1 MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL - SPECIAL MEETING (WORKSHOP)
CITY OF BANNING, CALIFORNIA
May 14, 2025 Council Chambers
6:30 p.m. 99 E. Ramsey Street
In Chambers Banning, CA 92220
The following information comprises the minutes for the special meeting of the Banning City Council, a joint meeting of the City Council and Banning Utility Authority, and the Banning City Council sitting in its capacity as the Banning Successor Agency Board.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Council Member Cynthia Barrington Mayor Sheri Flynn
Council Member Leroy Miller
Mayor Pro Tem Richard Royce
Council Member Colleen Wallace
COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: None
OTHERS PRESENT: John O. Pinkney, City Attorney
Robert Fisher, Acting City Manager
Vickie Sellers, City Clerk
Caroline Patton, Administrative City Clerk
1. CALL TO ORDER – 6:31 P.M.
ROLL CALL
COUNCIL MEMBER PRESENT ABSENT
Barrington, Cynthia X
Flynn, Sheri X
Miller, Leroy X
Royce, Richard X
Wallace, Colleen X
2. PUBLIC COMMENTS - Agenda Items Only
Virginia Cervantes, expressed concern about vulnerable individuals within the homeless population, noting signs of possible human trafficking. She emphasized that some homeless individuals need help but don’t know how to access it, while others struggling with addiction may 2 pose safety risks. She urged attention to both public safety and support services and thanked them.
Daniel Pourter, congratulated Mayor Flynn on her recent appointment to Mayor and stated that he represented Banning-based Faith in Action. He emphasized that many of the local homelessness issues stem from misunderstandings and a great problem. He urged the Council to consider a local organization to assist since they are the ones hitting the ground and are familiar with the city’s homeless population.
Mario Carlos, asked several questions about the coordination of services, resource integration, and agency partnerships. He emphasized the need to understand how partnerships can better support individuals with severe substance use disorders, especially when detox services are unavailable for days. He expressed concern about maintaining engagement and safety for individuals navigating insurance barriers and delays in accessing detox treatment. He noted that in 2024, 95 individuals were discharged, and nine required detox, highlighting the complexity and prevalence of substance-related issues in the community. He thanked the council for raising these issues and expressing interest in finding a way to address the issues.
David Kieffer, shared that he had recently spent time speaking with Mario Carlos, Acting Director of Opportunity Village, to better understand the current conditions and concerns. He expressed difficulty with the meeting procedure, noting that public comments occur before the scheduled presentation, leaving them without enough information to ask meaningful questions. He asked whether the public would have an opportunity to ask questions after the presentation, stating that many attendees would benefit from that option.
Kathy Aranda, identified herself as a crisis counselor and emphasized the importance of compassion, both for people experiencing homelessness and for hard-working residents, families, and children who must navigate unsafe or unpredictable situations in the community. She noted that while compassion is important, any homeless individual who struggles with violence, addiction, and instability creates safety concerns for police and residents. She stated that current approaches are not working and asked for a different strategy that balances compassion and community safety.
Jacqueline Renteria expressed concerns about inappropriate behavior near schools by homeless individuals. She highlighted her own hard work as a single mother without government assistance.
She questioned the lack of transparency in the current homeless program outcomes at Opportunity Village and called for clearer reporting on how many participants have achieved stable housing or employment.
Luke Gregory described long-standing challenges with homelessness, noting that many individuals refuse help due to not wanting rules, while others struggle with mental illness or addiction and require significant resources the city does not have. He shared this personal experience with his son’s mental health and addiction issues, explaining that the Village program, while not perfect, provided meaningful support during crisis. He emphasized that homelessness solutions require substantial resources, that no single program will solve everything. He urged the city to focus on approaches that genuinely help rather than on ones that do not.
Armando Martinez asked council members and the audience how many of them personally see the growing number of homeless individuals in town. He stressed that residents encounter this daily and cannot ignore it. He urged the council to recognize the severity of the problem. 3 3. WORKSHOP
3.1 PRESENTATION BY SOCIAL WORK ACTION GROUP (“SWAG”). CITY COUNCIL TO
PROVIDE DIRECTION TO STAFF ON WHETHER TO MOVE FORWARD WITH
NEGOTIATING A CONTRACT WITH SWAG TO PROVIDE HOMELESS SERVICES
WITHIN THE CITY OF BANNING
Aaron, Monica, and David, from Social Work Action Group (SWAG), provided a presentation.
Council questions:
Councilmember Wallace asked SWAG to provide documentation of their organization, including bylaws and governing documents. She also asked how long it takes to get a homeless individual off the street into treatment and to differentiate the difference between SWAG and Opportunity Village, noting SWAG is a street team. She also asked when SWAG began partnering with Banning PD.
Councilmember Barrington asked SWAG to list the organizations they partner with. She asked if they would be able to partner with the current organizations in the community.
Mayor Flynn asked SWAG whether they would apply for grant funding through the new program announced by the State.
Robert Fisher, Acting City Manager, provided a staff report surrounding the current situation of homelessness in the city of Banning, including Opportunity Village.
Council questions:
Councilmember Wallace asked how SWAG would be funded.
Mayor Pro Tem Royce asked how much has already come out of the general fund.
Councilmember Miller confirmed that it was from the general fund.
Mayor Flynn opened public comment
The speaker (name) requested clarification that a homeless individual living on private land with the owner’s permission is not violating any new rules. He emphasized that if a person is not stealing, not breaking the law, and an American citizen, that individual deserves to be treated fairly until they can join an assistance program.
David Kieffer, questioned how the City will address situations where outside groups, such as Faith In Action, are providing services that may not fully align with the City’s approach. He asked how these efforts can work together without stopping the groups from doing their work.
He also noted concerns about limited staffing, explaining that the City lacks sufficient staffing.
He is highlighting that one staff member has to remain at Opportunity Village and cannot conduct street outreach. He emphasized that the current approach being presented is what is already behind done.
Jaqueline Renteria expressed support of SWAG for using qualified social workers, transparency, and accountability for being willing to present their documents and bylaws.
She expressed concern about spending $3 million on housing without strong standards and stated that programs like SWAG, which show clear transparency and real work in the community, should be considered.
4 Kathy Aranda, agreed with the speaker before her, encouraging the council to move forward without further delay and to begin working with SWAG.
Virgina Cervantes encouraged the city to bring all the local service providers together, along with council members, police, and code enforcement to coordinate efforts and understand that each group needs to be effective. She emphasized that collaboration will improve resident safety, especially for vulnerable neighbors, and urged the City to explore available grants so all groups can work toward the same goal of addressing homelessness.
Rhonda, noted that many previous meetings have involved multiple groups, but each operates independently and problems appear to be worsening. She expressed uncertainty about whether the current proposal will be effective and asked if funding, specifically money spent on employees for Opportunity Village, will be sufficient to support the new program.
Kathleen Dale, expressed concern about the increasing disorder and homelessness, particularly on the north side of the freeway where individuals are living on sidewalks and blocking pedestrian access. She noted frequent issues near Highland Springs and Walmart and suggested the need for coordinated response between the City, local businesses and the County. She emphasized that there are resources already in place and it should not be the city’s job to provide housing.
Juanita Diaz expressed support for the proposed approach and encouraged the community to set aside personal feelings and give the new council a fair chance. She noted that the past strategies over the last seven years have not worked and emphasized the need for unity, maturity, and openness to change. She acknowledged that some people may resist or undermine the effort, including some churches or individuals, but she believes many residents love the city and are committed to positive change. She urged the community to allow the new council and staff the opportunity to do their jobs before judging the outcome.
Luke Gregory, expressed that police resources are dominated by daily homeless-related calls, leaving little capacity for traffic enforcement and other safety needs. He noted frequent speeding and major accidents on Ramsey and questioned whether the city has enough officers. He also raised concerns about rising costs and urged the city to reassess priorities for the whole community.
Edward Espinosa stated that the City’s main issues are the misconduct of transients on the street, including defecation, drug use, and blocking streets. He said many local businesses are affected and some unintentionally encourage transients by providing food, water or restroom access. He believes SWAG can help address the problem.
Mayor Flynn closed public comment.
Representatives from SWAG spoke to respond to comments and questions.
Council discussion:
Councilmember Miller noted that there is a serious problem in Banning and there is a need for intervention but commented on needing to look at the City’s finances before committing them to a contract and allow Faith in Action to provide a presentation for equal opportunity.
Councilmember Barrington agreed that she would like to see Faith in Action present their proposal for equal opportunity, noting that FIA and SWAG do two different things. She noted 5 the spending on staffing for Opportunity Village and suggested there may be funding to hire SWAG.
Mayor Pro Tem Royce agreed with his colleagues and noted that there will be spending either way but commented on the importance of hiring individuals who are properly equipped.
He encouraged the idea of speaking with the State to change the allocation of the funding towards paying for SWAG.
Councilmember Wallace agreed with Mr. Miller, noting that she would like to see stats and monies, and police calls.
Mayor Flynn commented that conferences that she attended the topics are often centered around housing. She mentioned being contacted by businesses who have said their store fronts are inundated with homeless individuals. She mentioned that while there is no discussion of funding currently, providing directions to negotiate a contract is a part of the discussion.
Motion to adjourn the meeting made by Mayor Flynn and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Royce.
Motion carried unanimously 5-0.
4. ADJOURNMENT – 8:51 p.m.
Next regular meeting – May 27, 2025
Prepared by: Amanda Morgan, Program Coordinator
Reviewed and submitted by:
Sandra Calderon, Acting Deputy City Clerk.
These minutes have been prepared as Summary Minutes in accordance with City Council Resolution 2025-22 and Government Code Sections 36814, 40801, and 54953(c)(2).
The entire discussion of this meeting may be viewed here:
https://banningca.granicus.com/player/clip/202?view_id=1&redirect=true