10/21/2025 City Council Minutes Page 1 of 8
MINUTES OF THE DAVIS CITY COUNCIL
Meeting of October 21, 2025
The City Council of the City of Davis met in regular meeting session beginning at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Chambers, 23 Russell Boulevard, Davis, California. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Bapu Vaitla.
Roll Call: Councilmembers Present: Josh Chapman, Linda Deos, Donna Neville, Glo- ria Partida, Bapu Vaitla
Councilmembers Absent: None
Other Officers Present: City Manager Daryel Dunston, City Attorney Inder Khalsa, City Clerk Zoe Mirabile
Approval of
Agenda
L. Deos moved, seconded by J. Chapman, to approve the agenda. Mo- tion passed unanimously.
Ceremonial
Presentations
Ceremonial Presentations of Proclamations:
A. Recognizing October 24 as United Nations Day, presented by B. Vaitla B. Recognizing October 24 as World Polio Day, presented by D. Neville C. Recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness and Preven- tion Month, presented by G. Partida
D. Recognizing October as Filipino American History Month, presented by J. Chapman
E. Recognizing Second Monday in October as Indigenous Peoples Day, presented by L. Deos
City Council recessed at 6:54 p.m. and reconvened at 7:07 p.m.
City Manager
Announce-
ments
City Manager Daryel Dunston : October 25—Fire Department Open House at Fire Station 31. October 26 —Zombie Bike Ride and activities.
October 27 —Domestic Violence Awareness and Prevention forum at Senior Center. October 31 —General Plan Update Survey closes. No- vember 2—Daylight Savings Time ends.
City Council
Announce-
ments and Li-
aison Reports
None
Public Com-
ments
• Dorte Jensen: Beth Bourne attended Hate Free Together Summit to protest event; was told incorrect start time for event by city staff. 10/21/2025 City Council Minutes Page 2 of 8
• Beth Bourne: Moms for Liberty Yolo County signed up to be a partner with Hate Free Together , did not receive invitation to Hate Free To- gether Summit. Unable to protest when participants arrived at Sum- mit because was told incorrect start time.
• Alan Miller: October 7, 2025—student chanting at UC Davis campus of violence against Jews and Israel. Need to acknowledge that hate speech is happening. Should be condemned by UC Davis and City. • Ning Wan: Support free speech.
• Yana Manuhanu: Thank Council for recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day. Nation has made many improvements to regulations regarding indigenous peoples. Important for government and organizations to be aware of Indigenous Child Welfare Act.
• Andrea Himastein: Oppose Village Farms project.
• Alan Hirsch: I -80 improvement project will be a long-standing con- struction and transportation impact.
• Connor Gorman: Consent calendar item Human Relations Commis- sion Action Item—oppose new policy that requires Council to approve commission actions. Commissions should be independent of Council and staff in terms of work and what they focus on. Civil Rights Ordi- nance is within scope of Commission.
• Rick Monise: Respite Center should be reopened. Need winter shel- ter, consider High School Gym location.
Consent Cal-
endar
Amendment #1 to On Call Engineering Services Agreement Task Order #34 for Construction Support Services for Central Park Revitalization Project, CIP No. ET0004
Approve Resolution No. 25-148 – Authorizing the City Manager to Execute Amendment #1 to Task Order 34 with WSP for Construction Manage- ment and Inspection Services for the Central Park Revitalization Project
Rejection of Bids – 2025 Annual Re-Striping Maintenance Project, CIP No. ET7256
Approve Resolution No. 25-149 – Rejecting All Bids for the 2025 Annual Re-Striping Maintenance Project
Yolo Basin Foundation Interpretive Public Art Project
Approve Resolution No. 25-150 – Authorizing the City Manager to Exe- cute an Agreement with Yolo Basin Foundation for Implementation of Public Art in Connection with the Wastewater Treatment Plant Public Art Initiative
Amendment #2 to Contract to Purchase Artwork for the N Street Park Public Art Stage Project
Approve Resolution No. 25-151 – Authorizing the City Manager to Exe- cute Amen dment #2 to the Contract to Purchase Artwork with Cjay Roughgarden for N Street Park
10/21/2025 City Council Minutes Page 3 of 8
Adoption of the 2025 California Building Standards and Fire Codes
1. Approve Resolution No. 25-152 – Approving Findings to Support Lo- cal Modifications to the Standards Contained in the 2025 California Building Standards Code, which Includes the 2025 California Fire Code, and Directing the City Clerk to Schedule a Public Hearing on November 18, 2025, and Publish a Notice for the Adoption of the 2025 California Building Standards Code Including the 2025 California Fire Code in Accordance with State Law
2. Introduce Ordinance Repealing and Replacing Article 8.01 of Chapter 8 of the Davis Municipal Code, and Adopting by Reference Part 2 Building Code, Part 2.5 Residential Code, Part 3 Electrical Code, Part 4 Mechanical Code, Part 5 Plumbing Code, Part 7 Wildland -Urban Interface Code, Part 8 Historic Building Code, Part 9 Fire Code, Part 10 Existing Building Code, and Part 11 Green Standards Code, In- cluding Related Appendices, as Identified, of the California Code of Regulations Title 24, 2025 Edition of the California Building Stand- ards Code and Marking Certain Additions and Amendments Thereto Through Express Finding of Local Necessity
3. Introduce Ordinance Repealing and Replacing Article 13.01 of Chap- ter 13 of the Davis Municipal Code, and Adopting by Reference the California Fire Code, Including Related Appendices, as Identified, of the California Code of Regulations Title 24, 2025 Edition Part 9 of the California Building Standards Code and Marking Certain Additions and Amendments Thereto Through Express Finding of Local Neces- sity
Davis Appointment to the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District
Reappoint Dr. Christopher Barker to the Sacramento-Yolo Mosquito and Vector Control District as the city representative from Davis for a four year term.
Commission Minutes:
1. Fiscal Commission Meetings of June 4 and August 6, 2025
2. Open Space and Habitat Commission Meeting of September 8, 2025
3. Police Accountability Commission Meeting of September 8, 2025
4. Transportation Commission Meeting of September 8, 2025 Informational
D. Neville moved, seconded by J. Chapman, to approve the consent cal- endar. Motion passed unanimously.
Removed
from Consent
Calendar
Item removed by G. Partida.
10/21/2025 City Council Minutes Page 4 of 8
Human Rela-
tions Com-
mission Ac-
tion Item: Pro-
posal for Ad-
ditional
2025/2026
Commission
Workplan
Tasks
Community Relations Program Manager Carrie Dyer: Overview of com- mission proposals.
Public comment:
• Kevin Baker: Serve on commission and support proposal. City Coun- cil should protect civil rights. Allow people to be heard and resolve problem at an early stage.
• Ning Wan: Support civil rights.
• Beth Bourne: Commission should focus on women’s rights. • Dorte Jensen: Commission scope should include discrimination based on political viewpoints.
• Alan Miller: Commission agendas often include an item on hate inci- dents. Jewish residents do not support Commission actions. Council should consider dissolving commission.
J. Chapman moved, seconded by L. Deos, to approve the proposed task of reviewing the Human Relations Commission webpage and making recommendations for content, resource, and accessibility updates. Mo- tion passed unanimously.
D. Neville moved, seconded by J. Chapman, to p ause the proposal to develop an action plan addressing the Commission’s duties under the Civil Rights Ordinance, Chapter 10, until the City Attorney’s review of Chapter 10 is completed and the Cit y Council takes action on any rec- ommended updates.
B. Vaitla proposed a Friendly Amendment: Interested in what other H u- man Relation Commissions are doing in other jurisdictions; consider rel- evancy to Civil Rights Ordinance and potential updates. Not accepted.
Motion passed unanimously.
B. Vaitla moved, seconded by J. Chapman, to request the Human Rela- tions Commission establish a subcommittee to look at effectiveness of other Human Relation Commissions in California in comparable jurisdic- tions to address civil rights investigations.
D. Neville proposed a Friendly Amendment: Determine source of author- ity for investigations. Accepted by mover and second.
Motion passed unanimously.
Appointments
to Advisory
Commissions;
Formation
Public comments:
• Ning Wan: Support community engagement
10/21/2025 City Council Minutes Page 5 of 8
and Appoint-
ment to Gen-
eral Plan
Committee
• Connor Gorman: Support commission appointments and increasing membership back to standard structure. Support General Plan Com- mittee and General Plan Update discussions at commissions. Con- sider additional public at large members on Committee.
D. Neville moved, seconded by G. Partida, to Approve Resolution No. 25-153 – Forming a General Plan Committee and Establishing Its Pur- pose, Function, Composition and Administration, and appointing 13 members from 6 commissions. Motion passed unanimously.
City Council recessed at 8:09 p.m. and reconveyed at 8:14p.m.
City Council submitted votes to appoint members to commissions via chart. Staff compiled the votes and read off the final tally for the record.
Fiscal Commission
2 Regular (6/30/2029); 1 Alternate (6/30/2027)
Commission
Applicants JC LD DN GP BV TOTAL APPOINT
Hough, Heather R R R R R 5R Regular
Oquenda, Zachariah 0
Sapoznikow, Michael A A A A A 5A Alternate
Vink, Erik R R R R R 5R Regular
Police Accountability Commission
2 Regular (6/30/2027)
Commission
Applicants JC LD DN GP BV TOTAL APPOINT
Oquenda, Zachariah R R R R R 5R Regular
Lerner, Sicily R R R R R 5R Regular
J. Chapman moved, seconded by D. Neville, as follows:
1. Appoint members to Fiscal Commission (2 regular, 1 alternate) and Police Accountability Commission (2 regular) as noted above.
2. Reinstate the standard commission membership (7 regular members and 1 alternate; temporarily reduced to 5 regular and 1 alternate dur- ing recruitment efforts) and quorum requirements (quorum of 5; tem- porarily reduced to 3).
Motion passed unanimously.
10/21/2025 City Council Minutes Page 6 of 8
Public Hear-
ing: 2025
Omnibus
Zoning Ordi-
nance and
Municipal
Code Amend-
ments
Associate Planner Thomas McNairn: Amendments to various sections of the Zoning Ordinance to maintain consistency with State regulations and reflect current city policies and requirements.
Mayor Vaitla opened the public hearing.
• Alan Miller: Tomatoes in lobby
• Alan Hirsch: Need enforcement mechanism for tree requirements.
Mayor Vaitla closed the public hearing.
L. Deos moved, seconded by D. Neville, as follows:
1. Introduce Ordinance Amending Various Sections of Chapter 40 of the Davis Municipal Code to Update and Clarify the Provisions of the Zoning Ordinance to Create a More Streamlined Approach to Entitle- ment Processing and to Remain Consistent with the State of Califor- nia Requirements
2. Introduce Ordinance Amending Various Sections of Chapters 8, 34, 36 and 37 of the Davis Municipal Code to Update and Clarify the Pro- visions of the Davis Municipal Code to Create a More Streamlined Approach to Entitlement Processing and to Remain Consistent with the State of California Requirements
Motion passed unanimously.
Affordable
Housing Pro-
duction – Im-
plementation
of Davis Mu-
nicipal Code
Article 18.05
Social Services & Housing Director Dana Bailey: Article 18.05 operation- alizes the City’s Housing Element goals and implements policies for own- ership and rental developments to meet housing need s of very-low and low-income households.
Affordable Housing Manager Iris Grace : Request Council feedback on the following:
1. Financial Review: When projects are deemed “infeasible”, engaging the developer in a financial assessment to validate the claim. (18.05.040 projects not requesting financial assistance from the city are not subject to a budget review)
2. Project Individualized Plans (PIP): Should review take a subjective or objective stance?
1) Units align with income targets per code; or
2) Alternative proposes some other community benefit.
Public comments:
• Wesley Sagewalker: Ordinance creates barriers to build affordable housing. Economic infeasibility of inclusionary housing requirements; policy is counter-productive to creating housing. Council should insti- tute changes to make production of housing possible.
• Alan Miller: Affordable housing is not affordable.
10/21/2025 City Council Minutes Page 7 of 8
• Connor Gorman: Need to make sure there is affordable housing of all types, ownership and rentals, and affordable should be on par with market rate units.
Councilmember feedback included:
G. Partida: Support financial review even if developer is not requesting financial assistance. PIP: Interest in minimum requirements, but still pro- vide flexibility for subjective. Housing types: Incentivize for sale deed re- stricted houses. Consider minimum number of single family ownership units. Interest in discussion about provision of extremely low income; in- stead of 15% low income requirement, consider 10% extremely low.
B. Vaitla: Support financial review. PIP flexible, but well defined. Strongly state preference to build units, but still need subjective option. Consider some level of requirement relative to commensurate value for ownership (similar to what is required for rental), draft resolution to identify options that are acceptable that can be amended from time to time based on needs or interests . Develop principles to identify commensurate value.
Priority is very low and extremely low. Support discussion of incentivizing extremely low.
D. Neville: Financial review—consider legality. Ok with having conversa- tions with developer and staff mocking up a Proforma based on available information. PIP—Somewhat objective, but flexible due to changing cir- cumstances. Objective: Land, monetary contribution . Subjective:
broader, tight nexus to achieving equivalency to affordability. Support in- centivizing deed restricted units —can provide dir ection to staff, ordi- nance already allows.
City Attorney Inder Khalsa: City can only ask for financial information from developer if they are asking for subsidy.
L. Deos: PIP—need flexibility. Code already provides objective standard; PIP is alternative option.
J. Chapman: Financial review —Provide opportunity to staff to perform financial review, have conversations. PIP—Balanced approach. Equiva- lent units, clear guardrails around nexus and what we are trying to achieve. Need flexibility based on community needs. Strong preference to build units. Interest in discussion of potential available city assets to develop affordable units.
AB 1234 Re-
porting
L. Deos: Attended League of California Cities Conference 10/21/2025 City Council Minutes Page 8 of 8
Long Range
Calendar
D. Dunston: November 4 —Village Farms workshop. November 18 — homelessness. No meeting December 2. December 16 —Village Farms public hearing. Early next calendar year will return to Council with up- dates to Inclusionary Housing Ordinance.
Public comment:
• Alan Miller: Request meeting be adjourned in honor of Ted Wilshusen who passed away downtown last weekend.
Adjournment Meeting was adjourned at 9:41 p.m. in honor of Ted Wilshusen.
Zoe Mirabile
City Clerk