[1:39:04] basically our fiscal year, last fiscal year. This is for our caravan program. We've had a

[1:39:12] total of 80 registered vehicles, which equates to 100 adults, 21 children, and 27 pets. As far as

[1:39:20] outreach and support we've had 1,325 caravan contacts.

[1:39:26] That means that we were in contact with all our participants

[1:39:30] for a total of 1,325 times.

[1:39:34] So it is required by them to meet with us

[1:39:36] once a month at a minimum.

[1:39:38] Just to discuss case management,

[1:39:41] any other things that they are in need of,

[1:39:44] they might just be in need of applications, work,

[1:39:48] work, health or just any other items that Elaine and I can help them with, we meet with

[1:39:55] them on a monthly basis. Currently, our nightly average is 22 vehicles, so that's about

[1:40:02] 25 to 30 individuals per night is what we're averaging. Next slide please.

[1:40:10] So this June second

[1:40:12] marked our 10-year anniversary for our program. We're very proud of that. Since then, we've

[1:40:19] We had 474 registered vehicles, and that's 630 adults, 251 children in 94 pets.

[1:40:27] Since our program started, I don't know if any of you remember, we basically were just

[1:40:32] offering a safe overnight parking program for them, just overnight place to sleep with

[1:40:37] restrooms and a microwave.

[1:40:39] Ever since that June 2nd, 2016 date, we've offered so much more.

[1:40:44] We do a lot of case management now. We have family focus activities, access to

[1:40:51] coordinated entry. So we've provided like Super Bowl parties for them, movie

[1:40:56] nights, book clubs, game nights. We were able to provide like their ID cards,

[1:41:02] birth certificates, coordinated entry, help with housing, promote stability. So we

[1:41:09] do offer a lot of programs for the participants in our program. Next slide,

[1:41:14] please.

[1:41:19] Again, you know, we are 10-year anniversary. These are a lot of the people and organizations

[1:41:25] that have helped us throughout the years about services to Bursovaska as play a big

[1:41:30] role right now. But like St. Anne's Church, our Lady of the Rosary has been there for a

[1:41:35] long time. Resonate Church, Purple Lotus Temple in Fremont, Union City Apostolic Church,

[1:41:42] Daily Bowl. I know you guys were just talking about them. They've been a great help to our

[1:41:46] program with a lot of donations. But these are some of the quotes too. Every year we do a quick

[1:41:52] little survey from our participants. We want to see how we're doing and what we can improve on

[1:41:57] from their point of view. So these are a few of the quotes that they've given us. So, you know,

[1:42:02] I really appreciate the care event during my transition. Thank you very much for the help you have

[1:42:08] given me. I arrived at the program at a difficult moment in my life and you helped me from the first

[1:42:13] stay. The parking spots are in the safe area and the coffee and hot water is awesome at every site.

[1:42:20] They took me in this program after months of being alone and terrified of my vehicle and

[1:42:24] Walmart parking lots. I love them. So we get a lot of referrals from a lot of different agencies,

[1:42:29] you know, 2-1-1. So they're free, Mont, Hayward, Newark. We've gotten calls from Louisiana who've had

[1:42:36] people that are coming from there or are here that lived over there and are looking for resources

[1:42:42] And they've called us just recently and it's like, hey, I have a client that moved out there.

[1:42:47] You know, what do you guys have to offer?

[1:42:49] So we were here and we accept the challenge of helping as many people as I can from families to single individuals.

[1:42:57] Next slide, please.

[1:43:02] This is more of our outreach and engagement services.

[1:43:05] So this talks more about the people that are out on the streets that we help out.

[1:43:09] So, last year, we had about 595 contacts.

[1:43:14] Our big partners, again, are Tibrasovakis

[1:43:17] in a boat services, so we know that without them,

[1:43:19] we couldn't be as successful as we are now.

[1:43:23] So, we just hosted our second pop-up event

[1:43:26] last week, actually.

[1:43:28] So, our first one was on June 25th.

[1:43:30] So, we actually set up right outside the library here

[1:43:34] between 11 to 12.30.

[1:43:37] Our first event we had six individuals come up to us and ask for help and resources, which was great because for the first time we didn't think we were going to have that many.

[1:43:47] We thought we would probably only have one or two.

[1:43:50] Last week we were there, we had two individuals come up and ask for help.

[1:43:56] So we think it's a success.

[1:43:58] Yes, we will be there for the next couple months on the last Thursday of the month if you guys want to stop by and check it out, you're more than welcome and it'll be again between 11 and 12 30 in the morning.

[1:44:11] We have supported in a lot of encampments and abatement cleanups, not just the ones on city property, but we do get calls from like Union Pacific and Bart CalTrans to help them do some outreach at their sites.

[1:44:26] So we've done a lot of that and just recently we've been asked for their help to do a couple

[1:44:33] cleanups. So next slide, please.

[1:44:40] And I will pass it over to Madam.

[1:44:43] So our next step for staff is to provide quarterly updates to City Council, monitor state budget

[1:44:51] and grant funding opportunities, also monitor measure W home together fund, which provides an estimated 1.4 billion.

[1:45:00] To advance the home together plan. And on April 14th, 2026 staff applied for a request for qualifications for the Alameda County housing and homelessness services vendor pool for future funding opportunities. And we're excited to say that we were just informed that we made the eligibility to be part of the vendor pool. So this provides us an opportunity to apply for future funding when it becomes available. Next slide.

[1:45:29] This

[1:45:33] is an information report and there is no fiscal impact next slide.

[1:45:41] Staff recommends that City Council accept this information report on the City's homelessness

[1:45:46] response efforts.

[1:45:47] City Council is invited to ask any clarifying questions and provide direction to staff on

[1:45:53] the programs.

[1:45:54] Staff should focus on, especially if they're documents, especially if the focus is different

[1:45:59] than what has been outlined in the report.

[1:46:02] And one final slide.

[1:46:06] And then just for informational contacts for Mayor City Council and our community, these

[1:46:14] are three essential points of contact for any information or resources around homeless,

[1:46:22] support resources of course 211, as Hesu mentioned, also if there's just any general inquiries

[1:46:30] or concerns or updates, you can contact Jesus Garcia here, a coordinator, but also you can

[1:46:39] email our central email address. And then of course, you can always call a report non-emergency

[1:46:46] activity as well through our Union City Police Department. And again, I like to acknowledge our staff,

[1:46:52] but also Deputy City Manager Jennifer Fan who's not here and she has missed greatly and also

[1:47:01] to all the departments who make this effort effective and coordinated to ensure that we're

[1:47:09] supporting our community as a whole. We're available for questions. This is the end of our presentation.

[1:47:16] Thank you Laura. I appreciate your report. Let me ask the City Council if they have any

[1:47:21] question or comment?

[1:47:24] It's just a couple of comments.

[1:47:26] So, thank you to the team for working

[1:47:28] with tuberculosis of us.

[1:47:30] I've been on the board there for just over 13 years.

[1:47:34] And one of the things when they started the street medicine program,

[1:47:37] they were going out there to the sheltered people

[1:47:42] and to the actual sites.

[1:47:44] And I suggested that they work with you guys.

[1:47:46] This way you're not working in silos.

[1:47:48] They need health care. They're right there are they need city services. You guys are right there. So that that's a good thing. And I'd also like to I like to mention also about the, you know, caravan also 10 years. I was on the city.

[1:48:06] I was on the city HRC at the time.

[1:48:10] And I remember that came about because

[1:48:12] and Councilman Nishimera, Nishimera may remember,

[1:48:16] I think you guys did a census of students,

[1:48:19] how many were unhoused at the time.

[1:48:22] And it came up, I think there was 128

[1:48:24] that were unhoused at that time.

[1:48:26] And the Union City Family Resource Center

[1:48:28] was coming into its own.

[1:48:31] And so we all teamed up together

[1:48:32] they came up with this idea of the caravan.

[1:48:36] And at first the program was there,

[1:48:38] but we didn't have very many people going into it

[1:48:40] because people were very hesitant because you know

[1:48:43] the stigma, but it's nice that 10 years later,

[1:48:47] it's still going, it's actually,

[1:48:49] well, it's not nice that it's going strong,

[1:48:51] but it's nice that people are using it.

[1:48:53] The people were always there.

[1:48:54] They just were not using it.

[1:48:56] And it's received a lot more acceptance

[1:48:59] And the services have expanded and I did mention to the city manager earlier that yesterday I had a meeting with one of the council members for Baltimore Maryland and I was we're talking about their homeless issues, our homeless issues.

[1:49:15] I told her about the caravan. She loved the idea and so they're going to be getting some in for they're going to be reaching out for more information.

[1:49:22] But it's nice when a city our size can be looked up to for information and try to get on a program to a larger city.

[1:49:33] So congratulations to all of you.

[1:49:35] Thank you.

[1:49:36] Consumers, thank you.

[1:49:38] Thank you, Mayor.

[1:49:39] They're just piggybacking on that.

[1:49:41] I want to thank you, Jesus and Elaine and Chesby and Laura and the whole team.

[1:49:46] So I know there's a lot of macro effect factors, you know, affecting the region and the state that are somewhat out of our control.

[1:49:55] And we could always use more funding.

[1:49:58] So I really appreciate you doing everything that you can within that context.

[1:50:03] And especially all the partnerships you've built across all the other city departments that I don't want to list them all because I'm going to forget one and it's really the whole city.

[1:50:10] And then also with the county and with Fremont and just all the the nonprofits who are involved youth and family services, everybody working together and doing what we can with the limited resources that we do have. So thank you.

[1:50:25] I know it's a thankless job other than tonight, but thank you.

[1:50:32] Okay, first I want to thank you for all teams. It's very hard work and yeah, so I still have a couple of things I will ask for you guys and number one, I'm thankful guys and keep monitoring the state, the budget and the grants and I just wondering and how critical and we face it and at this today.

[1:51:00] So, I mean, we know those kind of funding is getting less than compared with before.

[1:51:05] So, is it going to the next couple of years whether it's going to catch up or not?

[1:51:11] If it's not a catch up, what else we can do?

[1:51:14] I know it's very challenging, yeah.

[1:51:18] Every year will be a challenge.

[1:51:21] I mean, one is to just meet the overall need and also to make sure that we're supporting

[1:51:27] our staff with the appropriate resources that they need to to better help our community.

[1:51:32] And so our commitment is to continue exploring different funding opportunities,

[1:51:37] whether it's local, such as Alameda County, but also state and regional efforts.

[1:51:43] So that's just something that we just have to do. It is also a challenge that in many times some

[1:51:49] some of the resources and support geared funding is more for transitional housing or permanent

[1:51:57] housing, affordable housing. And so we don't quite have that available here. And so oftentimes

[1:52:07] outreach resources and support case management are probably more on the lower

[1:52:12] priority for some of these funding sources. So it is really important for us to partner with

[1:52:18] different organizations and be creative in how we can bridge the different funding that's available.

[1:52:24] The other thing is that I understand that you guys have a good policy of the working. So

[1:52:29] I'm very careful about the use and there's those kind of homeless. So is that even with the parent

[1:52:35] or without the parents and those use we should be really concerned in the very high poverty to try

[1:52:43] reduced. Yes, I mean the focus is on adults 18 and over, but of course, Jesus can I'm sure

[1:52:53] provide different examples of situations where we've had to help a younger person who might be

[1:52:59] under age and so in those cases it's really important that we work closely with the county

[1:53:04] to see what other resources and supports are available to them. But I do think it is important for

[1:53:11] for us to continue working with the school district

[1:53:14] to identify families who are in needing support

[1:53:17] such as a safe parking program, the CARE van,

[1:53:20] and also, again, with our partnerships

[1:53:22] to see how best we can link families to those resources.

[1:53:26] Yeah, the last one is the most challenging one.

[1:53:29] I mean, it's out of a control, like a control

[1:53:32] and the year specific and the train and those,

[1:53:38] and lots of things that are out of the city to control.

[1:53:43] So I really want you guys and have a routine lay.

[1:53:46] I know it's hard work and a routine lay

[1:53:48] and to push and try to stop in the beginning

[1:53:52] and instead of getting larger.

[1:53:54] So I know you guys keep doing this when they come back

[1:53:57] and we try find some ways and keep annoying

[1:54:00] those other parties and to work with us together.

[1:54:04] Yes, absolutely. That's why our multi-pronged approach is really important, such as

[1:54:10] Francesco just mentioned, the CDBG funding, right? That's another resource that we can also link

[1:54:17] to support our community in different ways, as well as the other funding that's available through

[1:54:24] our different partnerships. I just want to say I'm very appreciative. This is a tough job.

[1:54:28] and working every day. So I see the numbers is reduced. Yeah, I mean, for the people, they still

[1:54:35] are happy, but I know this very lots of how to work. I want to appreciate all the teams. Yeah.

[1:54:41] Thank you. Thank you.

[1:54:42] Mr. Manishar.

[1:54:44] Yeah, yes, also. Thank you for the work.

[1:54:48] I've got two questions. The first one is, the pit count seems to be kind of a very thin

[1:54:54] data set in the sense that we're talking about one point in time on one particular day at 5 o'clock

[1:55:00] in the morning. I know that it's probably a federally mandated or federally formed data set,

[1:55:08] so it's thin by its very nature. I guess the question is, do we collect any additional data?

[1:55:16] Because one of the things that just simply counting the number of unhoused individuals,

[1:55:20] that doesn't give us any insight into causality.

[1:55:23] It doesn't give us insight into migration patterns,

[1:55:26] into anything like that.

[1:55:27] Do we have a richer set of data

[1:55:28] that we actually draw up?

[1:55:31] So I'll respond to that a little bit.

[1:55:33] So there's only certain data that we collect anyways,

[1:55:36] that's on the HMIS system.

[1:55:39] We don't track migration patterns or anything like that,

[1:55:42] but there is a lot of data on like age

[1:55:44] and veteran status, you know, ethnicity.

[1:55:47] So even income levels, a lot of that data is available because some of the people that we do count are already in the coordinate entry system and one way or another.

[1:55:59] So that data is gathered, but a lot more of the information is going to be released once the full report is released.

[1:56:05] And a lot of that information will be included in there because that is something that HUD wants.

[1:56:11] So it will be in there, but as far as like our data for caravan, we enter a lot of that information.

[1:56:18] So I do, every time I do give a report for, let's say, the HAP grant.

[1:56:23] I have to print out a 67 report report that has a lot of that data and have to send that to them with my reports.

[1:56:32] So that is available.

[1:56:33] And I think one of the things that I think is missing is the, all right, well, we have specific individuals that we contact with either through you, through your office, through PD that are kind of repeat contacts.

[1:56:49] And one of the things that I think would be helpful is for us to understand a little bit understanding why.

[1:56:57] So right, so for example right now the pit count just counts numbers we don't know if this person is unhoused because of housing affordability, substance abuse, mental health issues or a combination of all the above so it's very difficult to kind of put together any type of

[1:57:14] common sense policies or procedures in place if we don't really understand the problem

[1:57:21] very well.

[1:57:22] At least our localized data because our problem is going to be different from it from Hayward's

[1:57:26] problem issue, newer, it's all going to be different.

[1:57:31] So we don't know what our situation really looks like because we're only collecting one type

[1:57:37] of data.

[1:57:37] Yeah, so I would I would like to see what it would take for us to be able to capture that a little bit a little bit more comprehensively. I know that we're limited in in in a lot of things.

[1:57:48] But I think like just the simple pit counts are you know, like I said, they're transitory. You might catch, you know, one day and then the next day.

[1:58:00] maybe they've migrated to a different place.

[1:58:02] So it's very, very difficult to get your hands on it.

[1:58:06] So having some up plan there would be helpful.

[1:58:09] The second question I have is around the contact methods.

[1:58:13] So the contact methods that you have there,

[1:58:17] I think they're useful,

[1:58:18] but I'm still getting contacts through my email, right?

[1:58:22] And I know that a lot of council members

[1:58:24] are probably getting emails.

[1:58:26] So, do a lot of people know about those contact methods and are they using them because, you know, if I just like to get a sense of the discoverability of those phone numbers and those contacts and if there's a reason I just want to know how well they're working.

[1:58:43] Okay, yeah, I mean I get contacted all those ways actually I get contacted straight through my email personal email the homeless coordinator email direct contact from 211 you know they think about my phone number so our numbers are everywhere and the majority of the contacts we get our phone calls but we do get a lot of emails as well so when we get them we just for them directly to you. Yeah, just for them over to me. That'd be great. Okay. Thank you. Yeah

[1:59:13] Thank you so much. Just have one question about the measure W money. I think Jennifer was the one who was handling this, who is working on now, or with the, I think we have a partnership with the city of Fremont and new work, is that correct?

[1:59:33] Yes, so we have a tri-county partnership that meets and so between Jennifer, myself and

[1:59:41] his suits, we attend as well as Francisco, we attend. And so, again, that's just a way for us to

[1:59:47] keep track of what the progress is on that. Do we attend their meetings? Yes. Okay, yeah, because it's

[1:59:53] very important because last time they mentioned that they changed their mind you were there

[1:59:59] Yeah.

[1:59:59] Anyway.

[2:00:00] When we had a meeting at the new work, they came back to city managers saying, I don't know, you are attending a meeting. First, they said, we don't. But anyway, yes, overall, I think we achieving our goal, working together. It's just the blessing that how far we came within a year or so. It was so many RVs out there in the industrial area.

[2:00:27] The chief and the police, the personnel, they know how hard they work to get them out at a time there was like 15, 20s.

[2:00:38] It's like come like a hand. One is there, boom, very next day you're going to see 5, 10 within a week. It's coming around.

[2:00:48] So we very appreciate it to what you guys are doing out there. It's a great job.

[2:00:52] We need to continue to keep up.

[2:00:56] It's, you know, I think that we are the one sending all those individual to his city.

[2:01:03] So I get a blame for it anyway.

[2:01:06] But we do an hard work.

[2:01:10] I just mentioned him that, you know, we have so many staff members myself going out there every morning looking around and see how can we help them.

[2:01:19] What need there? They need a need to work with whatever they need a gasoline couple of

[2:01:26] time around into. They need just a couple of gallons of gas and I'll just give them a

[2:01:32] gas to just go on. I don't know where they went, but anyway, so we appreciate your hard

[2:01:39] work and dedication, the staff, the doing it. We need to keep up with that. Thank you so

[2:01:45] much. I think this is just informational. So we need to look on it. Zoom. We have no speaker cards

[2:01:57] nor do we have any raised hands. Okay. Right. So we're good. Thank you. Thank you.

[2:02:12] The next item is the 6.4

[2:02:16] receive and file quarterly financial report and adopt a resolution

[2:02:21] to amend the city's authorized position list for fiscal year 2026 through 2027.

[2:02:26] Okay, so we have a two over here waiting all evening long, all right, two.

[2:02:42] I do a brief presentation on the quarterly financial report and adopt the resolution to amend the city's authorized position list for FY2627.

[2:02:55] I'd like to start with the summary page is what we're going to talk about.

[2:02:59] First, I'm going to present to you for financial report.

[2:03:03] I do want to say that we're focusing on the general fund.

[2:03:06] And we're going to examine FY26, which we just finished about 28, 29 days ago.

[2:03:14] Then I'm also going to look at the revenue, projecting where we would be at FY27.

[2:03:20] Looking at the revenues, expenditures, and where we would likely be at year end.

[2:03:26] FY25, that's, I showed some history in here.

[2:03:30] Fiscal year 25, I've never been able to present to you an audit report yet.

[2:03:34] We're so frustrated trying to get the audit due to software conversion, new auditors and we're working diligently trying to get that for you.

[2:03:47] I do want to mention that this report that's provided is un audited, numerous adjustments and a cruel still need to be made.

[2:03:55] and but our effort was to provide the city council with a quarterly report as soon as we can.

[2:04:04] And also this staff report is about an authorized position list and there is no additional positions proposed in here.

[2:04:14] Next slide.

[2:04:17] So I'm going to start out with fiscal year 2526, which again we just finished.

[2:04:22] The details are in attachment one, the quarterly financial report.

[2:04:25] I want to highlight the first row, which is adopted budget.

[2:04:30] We adopted a budget of $85 million, $85,290, $814,

[2:04:36] when we had the budget in revenues and expenditures just about the same at $85,993,754.

[2:04:45] So there was a proposed surplus.

[2:04:50] plus. Now, the latest projection with what we have in actual revenues are have increased

[2:04:58] by over $2.1 million to $87 million, but unfortunately, also expenditures have increased to $87

[2:05:06] million. If we're fortunate, we will end with a surplus for fiscal year 25. And that's the

[2:05:14] summary of that. Next slide, please.

[2:05:18] This was a little hard to see, but I'm going to get

[2:05:20] details about this is the revenue side and the comment below is that what made

[2:05:26] revenues for the general fund better for FY 2526 is the franchise fees and

[2:05:33] business license it shows that we have I'm gonna pull up my laptop because I can't

[2:05:38] see shows that we have about six million so overall two million dollars more

[2:05:45] are between the two. And that's a good thing because some of the other categories were

[2:05:54] just as budgeted while expenses were going up. I do want to mention that one item that

[2:06:01] the city council approved earlier today was the $1.3 million from development deposits.

[2:06:08] We converted that and put it into the general fund that's planned next slide.

[2:06:18] So in terms of expenditures, I'm going to go by category and the focus is on the green columns

[2:06:25] and this first one is the regular part time, which is the second row, and I highlighted the 1

[2:06:32] million, $116,000. This screen shows fiscal year 25, which was two years prior. Then comes the

[2:06:44] audit it versus UN projection based on actuals we receive and then where we are next year.

[2:06:50] So the green column that shows again that regular part time pay was about $765,000 in general fun

[2:06:57] for all departments. We budget about 609 and your projection is about $116,000.

[2:07:04] We're still looking into this. I think the system, I'm looking at all every position, every hour.

[2:07:12] I think bottom line, I think there's going to be some adjustments made moving some to other funds and so forth.

[2:07:21] But I don't have that much detail at this point in time.

[2:07:24] But likely will be less their HR finance they work on some certain special projects and and we'll make adjustments next slide, please

[2:07:37] The next one is the seasonal part time temp and this one is the third row down which shows like last year was what two years ago was 837,000 the year

[2:07:47] We just finished is project to be like 852,000 while the budget's hovering around $490,000

[2:07:58] We did use staffing to assist with the software migration.

[2:08:04] We're hoping to get past that.

[2:08:06] We offset that by contract services that we for went.

[2:08:11] We would not use so we worked on maintaining maintaining our budget

[2:08:16] or keeping below our budget.

[2:08:19] We do need to further research public works,

[2:08:22] police department and CRS, he's no part time temps.

[2:08:27] Next one is overtime. So this one is the

[2:08:32] role that says overtime where the year end projection is $2.5 million. I want to mention that the

[2:08:39] way we've been budgeting for overtime it's is over ambitious and we do need to make a future

[2:08:46] adjustment so that's closer to target actuals. You can see here that actual overtime like again

[2:08:52] fiscal year 25 audit, it was at 2.2 million. We are at 2.5 this year and projecting 1.6 million

[2:09:02] next year or this current year, fiscal year 25 says a little bit ambitious but the details

[2:09:10] for the fiscal year 26 and overtime expenses is higher than usual because we did a lot of

[2:09:16] homeless clean-ups, community and special assignments,

[2:09:20] as well as some finance functions,

[2:09:23] we just seem to be like trying to keep up

[2:09:27] with finance operations.

[2:09:32] Of the final one is anticipated salaries

[2:09:36] in terms of expenditures is the last role there.

[2:09:41] And this one, the $2.3 million

[2:09:43] in anticipated salaries savings is no longer feasible

[2:09:46] do the vacancies or lack of vacancies.

[2:09:50] Typical vacant positions are filled pretty quick within six months,

[2:09:55] but even while you have a vacancy for six months,

[2:09:59] we do have made some efforts to cross-train,

[2:10:03] meaning that we would try to hire someone before the other person retires

[2:10:09] a leave, as well as a temporary staffing to provide service continuity.

[2:10:13] In finance, in a wee struggle because when there's a vacancy, payroll checks still have to be paid, accounts payable checks have to be paid, reports have to be processed, so I was really challenging to do that.

[2:10:26] So now we're at a stage where there's really no vacancies anymore, very little, so that anticipates salary savings like $2.3 million, not, but was not realized this year and probably will not be realized next year as well.

[2:10:42] Okay. In terms of all the other categories, operating it's like office programs

[2:10:52] applies and contract services, those were an alignment or we would put in actuals.

[2:10:59] But overall, as in the previous slide, department spent below were actual expenditures are below

[2:11:09] budgeted and hopefully we will end with a balanced budget when when all the

[2:11:15] numbers are settled. I'm going to 2026, 2027 now, which we are started in March. I

[2:11:22] mean I'm just just July, a month ago. So the adopted budget was $89 million, $89.1

[2:11:29] million. I'm moving it down where it says later latest projection.

[2:11:38] We're now

[2:11:39] that increase in franchise fees and and business license tax that where I assume that will continue the likelihood of that decreasing is not going to happen.

[2:11:55] So I increase revenues and I also remove the 1.5, 1.1 million dollars in anticipate salary savings.

[2:12:06] And so if that goes as planned, we will have a balanced budget for this year at your end.

[2:12:14] But there's a lot of assumptions made for that.

[2:12:17] and next slide please.

[2:12:24] Okay so for consideration this year the General

[2:12:29] Fund revenues relies on over $5 million in development permits and fees. I

[2:12:36] think I've mentioned in prior meetings that the prior year relied on permit

[2:12:42] revenues and fees. And it's happening again. Union City will pay approximately 220,000 more for

[2:12:51] parametric earthquake insurance. As a whole, we had the opportunity with joint powers risk pool

[2:13:00] to purchase earthquake insurance and every agency in the risk pool agreed to that. So our share

[2:13:08] is $220,000. Updated Fremont Dispatch Agreement, so we are ending a 10-year agreement, and we are about to go into another agreement, and it looks like we would probably cost the city more, about 250,000 odd more each year.

[2:13:25] And the last part is updated county fire services is approximately 800,000 more than what the Union City adopted budget included.

[2:13:34] So, about two years ago, Alameda County gave us some projections of where we would be for 2027,

[2:13:43] and several months ago, they gave us new projection of what 2027 will cost us in as about $800,000 more.

[2:13:52] I didn't put this into formal yet because I think the numbers are still finalizing.

[2:13:57] Overall, staff is continuously monitoring revenues while trying to be prudent about our expenditures.

[2:14:05] Moving over to authorized position list that was seeking the City Council approval for authorized position list changes.

[2:14:12] First one is a deputy police chief.

[2:14:14] This position is recommended to be added to implement succession planning activities for the department.

[2:14:21] We will be reducing the we will add the police deputy chief but we're also removing one police officer position so that the number of

[2:14:33] of sworn officers, number of police staff

[2:14:38] would remain the same.

[2:14:39] The next one is a cleanup where we had two position listed

[2:14:44] as intervention counselor in the PEG, a bargaining group

[2:14:48] and as well as a second one in the MAG bargaining group.

[2:14:52] And now we are moving both towards the PEG

[2:14:55] which is the professional employees group.

[2:14:57] So again, there's no impact, there are no additions.

[2:15:00] A staffing there. And the last one is we had a special projects coordinator position budget in public works, which was basically doing graffiti, abatement, taking care of graffiti. But now we're moving that towards moving it back to the maintenance one streets, where that position of maintenance one street can also do graffiti abatement. So, all these positions are presented in exhibit A.

[2:15:27] and that provides you with a full call position list.

[2:15:33] And next slide.

[2:15:39] Recommended action is recommend that city council

[2:15:41] receive and file the quarterly financial report

[2:15:44] and adopt the resolution of bending

[2:15:46] the city's authorized position list for fiscal year 25 or 2627.

[2:15:54] Thank you.

[2:15:55] Let me ask the city council if there are any questions for you.

[2:16:04] So,

[2:16:08] thank you for making the time earlier today because I had a lot of questions this

[2:16:11] way.

[2:16:11] It's already after nine, so make things a little bit quicker.

[2:16:15] You know, I really want to emphasize that we, we as a council, need to be getting monthly

[2:16:21] financial reports.

[2:16:22] I've been receiving them at the virtual Vasquez for about 13 years.

[2:16:25] I don't understand why we're not getting them here.

[2:16:28] We don't need to have this this update to send them to us once a month. We have a question. We'll submit it. We'll submit it to you guys and give us an answer. This way, those of us that want to look at the reports.

[2:16:40] If we start seeing trends, we can start saying, well, what's going on here? And we can make sure that we can take action before it gets into a big problem.

[2:16:52] The second thing is, you know, I understand when it comes to the salaries, you explain

[2:16:59] that it looks like a deficit on there, but things were moved around within each department

[2:17:05] to make sure that they were budget neutral.

[2:17:07] I understand that, but it should also reflect on the bottom line over there.

[2:17:11] Okay, we need a budget journal to address this.

[2:17:13] This is the amended budget.

[2:17:15] This is what's going to be what's going to be looking like.

[2:17:17] I think just for transparency, so those that are in the audience and say, oh my God, look what they're doing with over time and seasonal, they cannot control.

[2:17:26] No, it is controlled just that we made the budget journals and now we're many.

[2:17:31] The budget isn't living document. It changes as the year goes on and things happen.

[2:17:37] And another thing and this isn't really towards you. It's towards city manager and everybody is we have to stop relying on these 960 employees.

[2:17:45] when you're gone you're gone. If you haven't, if you haven't shared your knowledge before you left, that's our fall. But go on your vacation, you're retired. So that would save a lot of money. So thank you.

[2:18:01] Thank you.

[2:18:02] Thank you. Thank you for the report.

[2:18:03] It looks like there were a few different things that under the other considerations slide that added up to 1.27 million, something like that, and then also we have a remaining.

[2:18:16] It looks like we chopped the projected salary savings in half, but we still are holding 1.15 million of salary savings for FY 2627.

[2:18:27] And so are those the two areas that we're kind of monitoring as I mean obviously any line item could be off, but it sounds like there's 1.15 million salary savings that if we have close to zero vacancies won't we won't necessarily recognize.

[2:18:41] And then you have these three other things, right, the fire contract and the dispatch center and the earthquake stuff that that's not yet been incorporated next year is that right.

[2:18:53] That's correct, yeah, I did not incorporate the three, which includes the dispatch, fire, and insurance into the year and projection yet.

[2:19:05] Got it. Okay. Well, I just want to thank you for, I know we're trying to shift to these quarterly updates, so appreciate getting this one on the books.

[2:19:12] And I think there is a trade off, right? So doing them more frequently, obviously there's a certain amount of lift required to put it on.

[2:19:20] and then also I noticed you know you have points where more investigation required because the numbers

[2:19:26] have not even been finalized yet right the period we're talking about just ended

[2:19:31] less than a month ago and so these are unaudited they could still change and so there's still

[2:19:36] there's going to be some corrections both to the numbers themselves and to your explanations

[2:19:41] for why the numbers are what they are so I think it's a worthwhile trade-off because I still think

[2:19:45] quarterly make sense, but then when we do the next quarterly one, it'd be great if you

[2:19:51] could refresh us on, hey, this is, if a number has changed between quarters, even for

[2:19:57] the same period, or if an explanation, right, you know, some of those part-time and seasonal

[2:20:02] pay type explanations, I think highlighting what change between quarterly reports would

[2:20:08] be able to. But otherwise, thank you. I really appreciate it.

[2:20:11] Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Council Member.

[2:20:14] What's the number one?

[2:20:15] Yeah, thank you for the report.

[2:20:17] So, and I want to understand that this, you talk about to the 511 and 30, which is the

[2:20:27] anticipated salary is saving because the vaccines and we saved the 2.3 mediums.

[2:20:34] Okay. So, and well, for the next year's budget, you say the,

[2:20:41] that we still have a vacancy or not?

[2:20:44] No vacancy.

[2:20:44] Well, there's one, there's maybe a couple, right?

[2:20:49] We have a few vacancies and I know there's some upcoming

[2:20:55] retirements in the police department, so there will be

[2:20:58] over the next year, quite a bit of transition.

[2:21:02] The reason I'm asking and beside the salary savings and I think

[2:21:08] the next one we should work with maybe is the over time right is the big challenges and

[2:21:14] with the luckiest and we still make the pretty good looks good this year and so I was thinking

[2:21:20] what the next year if the economics is not too much and improved so yeah so this is a very

[2:21:27] challenging so if we can get into the report earlier quickly this will be better yeah thank you

[2:21:37] I have nothing to add that hasn't already been talked about.

[2:21:41] Okay. Can you bring the slide 70 back

[2:21:49] to?

[2:21:51] Can you explain to me?

[2:21:54] I know you say you're going to make some adjustment on these numbers,

[2:21:58] especially on the regular plot time pay.

[2:22:04] the seasonal workers and the overtime pay.

[2:22:09] Can you break it down if it's possible,

[2:22:14] to how you're going to make adjustment on those?

[2:22:16] Sure. So the regular part time pay,

[2:22:20] it does look like it's higher than normal.

[2:22:26] And we are looking in the details for that.

[2:22:29] I think some of those costs belong to other departments, other funds, so I haven't a chance to dig into it yet, but it's still going to be close to budget or close to where it was actual last year.

[2:22:45] the part time temp pay that one is on target as compared to last year, but it's

[2:22:57] definitely beyond what's budgeted. I do know from there that about $200,000

[2:23:04] in that was for special projects, 980 hour employees, that finance and

[2:23:13] nature used to do special projects mostly the software migration. If I can

[2:23:20] stop you for a second are you talking about the regular part-time pay? I'm

[2:23:24] talking about the third row seasonal part-time pay. Now I'm talking about the

[2:23:29] regular part-time pay. Yeah that one I need to dig into I haven't I don't have the

[2:23:35] answer for that that this point in time. I have to get back to you on that. Okay

[2:23:39] Okay, then you can go down to seasonal then.

[2:23:42] Okay, so yeah, down to seasonal.

[2:23:45] That one, it does exceed the budget because we had to use

[2:23:49] temporary staffing to offset certain functions that we needed.

[2:23:58] I'm speaking for finance and with that we reduce our operating expense

[2:24:04] and we reduce our contract services so that we,

[2:24:07] Instead of hiring consultants, we use staff to pay for the work we needed.

[2:24:16] Over time, I think this one's probably the toughest one is that if you look at the trend

[2:24:25] over time last year was 2.2 million.

[2:24:29] This year is 2.5.

[2:24:30] There it does make sense there's an incremental increase because employees are getting and what you increase is their salaries are higher over times a little higher.

[2:24:41] But on top of that, there's also the use of the overtime and I believe this year in fiscal year 25, we did put many to use again for homeless cleanup.

[2:24:53] up, especially events around the community dialogue did use some resources, which was

[2:25:02] over time, as well as special projects and ongoing over time.

[2:25:07] So that's well.

[2:25:08] So, too, if I can stop you for a second, on the homeless cleaning, I think what I understood

[2:25:16] it from John that we have a different fund that was used about $70,000 for the 11th street

[2:25:25] or where the green street, a nickel, dime or whatever, that area, we had an issue with

[2:25:31] the encampment and we used one of those funds there if I correctly understood.

[2:25:38] Yes, we did use some outside contractors that needed to come in and

[2:25:45] hallway vehicles and garbage, etc.

[2:25:49] And we did use a different fund, but we didn't use the general fund dollars.

[2:25:54] But we do oftentimes when we are supporting other agencies like Union Pacific or Alameda County Water District.

[2:26:02] we do these large abatements are police are on standby and so it's common for us to bring in

[2:26:09] folks to support those. Okay so what I want to ask you to if if he could first of all the

[2:26:17] council are asking to bring it back as soon as possible for the next report maybe is it the

[2:26:22] September is a good number or would you like to bring it back on October? Yeah I think I could bring

[2:26:29] something back in September. I think it's special analysis you want I could do.

[2:26:34] Would you like to bring it back on the first meeting or second meeting? Would you pick?

[2:26:39] First meeting is fine. Okay. Okay. So first meeting of September.

[2:26:44] Yeah. Okay. So I wanted to see the changes on the overtime pay. I wanted to find out what was the

[2:26:52] approved budget for the police department and who else is getting overtime on that particular

[2:27:01] 2.5557. So I would like to see those numbers. We stand at least for the clarification.

[2:27:13] Okay. Yeah. Okay. And you want to appreciate it to your explanation. Can you go to page number 72?

[2:27:27] This is the same one, is it? Okay.

[2:27:33] How about 70? Tony, can you turn it to page 72?

[2:27:39] How about 70?

[2:27:49] 7 and 0.

[2:27:56] Okay. So it seems like the same number. I'm looking at it. Mr. Mayor,

[2:28:01] Yes, it's the same number. It's just a different description on the head.

[2:28:06] Okay, so that's all I have to just wanted to look at those numbers to see where we're saying.

[2:28:11] And I appreciate you. I know you haven't a rough time with these numbers.

[2:28:15] And hopefully you get it right by September. Thank you.

[2:28:20] Thank you so much.

[2:28:22] There's anybody in the audience have a question on this particular agenda?

[2:28:26] I'm saying on anybody on the Zoom.

[2:28:29] no raised hands mayor okay all right so you can bring the slight back for them

[2:28:38] any question for the question for the staff or okay I can somebody go ahead

[2:28:47] make a motion there I'll

[2:28:52] move that we adopt the resolution of any of the cities

[2:28:54] authorized positions list for fiscal year 2627 okay there's second I second okay

[2:29:01] motion by Councilman Saqqihar, second by Councilman Wan, roll call, please. Councilman Rene Sheheda.

[2:29:08] Councilman Mersaki-Kohara. Aye. Councilman Wan. Aye. Vice Mayor Patinho. Aye.

[2:29:14] Mayor Singh. Aye. Motion passes unanimously. Thank you so much. We appreciate your hard work.

[2:29:22] Next item is on the agenda is. Adopt a resolution approving and adopting the City of Union City,

[2:29:29] the City Council handbook.

[2:29:34] Right, Chris.

[2:29:36] Thank you.

[2:29:36] He's the final guy holding us here.

[2:29:40] Good evening, Mayor Singh members of City Council.

[2:29:43] I'll be providing the presentation to see the next item.

[2:29:45] Next slide, please.

[2:29:48] Before I start, I just do want to acknowledge the legislation and policy committee.

[2:29:52] Mayor Singh, council member Nisha here, we did spend a good couple of hours

[2:29:56] digging into this handbook and I know a lot of thought went into it from the committee.

[2:30:00] So thank you for that. I also want to acknowledge the city clerk who made sure that the handbook was in a presentable format. So really appreciative of his efforts. So some of the rationale and background is that the city council currently lacks a formal comprehensive handbook regarding operational procedures administrative guidelines and statutory obligations in one central location. You know, the city council does currently operate under a mix of

[2:30:29] of applicable state laws, municipal code obviously

[2:30:32] and unwritten historical practice,

[2:30:34] as well as relevant guidelines,

[2:30:36] but these are dispersed and not in one easily accessible

[2:30:39] location.

[2:30:41] The legislature and policy committee did review

[2:30:44] this initial draft of the handbook on April

[2:30:47] this year and then subsequently in June,

[2:30:50] where aside from one component related

[2:30:54] to the use of unused travel funds,

[2:30:56] the committee unanimously agreed with the proposed handbook

[2:30:58] and left that outstanding item for a council discussion.

[2:31:02] Next slide, please.

[2:31:09] So the purpose is to sort of replace this reliance

[2:31:12] on unwritten practices, different fragments

[2:31:15] of the municipal code and standalone guideline,

[2:31:17] build on established norms.

[2:31:19] Obviously, the council has the adopted norms and guidelines

[2:31:22] and provide a transparent and structured road map

[2:31:25] for the conductive city business

[2:31:27] that is orderly and conducted fairly.

[2:31:30] this is a living document, so it's something that can be changed. In fact, the proposed resolution

[2:31:37] allows staff to administratively change it when there's modification. So, for example, there is a

[2:31:45] aspect of the handbook that addresses the council member compensation as well as the mayor's compensation,

[2:31:52] as well as other components that address reimbursements. If those aspects change, then staff could just

[2:31:58] administratively modify the handbook to reflect those.

[2:32:01] And then, of course, the legislation and policy committee will regularly review it.

[2:32:06] But the idea was to get a document in place that could be worked on in the future.

[2:32:13] The objectives were to serve as a reference point for the City Council to provide a resource

[2:32:19] for new council members during orientation and to allow for consistent governance for existing

[2:32:24] council members.

[2:32:26] next slide please. So I'm going to go over. There's eight operational chapters. I'll just do a high level overview.

[2:32:34] The first chapter is for the mayor and city council. It sets forth a council code of ethics. This is 22 distinct categories.

[2:32:41] The committee reviewed and agreed was appropriate.

[2:32:45] Establishes the formal process by which the council sets long-term strategic plans and annual operation goals of the city.

[2:32:50] I identify as the role of a mayor and vice mayor, as well as how appointments to their

[2:32:57] bodies occur and vacancies, et cetera, and there are there is a reference to council

[2:33:03] benefits and this relates to unused travel funds and discretionary funds which I'll discuss

[2:33:08] on a later slide.

[2:33:10] I will note that there is a provision on discipline, but there's no process for discipline that the

[2:33:15] committee got into or addressed so that is something that if the council wanted to build upon

[2:33:20] could be referred to committee and address later a lot of cities have for instance a

[2:33:25] censure process things like that that's not something that is addressed in this handbook.

[2:33:32] The next chapter is related to meetings. This addresses the formal structure of the order of

[2:33:37] business and the procedures that are used. One new component that the council, the committee

[2:33:42] recommended was a true August recess. We did do a survey of cities in the county and

[2:33:50] the area, and most agencies quite frankly have a full August recess. Union City's practice

[2:33:56] has been to have one council meeting in the, one regular council meeting in the meeting

[2:34:00] of August, and so this would establish an August recess for the full month. Of course, the

[2:34:06] Council could always call a special meeting if needed.

[2:34:11] Next slide, please.

[2:34:15] Chapter three addresses the agenda standardizes

[2:34:19] a general compilation and is central location

[2:34:24] for publication deadlines and public distribution

[2:34:28] methods of information.

[2:34:30] The fourth chapter is conflict's liability and decorum.

[2:34:34] So, you know, this again just kind of reflects the existing laws as well as the numerous

[2:34:40] trainings the councils take including financial training, AB 1234, harassment prevention

[2:34:45] training, and additionally outlines how to address decorum or disruptions within the council

[2:34:53] chambers during meetings.

[2:34:55] Next slide please.

[2:35:01] Chapter 5 relates to administration.

[2:35:04] This outlines administrative support and function of the council.

[2:35:09] Restates the council manager form of government, which we operate under as a general law city, including reference to non interference and addresses nepotism related to hiring specifically that the council is prohibited from hiring family members to direct appointees and that's essentially the city manager in the city attorney.

[2:35:33] And then chapter six relates to communications and this identifies the process for interacting

[2:35:40] with the public council meetings.

[2:35:42] Establishes a standard two-minute public comment period subject to adjustment by the mayor,

[2:35:49] either upward or downward depending on circumstances.

[2:35:53] One aspect here is that moving forward should the council approve this.

[2:35:58] There would be a five-minute time limit for council member comments.

[2:36:01] and that's only before other council members have a chance to comment and the idea is to allow all of the council members a chance to

[2:36:07] To comment on an item before a prolonged comments from one particular council member

[2:36:13] The way that work and practice if one council member reach the five minute limit they would pause and the mayor would give other council members a chance to speak and then return to that council member if they had additional comments.

[2:36:24] That was something that the committee discussed and felt was a good idea and appropriate.

[2:36:29] Additionally, there's a provision addressing council member correspondence, particularly the use of a city letterhead to write letters or to the community or other individuals, particularly that the letter should not indicate that it is the position of the city unless it is truly the position of the city council.

[2:36:49] and that the council members are responsible for providing a copy to city staff for record attention purposes of the correspondence that was provided.

[2:37:02] Next slide please.

[2:37:08] Chapter 7 resolution ordinance is a minute order. It's really just memorializes state law and practices related to adoption of formal council actions.

[2:37:15] and then council committees this similarly just memorializes the process for

[2:37:20] establishment and appointment of various committees as well as a typical

[2:37:23] processes for the same. Next slide please.

[2:37:29] So I mentioned earlier that there is a

[2:37:32] provision in there that's highlighted for council discussion. The council provides

[2:37:36] direction to move forward. The provisional stay-in if the council provides direction

[2:37:40] to not include it. We would remove it administratively upon adoption of the proposed

[2:37:44] resolution. Essentially, there's a provision that is contained within the handbook and

[2:37:50] this was referred from the council earlier this year that the committee review and consider

[2:37:56] a possible policy that will enable members of the city council to reallocate unused year

[2:38:02] and or post engagement travel funds into discretionary accounts that could be provided to qualifying

[2:38:11] The way that the process of work is that if there was remaining unused travel funds, the council member would submit documentation city manager that would have to meet the qualifications of the proposed policy.

[2:38:24] If the use for a qualifying nonprofit met the proposed policy, the city manager would agendize it for a council consideration for approval of a budget amendment and transfer of the funds from the travel budget to.

[2:38:38] to the general fund grant budget to be allocated to the qualifying non-profit.

[2:38:45] It would still ultimately require council approval.

[2:38:47] The committee was unable to reach a consensus on this particular issue and referred it to the Council for Determination.

[2:38:57] Next slide, please.

[2:39:00] And so with that, the staff recommendation is to first determine whether it wants to allow the discretionary funds process for unused travel funds.

[2:39:08] and after that determination is made make a motion and to adopt a proposed resolution and certainly glad to answer any questions.

[2:39:19] Thank you, Chris.

[2:39:21] There was a member of the meeting, a long meeting.

[2:39:24] Thank you for all the work.

[2:39:26] Appreciate it.

[2:39:28] Let me ask the council member if they have any question for you or comment.

[2:39:33] Council, Vice Mayor Patigna?

[2:39:36] No, good work and I will be not recommending

[2:39:40] the use of discretionary funds.

[2:39:42] Right, Councilman Saquerque-Hara?

[2:39:46] Thank you, Mayor.

[2:39:46] Thank you to Chris and the Legend Policy Committee

[2:39:49] for working on this.

[2:39:51] I think I might have brought up the discretionary thing

[2:39:53] originally and after hearing or actually reading about

[2:39:57] the public services grant allocation process

[2:40:00] in our packet and then getting to hear about tonight.

[2:40:03] I think we do have a robust process that we've kind of built out to

[2:40:08] You know identify

[2:40:10] The needs in the city and then which nonprofits are you know in a good position to actually use funds

[2:40:17] So I actually think if we were gonna

[2:40:21] Put travel funds back into the general fund that we're unused rather than it being

[2:40:27] You know up to individual council member to prove all the board you could actually put it into

[2:40:33] which, again, I think I was the one who originally floated that idea, but I've

[2:40:38] think that it would make more sense to allocate it to the amount that we provide as part of

[2:40:46] the existing process, either every year, every other year, whenever that process happens.

[2:40:52] So it would just increase, right, if a council member put $2,000 back in, that it would just

[2:40:57] just increase that $315,000 or $245,000 or whatever we usually put in by $2,000, so that

[2:41:07] was my comment.

[2:41:09] Thank you.

[2:41:09] Okay.

[2:41:09] Consumment 1?

[2:41:13] No.

[2:41:13] I mean, no comments there.

[2:41:17] Consumment in the share?

[2:41:19] Did you say you're not comment?

[2:41:22] No.

[2:41:23] I mean, there's pretty good work, and I do not have a comment.

[2:41:26] There's lots of details here, so we need to follow that.

[2:41:33] Yes, I'm sorry, I didn't get, are you supporting? Yeah, I'd support it as written. Oh, I see, okay, all right.

[2:41:49] Okay, let's see.

[2:41:52] So, but I want to say that the, you know, the, I take your point what you're saying.

[2:42:01] but given the fact that our budget is very tight, there is no room whatsoever the way I see it and there is a lot more expense coming.

[2:42:14] I really don't know how we are going to cover $800,000 from the five department and $250,000 for the disbass service.

[2:42:22] I'm looking all around to maybe introduce those funding maybe next fiscal year to from $250,000 to $200, it depends how we do it.

[2:42:39] If we have the fund available, the revenue come in, I don't mind to give the funding away, but if we don't have it, we have to run as it like a business here.

[2:42:52] to keep the fire burning.

[2:42:55] That's the way I operate.

[2:42:58] So I think I would say that we

[2:43:05] do the old fashioned way,

[2:43:06] the way we were doing before,

[2:43:09] just whatever the money fund left

[2:43:11] just go back to the journal fund for now.

[2:43:15] And then we can read it again.

[2:43:16] If we have any additional funding,

[2:43:20] Who knows what the future holds, but for now, I think we're going to have to accept the fact that we need to put back money in the general fund.

[2:43:33] So motion is on the table already.

[2:43:37] Did you make the motion?

[2:43:38] I don't think there's a motion on the table, but could is there a motion on the table?

[2:43:42] No, but we also need to take public comment.

[2:43:44] Okay. Okay. There's anyone in the audience would like to speak now. Go ahead.

[2:43:59] Turn the microphone on, please.

[2:44:03] Good evening. So, um, helping things. First, the money with

[2:44:08] the child expenses, we went through this already. It seems to me that Patino always wants everybody's

[2:44:14] extra money. That needs to stop. So we don't ever need to revisit that. Just cut it out. Put it back

[2:44:20] grant general fund or something else useful to one of the 501Cs but don't give it back to

[2:44:27] Petina so he can go traveling and making more getting more endorsements from other people from

[2:44:34] other cities like in Texas and in Boston and wherever he happens to be and to I don't see how we

[2:44:41] can possibly cut fire no way no how because we never know when something's going to happen with all

[2:44:48] the dryness in this stage that we can't afford to use one fire station, one more fireman,

[2:44:58] cut, not one more dollar from.

[2:45:00] We need to keep them just as we need to keep PD. That's it. Thank you so much. All right. Anybody on the zoom? No raised hands mayor. Okay. All right. Thank you so much. Let's. Okay. He comes from an initiative. I made a motion already. So let's. Is there's a second? I don't think I made a motion. Did I make a motion? I don't think so. You didn't. Okay.

[2:45:28] You were saying you're supporting this I said it supported. Okay. That doesn't I don't I didn't I didn't

[2:45:34] Let's let's make a motion then somebody can

[2:45:38] Okay, uh

[2:45:40] We turn whether it won't well we already turn one allow no no we don't we want to take the report as is and we will not use unused travel funds

[2:45:50] uh

[2:45:51] To propose

[2:45:55] Okay, we will not allow the use of unused travel funds to be used for discretionary funding.

[2:46:02] That correct. Yeah, there we go.

[2:46:04] So we'll go back to the general fund.

[2:46:07] Is that correct?

[2:46:09] Yes, is that correct?

[2:46:11] Yes, I think the motion is to approve the council handbook with removal of the discretionary funds provision.

[2:46:16] Okay, is there a second?

[2:46:19] I second. Okay, roll call please. Council member Nishihita. Aye. Council member Sakehara. Aye.

[2:46:28] Council member Wang. Aye. Vice Mayor Patinio. Aye. And Mayor Singh. Aye. So motion passes unanimously.

[2:46:35] Thank you so much, guys. The next thing on the item on the agenda is number seven.

[2:46:44] number 8 is item referred by the City Council. Council member Nishihara, you go first.

[2:46:57] Thank you, Mayor. HRC meeting had July 22nd, nothing to report. And then July 22nd,

[2:47:06] same day, I joined WMA, sorry, waste management authority and energy council meeting. And there's nothing to report from that meeting either.

[2:47:16] Yeah. Okay. Thank you. Councilman one.

[2:47:20] Hey, may I have a nesting report? Yeah. Okay. Councilman Sarkar Kihaar.

[2:47:27] On the 22nd, the housing authority had a personal committee meeting for an hour to discuss

[2:47:34] the executive director's annual performance evaluation. And then we had a regular meeting,

[2:47:41] but unfortunately did not achieve quorum. So everything that we were going to do with that meeting

[2:47:46] has been, we heard it as informational items and we are not going to take a recess in August.

[2:47:52] We're going to meet in August to try to take action because our annual report that's due to the

[2:47:56] federal government is due. So we need to take action before September. That's it. Okay. Thank you.

[2:48:03] I've always met Patina.

[2:48:07] Yeah July 16th and 17th. I was in Redondo Beach,

[2:48:10] your CalCities Board of Directors meeting. We went over the budget, bills and legislature,

[2:48:15] positions on propositions and we received a legal update from the 17th to the 18th we piggybacked off the Cal City's board meeting with the Cal City's Latino caucus board meeting and we approved another so we approved our dates for other meetings, events were going to be doing and plans for the conference in September and also I'd just like to share that last week I was informed that I received the

[2:48:45] received in their two-year term to the Board of Directors National of the

[2:48:49] California cities. So some people may not like it but I guess they'll be going on

[2:48:54] some trips.

[2:48:58] Okay. Anything else? Okay. Myself, I attended the

[2:49:03] Alameda County Transportation Commission meeting where we received an

[2:49:08] informational presentation regarding the track restriction on 580.

[2:49:14] There were so many speakers about 30 speakers showed up that they were protesting, not having a big rig going on 580 because they have some statistics showing that on 880 and 580 every 300,000 people in the pollution is causing cancer.

[2:49:38] So it was a big concern there.

[2:49:41] So basically the discussion went on and on.

[2:49:45] It was just informational.

[2:49:47] There was no decision made.

[2:49:50] It has to.

[2:49:51] If they want to lift up the ban, the.

[2:49:55] The matter has to go to state.

[2:49:57] The state has the ban on there.

[2:49:59] So that was that was it for three hours anyhow.

[2:50:04] And that's all I have.

[2:50:05] Let's go with the Court of the Order, Vice Mayor Patina.

[2:50:10] Okay, thank you, Mr. Mayor, on the 14th, the 13th.

[2:50:14] I was in Los Angeles for the Nileo 50th Anniversary Conference.

[2:50:20] There, I met Governor, Governor O'Rill, Kennedy, Rosera.

[2:50:28] And that, on the 13th, we had, no, 5th, 14th.

[2:50:33] There was a reception held by the console generals of Mexico and Ireland. It was held at the Mexican console general's house. I attended that and I was actually interviewed by Chuck Rocha and Mike Woodridge on their radio station.

[2:50:48] So, and then I already mentioned the 16th through the 18th. I was at the Cal City's event but I flew back on the 19th over here to be at the FIFA watch party that was being thrown by a group of floor and Chevy's was in their parking lot that a big jumbo tron was pretty fun.

[2:51:05] A lot of people showed up, lots of food.

[2:51:09] Then this past week I was in Mexico City for the MAPA Summit, Mexican American Policy Alliance in Mexico City.

[2:51:17] I met with leaders in government, healthcare, education, and business from both sides of the border.

[2:51:23] We got to meet the chief of staff to President Shinebaum, the Mexican senators from Nuevo

[2:51:29] Leon and Yucatán, and former governor of the state of Mexico and former presidential

[2:51:35] candidate, Wachdemo Garlandas, and we also got to meet Secretary of the Mexican Ministry

[2:51:42] of Finance, Edgar Amador Zamora.

[2:51:46] And the purpose of this was to get state and local governments engaged with the Mexican

[2:51:51] in government and because we must be the ones to build the bridges with Mexico in order to

[2:51:58] be more prosperous and we can't wait for Washington to do to do anything because they haven't

[2:52:03] been doing it. So that's why this group has been formed. I was on one of the panels. I was happy

[2:52:09] to have helped plan this whole summit. And one thing, you know, some angry people,

[2:52:16] I was an angry person who was saying earlier was that my trips, well my trips, I pay a lot of amount of pocket, very little actually gets paid by the city.

[2:52:24] And because of these trips, I was able to save the $3.1 million project for Fire Station 31.

[2:52:32] That is verifiable. That is undisputable.

[2:52:34] Now, we would be $3.1 million more in the hole if I hadn't met these, made these contexts with shifts office.

[2:52:42] National League of Cities, Senator Badea, who actually got the project through, and it was my

[2:52:50] phone call that made it happen. It wasn't anybody else, even our lobbyists couldn't do it.

[2:52:56] So, I just want to make that clear, okay? So, enough from the Pina Gallery over there.

[2:53:02] All right, thank you.

[2:53:06] Consumers, that's how you heard?

[2:53:07] Nothing from me, ma'am.

[2:53:08] Okay. Councilman Wang.

[2:53:12] Yes. And so I just want to say, I mean, there are two things I need to announce

[2:53:18] and this Thursdays and General Counsel from the Philippines and it's going to come to the

[2:53:26] Union City and it's invited by the Chamber of Commerce of the Union City. So I also want to

[2:53:33] mention about those traveling. We need a business and come to the Union City. We need to have a

[2:53:38] last program, and last spring, and I went to visit the Vice Mayor and to the Washington D.C.

[2:53:47] We have a chance to meet the embassies of the Filipino embassies, and we talk about

[2:53:55] all the formal, the Korean, and the protocols. And also the new General Counsel, the Philippines,

[2:54:03] when he arrived to San Francisco wasting a week

[2:54:07] and he visited the Union City.

[2:54:10] We have so many Filipinos and people

[2:54:13] living in the Union City, which is a very help.

[2:54:16] And this person already be the Union City three times.

[2:54:20] This will bring lots of traffic and lots of business.

[2:54:23] And it's good for the city.

[2:54:25] I think it, yeah, I just want people to know.

[2:54:28] And also, because we have no meetings in August

[2:54:31] to and Sister City and Union City and Sister City will be the OXA 16 Sunday at 12 o'clock in

[2:54:39] the marketing center. Yeah, McWinds was in too. All right, thank you. Councilman Lee's here.

[2:54:46] All right, last Tuesday, I attended the BPAC meeting. Thank you, Mary Lou, for informing me and

[2:54:52] and letting me get there. National night out, I might not be able to make it. I have some scheduled

[2:55:01] Travel that may happen during that time, but it may not so you may see me may not I'll know more that day

[2:55:07] Thank you mayor for highlighting the work that daily bull does in our community

[2:55:12] Daily bull is celebrating ten years of operation. I think it's I like August 6th

[2:55:19] 2016 is when it incorporated

[2:55:21] So ten years just we just surpassed seven million pounds of food recovered for those of you don't who don't know what daily bull

[2:55:28] It does. It's a nonprofit based in Union City, serving Union City nonprofits that find sources

[2:55:36] of unwanted food and delivers it to agencies that feed people. It's a great mission, it's

[2:55:43] a great organization. We are celebrating 10 years on Saturday, September 26th, at 6.30

[2:55:55] you can get your tickets at dailybowl.org and also sponsorships are available.

[2:56:00] So that concludes my report.

[2:56:03] Thank you.

[2:56:04] Myself, we attended the S&N Festival.

[2:56:10] And we had our booth there for several, almost about 400 people there.

[2:56:16] And we appreciated our city staff and the police department there.

[2:56:23] somehow we hit and missed the fire department. I don't know what happened, but they were

[2:56:29] trying to get hold of someone from the fire department. They couldn't get hold of anybody.

[2:56:35] They called me and texted me and I didn't. I texted several times to the battalion chief

[2:56:42] David Nank. He never responded. Then I called the chief McDonald. He didn't respond. Then

[2:56:51] Then I went to the fire station on Central Avenue, around 11 o'clock, right to ring the

[2:56:57] bell.

[2:56:57] Nobody responded either.

[2:57:00] So it was very ironic.

[2:57:03] They were continued to ask me, hey, are they coming, are they coming?

[2:57:06] I said, I don't know.

[2:57:07] I don't have no answer.

[2:57:09] So I'm hoping next time somebody attend the festival.

[2:57:13] Well, it's a huge festival annual festival Saturday and Sunday last week of July, so that's all thank you so much.

[2:57:30] Yeah, there was another one time, Logan High School called the six sports.

[2:57:34] Yeah, there's a lot of people there and then I appreciate it.

[2:57:37] Consumbing with Jeff Wong, he helped me all day with the prepared the food.

[2:57:42] Poor guy.

[2:57:43] That's stuck with me all day. Thank you so much. All right. If there is no more

[2:57:49] business, I call this meeting to jar.

[2:57:53] Oh, it's, oh, it's exactly 10 o'clock. It's 9, 10. It's 10.

City Council / Successor Agency Regular Meeting - 07/28/2026

Transcript