CITY COUNCIL MEETING
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 02, 2025 at 6:00 PM
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBER – 128 SOUTH 5TH STREET, FOWLER, CA 93625
MINUTES
1. MEETING CALLED TO ORDER
Mayor Mejia called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL
PRESENT
Juan Mejia
Amarjeet Gill
Leonard Hammer
Karnig Kazarian
Daniel Parra
City Staff Present: City Manager Reid, City Attorney Cross, Finance Director Banda, City Planner Czeshinski, Fire Battalion Chief Dominguez, Community & Economic Development Director Flood, Interim Police Chief Gularte, Recreation Supervisor Hernandez, City Planner Marple, City Engineer Park, Public Works Director Rocha, City Clerk Vasquez
6. CEREMONIAL PRESENTATIONS
A. Swearing in of Police Officer Jesus Alvarado
7. PUBLIC COMMENT
There was no public comment.
8. CONSENT CALENDAR
Motion made by Parra, Seconded by Kazarian.
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Hammer, Kazarian, Parra
A. RATIFY Pay Warrants for December 2, 2025
B. APPROVE Minutes of the October 21, 2025 City Council Meeting C. APPROVE Minutes of the October 27, 2025 Special City Council Meeting D. APPROVE Minutes of the November 4, 2025 City Council Meeting E. APPROVE 2026 Community Events Calendar
F. APPROVE Resolution No. 2813 setting the regular City Council meeting schedule for calendar year 2026
G. Actions pertaining to Commission appointments
i. REAPPOINT Roy Alatorre to the Recreation Commission for the full term ending 12/31/27
ii. REAPPOINT Monique Velasquez-Lopez to the Recreation Commission for the full term ending 12/31/27
H. APPROVE Resolution No. 2814 adopting the monthly employee share of health benefits premiums for calendar year 2026
I. APPROVE Resolution No. 2815 amending the City’s records retention schedule and Records Management Program Policy and Procedures Manual
10. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
City Manager
A. APPROVE an agreement to provide City Attorney legal services for the City of Fowler with the law firm Burke, Williams & Sorensen, LLP
Motion made by Gill, Seconded by Hammer.
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Hammer, Kazarian, Parra
B. APPROVE the City of Fowler official response to the Fresno County Civil Grand Jury Report
Motion made by Kazarian, Seconded by Gill.
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Hammer, Kazarian, Parra
Planning
C. Presentation on traffic control alternatives
One member of the public spoke.
D. AUTHORIZE the City Manager to amend the agreement with County of Fresno for the implementation of the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program for the year 24-25 for the Fowler Panzak Park ADA Improvements Project funds Motion made by Gill, Seconded by Parra.
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Hammer, Kazarian, Parra
E. APPROVE Resolution No. 2816:
i. FINDING that Planning Project No. 24-27 is consistent with the City’s General Plan and General Plan Environmental Impact Report, and is therefore exempt from environmental review pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15183, and; ii. APPROVING Planning Project No. 24-27, subject to conditions of approval.
One member of the public spoke.
A representative of the applicant, Paul Archer, shared a presentation.
Applicant, Dawood Hotar spoke.
Councilmember Parra made a motion to continue the item to the January 6, 2026 Council meeting with direction to staff.
Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Gill
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Hammer, Kazarian, Parra
F. APPROVE Resolution No. 2817:
i. Finding that the proposed Disposition and Development Agreement qualifies for a Class 12 categorical exemption under CEQA.
ii. APPROVE a Disposition and Development Agreement with Mailbox Money LLC for the property located at the northwest corner of South 7th Street and East Vine Street, .85 acres consisting of two parcels (APNs 343-233-02ST and 343- 233-03ST).
iii. AUTHORIZE the City Manager to execute the agreement and carry out the processes necessary to culminate the agreement.
A representative, Brittany Delgado, from Mailbox Money, LLC spoke.
Councilmember Kazarian made a motion to approve, with direction to amend the payment schedule in Section 1, Conveyance of the Property, Subsection B, Purchase Price, to state the $110,000 balance to be paid within one (1) year from Close of Escrow.
Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Gill
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Hammer, Kazarian, Parra
Public Works
G. APPROVE an Agreement with Provost & Pritchard Consulting Group for Preparation of the City of Fowler Water Master Plan in the amount of $209,400.00 and authorize the City Manager to negotiate and execute the Agreement.
Motion made by Gill, Seconded by Kazarian.
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Hammer, Kazarian, Parra
11. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
Updates were given by Public Works Director Rocha, Recreation Supervisor Hernandez, City Engineer Park, and City Manager Reid.
12. COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Updates were given by Councilmember Kazarian, Councilmember Parra, Mayor Pro Tem Gill, Councilmember Hammer, and Mayor Mejia.
13. CLOSED SESSION
Government Code Section 54957
Public Employee Appointment/Employment
Title: Chief of Police
Government Code Section 54957.6
Conference with labor negotiators
Agency designated representative: City Manager and City Attorney Unrepresented employee: Chief of Police
The meeting went into closed session at 8:15 p.m.
14. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION AND REPORT ACTION
The meeting reconvened into open session at 9:17 p.m.
There was no reportable action taken on any of the two items.
15. ADJOURN
Having no further business, the meeting adjourned at 9:17 p.m.