THE CITY COUNCIL/CALEXICO COMMUNITY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY SUCCESSOR
AGENCY/CALEXICO FINANCING AUTHORITY/PLANNING COMMISSION MET IN REGULAR SESSION ON THE 2 DAY OF JULY 2025 AT 5:30 P.M. AT THE FERNANDO "NENE" TORRES COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 608 HEBER AVENUE, CALEXICO, CALIFORNIA. THE DATE, HOUR AND PLACE DULY ESTABLISHED FOR THE HOLDING OF SAID MEETING.
CLOSED SESSION - 5:30 PM
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Nuricumbo called the closed session portion of the meeting to order at 5:32 p.m.
ROLL CALL
PRESENT:
Mayor: Diana Nuricumbo
Mayor Pro Tem: Victor Legaspi
Council Member: Adriana Marquez
ABSENT:
Council Member: Lisa Tylenda - arrived at 5:41 p.m.
Council Member: Lorenzo Calderon
PUBLIC COMMENTS
The following person(s) provided public comments to council: Raul Ureña.
ADJOURN TO CLOSE SESSION
City Council adjourned to closed session at 5:42 p.m. to discuss the following:
1. PUBLIC EMPLOYEE APPOINTMENT
Title: Interim City Manager and City Manager
2. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6
Agency Representatives: Armando Orozco, Interim City Manager, Carlos Campos, City Attorney Employee Organizations: Calexico Municipal Employees Association, Calexico Firefighters Association, Certified Operators Association/SEIU Local 221, Calexico Police Officers Association, Supervisors Association, Calexico City Management Association.
3. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6
Agency Representative: Armando Orozco, Interim City Manager and City Attorney Unrepresented Employees: City Clerk, Community Service Director, Associate Civil Engineer, Planning & Building Services Director, City Engineer, Finance Director, Assistant City Manager/Director of Community & Economic Development, Community & Economic Development Director, City Attorney, Police Chief, Public Works Director/City Engineer, and Fire Chief
The City Council reconvened from close session at 6:40 p.m.
CALEXICO CITY COUNCIL/CALEXICO REDEVELOPMENT SUCCESOR
AGENCY /CALEXICO FINANCE AUTHORITY/PLANNING COMMISSION
OPEN SESSION - 6:30 P.M.
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES PAGE |2 JULY 2, 2025
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Nuricumbo called the open session portion of the meeting to order at 6:43 p.m.
ROLL CALL
PRESENT:
Mayor: Diana Nuricumbo
Mayor Pro Tem: Victor Legaspi
Council Member: Lisa Tylenda
Council Member: Adriana Marquez
ABSENT:
Council Member: Lorenzo Calderon
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.
INVOCATION: Pastor Ceceña led those present in prayer.
CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENTS
City Attorney Carlos Campos stated there was no reportable action.
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi, seconded by Council Member Tylenda to approve the agenda. Motion passed unanimously.
ANNOUNCEMENTS - None
PUBLIC COMMENTS AND PUBLIC APPEARANCES
The following person(s) provided public comments to council: Maria Silva, Eugenio Ramos, Christine Wong Ramirez, Annaka Penner-Smith, Carmina Bosmenier, Claudia Martinez Robles, Kathia Olivas, Jesus Navarro, Kimberly Palacio, Joong S. Kim, David Saunders, Pat Ureña, Raul Ureña, Alexis Rangel, and Carmen Estrada.
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT
Interim City Manager Orozco reported on the following: the Library hosted a Men's Health Panel; the Family Summer Reading Program has 350 people who have registered; the Calexico Fire Department provided a fire safety presentation to residents at the Library; the two newly hired police officers responded to a stolen vehicle call, which entailed a small mini pursuit and recovered two stolen vehicles; the new vehicles and motorcycles for the police department have arrived; the department is also updating the training programs and move to have training in-house; the department also hosted the Multiple Assault Counterterrorism Action Capabilities (MACTAC) Training, which is an active shooter training and was held at San Diego State University; on July 8th the police department will be hosting a safety fair; the Police Advisory, Traffic & Code Enforcement Commission met on July 1st; on June 30th a townhall meeting regarding the meters was held; the Planning Department is working on programs and projects beneficial for the city; the Public Works Department conducted cleaning operations on Third and Paulin and on July 18th will be start a downtown cleaning schedule; the Calexico Fire Department conducted a fire safety training with the Mexican Consulate; also hosted a debrief meeting regarding the hazardous material incident at O'Reilly and announced that four firefighters had been deployed to San Bernardino to assist with the Wolf Fire and today they returned safely; the Parks and Recreation Department is running a successful summer program and will hold a Community Services Commission meeting next Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
COMMISSIONER'S REPORT
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Patricia Ureña, Community Services Commission, announced the commission's next meeting which will be on Wednesday July 9th and agenda items are on the city's website for the public to review before the meeting.
Stacy Yvette Olguin, Library Board of Trustees, provided a report on the library programs, activities and upcoming events.
CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS AND REPORTS OF MEETINGS ATTENDED
Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi attended the following meetings: the Binational Relations Committee meeting; the first Christmas parade meeting hosted by the Recreation Manager and this year's theme is Christmas Joy Around the World; the second meeting for the 30-day no camping ordinance along with Council Member Marquez; the Fire Department safety presentation at the Camarena Library with Council Member Marquez, and also the Police Advisory, Traffic & Code Enforcement Commission meeting.
Council Member Tylenda began by addressing some misinformation and conspiracy theories circulating in the community. Council Member Tylenda stated the following: some people claim the city's budget has been balanced for the past five years and that is not true. Last year, the previous council instructed the city manager to include a water rate increase in the budget, and that is what we encountered this year; the council gives direction to the city manager, who then guides staff, staff carries out those instructions and provides recommendations; in 2022, Calexico was ranked the second riskiest city in California by the State Auditor's Office-up from fifth, so this does not mean we are doing well with our finances; clarified that while privatization of services was mentioned, it's just one idea, no decisions have been made, and any changes require a majority vote from the council; as a council member, they have a duty to ask questions, request information to present to the public and research different options; some people compare Calexico's water rates to smaller towns like Calipatria and Niland, which have high rates due to their small populations, Calexico has about 6,000, and it's unclear whether privatization would be more expensive, that is why more information is needed before making decisions; spreading assumptions without facts is misleading and the council needs to explore all options, not just raising water rates to improve the city's budget; questions about CaPERS and privatization are valid, many cities, counties, and agencies consider these options; the importance of working together and hopefully restore the city's JPIA insurance.
Council Member Marquez reported on the following items: has been to budget review meetings and special meetings in order to approve the budget; was able to meet personally with the Finance Director in which her budget questions were answered; met with Planning Director Coyne and Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi regarding new plans and new developments for the city; met with commissioner Pat Urena to discuss the lack of cooling zones for our community, stating that throughout the Imperial Valley those are already in place and we need to start planning this way before summer arrives; regarding special events, reached out to a council member of the City of Imperial who offered guidance and they're bouncing back ideas on how they can develop these calendar of events for the city; attended the first Christmas Parade meeting and thanked the Recreation Department Manager; attended the Safety Presentation at the Camarena Memorial Library, people of all ages attended and were very engaged and very happy. It was a very nice community event and thanked the Police and Fire Departments.
Mayor Nuricumbo addressed public concerns about privatizing the water and appreciates the opportunity to clarify misunderstandings; last year the biggest issue for residents was the increase in water rates - more than even the recall efforts; water and trash rates were top concerns for citizens during the campaign; IID also raised its fees, adding pressure during tough economic times; in the previous city budget (before the current council the water rate increase was included, which was used to balance the budget - even before SB218 was passed; this year's proposed budget also includes the water rate increase and that is the reason Council Member Tylenda and herself are opposing it due to the increase not being approved; no one on the council is trying to raise water rates, they are trying to keep them low or if possible, reduce them and that is the reason privatization was brought up as an option—not a decision; as council promised change, they should be thinking outside the box and explore new ways to improve services; emphasized that they represent the citizens, not staff, and while staff members may live in Calexico, the council's priority is the broader public interest; appreciates that some employees from the water plant attended and are open to discussion; stressed the need to improve operations and reduce costs; the water and wastewater departments are considered enterprise, which means they have to run like a private company and are expected to manage their own revenues and expenses keeping the money they collect from services and it has to be used to cover costs like CITY COUNCIL MINUTES PAGE | 4 JULY 2, 2025
employee salaries, benefits, chemicals, and other operational needs; the water department was recently fined and there hasn't been any new solutions proposed but yet we want to increase the rates and staff pay; the council's role is to ask tough questions on behalf of the citizen; the aim is not to raise rates, it is to maintain or lower them if possible, and that is why other options are being considered; as Council Member Tylenda stated, the decision will ultimately be made by a majority vote; they have to look at other options, because things are not working the way they currently are.
CONSENT AGENDA
Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi stated he will be abstaining from Item No. 5.
Motion was made by Mayor Nuricumbo, seconded by Council Member Tylenda to pull Items No. 5 and 6 for discussion and approve Items No. 4, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 from the consent agenda consisting of the following: Approval of City Council/Calexico Community Redevelopment Agency Successor Agency/Calexico Finance Authority/Planning Commission Minutes for Meetings of June 4, 2025 and June 18, 2025; Authorize Interim City Manager or his Designee to Sign a Work-Study Contract Agreement with Imperial Valley College (IVC) for Fiscal Year 2025-26; Approval of Mutual Aid Agreement C5612845 Between the Calexico Fire Department and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation - Centinela State Prison; Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Calexico Ratifying the Submittal of Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) Application in the Amount of $681,000 with a Local Match of $89,000 (Measure "D"), Project Milestone Dates, and Timely Use of Funds for Cole Road between SR-98 and Bowker Road Rehabilitation Project; Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Calexico Ratifying the Submittal of Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) Application in the Amount of $1,591,000 with a Local Match of $207,000 (Measure "D"), Project Milestone Dates, and Timely Use of Funds for Encinas Avenue between SR-98 and 2nd Street Rehabilitation Project; Second Reading and Adoption of an Ordinance Establishing an Automatic Two-Year Extension for Active and Recently Lapsed Non-Cannabis Discretionary Project Approvals.
Motion passed unanimously.
ITEMS PULLED FROM CONSENT FOR DISCUSSION
ITEM NO. 5 AUTHORIZE INTERIM CITY MANAGER TO SIGN AND FILE NOTICE OF COMPLETION FOR ADRIAN C. CORDOVA MEMORIAL PARK-PHASE I.
Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi recused himself from Item No. 5 and left the council chambers at 7:53 p.m.
The following person(s) provided public comments to council: Raul Ureña.
Motion was made by Mayor Nuricumbo, seconded by Council Member Tylenda, to approve Item No. 5. Motion passed unanimously (Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi abstained).
Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi rejoined the session at 8:02 p.m.
ITEM NO. 6 AUTHORIZE INTERIM CITY MANAGER TO SIGN AND FILE NOTICE OF COMPLETION FOR ALLEY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT-PHASE II.
Motion was made by Mayor Nuricumbo, seconded by Council Member Tylenda, to approve Item No. 6. Motion passed unanimously.
DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS
ITEM NO. 12 INTRODUCE AND CONDUCT FIRST READING BY TITLE ONLY, OF AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CALEXICO MUNICIPAL CODE SECTIONS 10.28.070 AND 10.28.185 RELATED TO
THE REGULATION OF PARKING METERS AND COUNCIL APPROVAL OF ACTION REPORT ON THE IMPLEMENTATION TO RE-ESTABLISH THE DOWNTOWN METERS.
Motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi, seconded by Council Member Tylenda, to approve Item No. 12.
Motion passed unanimously.
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ITEM NO. 13 HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE WORKSHOP - CONSIDERATION OF POTENTIAL REZONE SITES FOR THE SIXTH CYCLE HOUSING ELEMENT RESIDENTIAL SITES INVENTORY.
Presentation by the Planning & Building Director provided brief presentation.
Motion was made by Council Member Tylenda, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi, to approve Item No. 13.
Motion passed unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARING
ITEM NO. 14. PUBLIC HEARING ON A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
CALEXICO VACATING A PORTION OF FRONTAGE ROAD (BIRCH STREET) BETWEEN EADY
AVENUE AND LACY AVENUE AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO QUITCLAIM SAID PORTION TO THE CALEXICO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT.
Mayor Nuricumbo opened the Public Hearing at 8:30 p.m.
The Planning & Building Director provided an overview of the item.
The following person(s) provided public comments to council: Luis Alatorre and Wendy Rangel.
Mayor Nuricumbo closed the public comment portion of the hearing at 8:36 p.m.
Motion was made by Council Member Tylenda, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi to approve Item No. 14. Motion passed unanimously
INFORMATIONAL ITEMS
ITEM NO. 15. ACTION REPORT FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF A REVISED PROCEDURE FOR SCHEDULING FUNERAL PROCESSIONS.
ITEM NO. 16 INFORMATIONAL ITEM: MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE FOR PRESSURE WASHING ALLEYS AND SIDEWALKS DOWNTOWN.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi requested the following items: bring back the tabled item on the proposed Capital Improvement Implementation for first meeting in September; next council meeting, status update regarding cannabis licenses - are all proper documents current and is everything flowing smoothly; is the cooling zone online? Council Member Tylenda requested the following items: for September meeting an item on the agenda regarding the RFP that were received for the forensic audit; an information item in September of the timeline for the fee study, when the RFP will be released and so forth.
Council Member Marquez requested the following items: update report on the cannabis businesses regarding monitoring, inspection and developing a plan; information on cooling zones; update report on the graffiti - reporting it and making sure we're moving forward.
Mayor Nuricumbo requested the following items: on the next agenda for the July 16th meeting, an item for discussion possible action by council and public input regarding going out to bid for engineering services for the Cordova Park situation. The main purpose is to have a professional assess the current situation that we have, what can be done, how much money we have and what can be done; an item for discussion to modify our ordinance or policy - adding a beautification component to our new developments; initiate a discussion on the budget policy timeline - when we should start working on it, any methodology we want to use or if we just want to leave that to the city manager's discretion. If a policy exists, present it and if not, we should look into creating one.
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ADJOURNMENT
Motion was made by Council Member Tylenda, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Legaspi to adjourn meeting. Motion passed unanimously.
Meeting adjourned at 8:48 p.m.
Dalit
Diana Nuricumbo, Mayor
ATTEST:
Veronica Luna-Alvarado, City Clerk