CITY COUNCIL MEETING
TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2026 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
Daniel Parra
ABSENT
Karnig Kazarian
City Staff Present: City Manager Reid, City Attorney Santos, Finance Director Banda, Fire Battalion Chief Dominguez, Community & Economic Development Director Flood, Chief Gularte, Fire Unit Chief Hail, Recreation & Senior Center Supervisor Hernandez, City Planner Marple, City Engineer Park, Assistant City Manager Rocha, City Clerk Vasquez Councilmember Kazarian arrived at 6:01 P.M.
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Item 9D was removed from the agenda.
D. CONSIDER approving Resolution No. 2842 Authorizing Submission of a FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Application for the Purchase of a Type 1 Fire Engine.
Staff Recommendation: Approve Resolution No. 2842
6. PUBLIC COMMENT
Seven members of the public spoke.
7. CONSENT CALENDAR
Item 7F was pulled from the Consent Calendar by Mayor Mejia for further discussion.
Councilmember Parra made a motion to approve items 7A through 7E.
Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Gill
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Kazarian, Parra
A. RATIFY Pay Warrants for June 16, 2026
B. APPROVE Minutes of the June 2, 2026 City Council meeting C. CONSIDER approving Resolution No. 2837, Calling and Giving Notice of a General Municipal Election to be held in the City of Fowler on Tuesday, November 3, 2026 for the Election of Certain Officers; Requesting the Board of Supervisors of the County of Fresno to Consolidate and Canvass the Election; Authorizing the County Clerk/Registrar of Voters of Fresno County to Render Specific Services to the City of Fowler Relating to the Conduct of the General Municipal Election and Appropriating Funds to Pay for Said Services; and Establishing Regulations for Candidates Pertaining to Candidate Statements.
Staff Recommendation: Approve Resolution No. 2837
D. CONSIDER adoption of Resolution No. 2838 to support the submission of Caltrans 2026 Cycle 8 Active Transportation Program grant applications and authorize the City Manager to sign and file on behalf of the City.
Staff recommendation: Adopt Resolution 2838
E. CONSIDER accepting the 4th and 5th Street Improvements Project and authorizing the City Engineer to file a Notice of Completion.
Staff Recommendation: Accept the project as complete.
8. CONTESTED CONSENT CALENDAR
Items pulled from the Consent Calendar will be heard individually immediately after action is taken on the Consent Calendar.
F. CONSIDER approving Resolution No. 2841, Approving the updated Employee Benefits Handbook
Staff Recommendation: Approve Resolution No. 2841
Mayor Pro Tem Gill made a motion to approve the item with a revision to Section 23:
Longevity Pay, removing the 5-year longevity pay level so that longevity pay begins at 10 years; and revisit the potential addition of a 5-year longevity pay level at a future date.
Seconded by Mayor Mejia
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill
Voting Nay: Kazarian, Parra
The motion did not carry.
Councilmember Kazarian made a motion to approve, with the removal of Section 23:
Longevity Pay
Seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Gill
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Kazarian, Parra
9. GENERAL ADMINISTRATION
Police
A. Consider Approving the creation of a Position in the Police Department:
i. APPROVE Resolution No. 2846, the Position Authorization Resolution, creating the Senior Staff Analyst
ii. APPROVE Resolution No. 2847, the Salary Classification Schedule Resolution, establishing the salary for the Senior Staff Analyst position.
Staff recommends approval of new position and salary.
Five members of the public spoke.
Councilmember Parra made a motion to continue discussion of this item after hearing item 9B at 6:43 p.m.
Seconded by Councilmember Kazarian
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Kazarian, Parra
Discussion of this item continued at 7:21 p.m.
Mayor Pro Tem Gill made a motion to approve the item with a revision to the salary classification schedule, changing it to match the Crime Analyst salary schedule.
Seconded by Mayor Mejia
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Kazarian, Parra
Finance
B. CONSIDER actions pertaining to the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 (FY 27) Budget:
i. APPROVE Resolution No. 2839 to adopt the FY 27 Budget. Staff Recommendation: Approve Resolution No. 2839.
ii. APPROVE Resolution No. 2840 to establish the appropriations limit for FY 27.
Staff Recommendation: Approve Resolution No. 2840.
iii. APPROVE Resolution No. 2849 for Position Authorization Resolution. Staff Recommendation: Approve Resolution No. 2849.
iv. APPROVE Resolution No. 2848 to adopt the Salary Schedule. Staff Recommendation: Approve Resolution No. 2848.
Finance Director & Treasurer Banda noted revisions to the budget, including the removal of the $1 million allocation for the Successor Agency and deleting the Longevity Pay section from the Employee Benefits Handbook.
One member of the public spoke.
Mayor Pro Tem Gill made a motion to pause discussion of the item and return to item 9A at 7:20 p.m.
Seconded by Councilmember Parra
Discussion of this item continued at 7:25 p.m.
Finance Director & Treasurer Banda noted an additional revision to the proposed budget, which included adding the Police Department Senior Staff Analyst position.
Motion made by Parra, Seconded by Gill.
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Kazarian, Parra
City Manager
C. CONSIDER approving an Agreement for Fire Protection Services with the Fresno County Fire Protection District for the period of July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2029, in the amount of $2,152,908.41 for FY 2026-27, with annual adjustments, and authorizing the City Manager to execute the Agreement and related documents.
Staff Recommendation: Approve the Agreement
Seven members of the public spoke.
Motion made by Gill, Seconded by Parra.
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Kazarian, Parra
City Clerk
E. CONSIDER approving Resolution No. 2843, Approving a Disruption of Remote Participation During a Council Meeting Policy
Staff Recommendation: Approve Resolution No. 2843
One member of the public spoke.
Motion made by Gill, Seconded by Kazarian.
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Kazarian, Parra
Public Works
F. Actions pertaining to Landscape and Storm Drainage Facilities Maintenance District No. 1 Annual Assessments.
i. CONSIDER approving Resolution No. 2844, a resolution approving the City Engineer’s Report for Landscaping and Storm Drainage Facilities Maintenance District No. 1 for fiscal year 2026-2027.
ii. CONSIDER approving Resolution No. 2845, a resolution which approves the City’s intention to levy and collect the annual assessment of the Landscape and Storm Drainage Facilities Maintenance District No. 1, for fiscal year 2026-2027, and to set a public hearing for July 21, 2026.
Staff Recommendation: Approve Resolution Nos. 2844 and 2845 Two members of the public spoke.
Motion made by Kazarian, Seconded by Gill.
Voting Yea: Mejia, Gill, Kazarian, Parra
At 8:16 p.m. a brief recess took place.
The meeting reconvened at 8:22 p.m.
10. COUNCIL VACANCY INTERVIEWS
Candidates were interviewed one at a time in the following randomly selected order:
Eric Hadden, Patric Jones, Luis Damian, Kamaljit Singh Boparai, and Henry Flores.
Candidates awaiting their interviews remained in a separate room. Each candidate was asked the same questions, with two questions asked by each Councilmember. Upon completion of all candidate interviews, Councilmembers were provided the opportunity, following the same order used during the interviews, to nominate a candidate.
Councilmember Kazarian made a motion to appoint Patric Jones to fill the Council vacancy.
Seconded by Councilmember Parra
Voting Yea: Kazarian, Parra
Voting Nay: Mejia, Gill
The motion did not carry.
Because the motion did not carry, the vacancy will remain unfilled until the November 2026 election.
11. STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
Updates were given by Assistant City Manager Rocha, Recreation & Senior Center Supervisor Brittany Hernandez, Community & Economic Development Director Flood, City Clerk Vasquez, and City Manager Reid.
12. COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS AND COMMENTS
Updates were given by Mayor Pro Tem Gill and Mayor Mejia.
13. CLOSED SESSION
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2)
Commencing litigation: one potential case
The meeting went into closed session at 9:36 p.m.
14. RECONVENE INTO OPEN SESSION AND REPORT ACTION
The meeting reconvened into open session at 9:53 p.m.
There was no reportable action taken on the item.
15. ADJOURN
Having no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:53 p.m.