CITY OF IMPERIAL BEACH
CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
September 17, 2025, 6: 00 p. m.
Council Chambers
825 Imperial Beach Boulevard
Imperial Beach, CA 91932
Present: Mayor McKay, Mayor Pro Tern Seabury, Councilmember Fisher, Councilmember Leyba- Gonzalez
Staff: City Manager Foltz, Chief Administrative Officer Cortez- Martinez, City Attorney Lyon, City Clerk Kelly
The City Council also sits as the Imperial Beach Planning Commission, Public Financing Authority, and Imperial Beach Redevelopment Agency Successor Agency.
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor McKay called the Regular Meeting to order at 6: 00 p. m.
2. ROLL CALL
City Clerk Kelly took roll.
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
City Clerk Kelly led the Pledge of Allegiance.
4. REIMBURSEMENT DISCLOSURES/ REPORTS ON ASSIGNMENTS AND COMMITTEES Councilmember Leyba- Gonzalez
MTS Board of Directors Meeting
Ribbon Cutting and Barbeque for Steve' s Park
Councilmember Fisher
IBAC Cornhole Tournament ( Adult Session)
IBAC Cornhole Tournament ( Kids Session)
Announced the upcoming San Diego Air- Cooled Car Show
Thanked the Mayor for attending the SANDAG Board meeting on his behalf.
Mayor Pro Tern Seabury
SANDAG Shoreline Preservation Working Group meeting
Healing Through Art event
SCEDC meeting
1 Kiwanis 53rd Fishing Derby
Ribbon Cutting and Barbeque for Steve' s Park
Kiwanis Student of the Month is Madison Monlau
Magnolia Food Pantry
Announced Every Child Matters Orange Shirt Day is September 30 Asked for a moment of silence in honor of Charlie Kirk
Mayor McKay
Announced that he attended many of the same events as the other Councilmember and will not repeat those events
Metro Wastewater JPA meeting
Bark in the Park
Meeting with Lieutenant Galve
9/ 11 Memorial Observation
SANDAG Board of Directors meeting
Kiwanis Fishing Derby
Ribbon Cutting and Barbeque for Steve' s Park
Magnolia Food Pantry
5. COMMUNICATIONS FROM CITY STAFF
CAO Cortez- Martinez announced the following upcoming events:
Dante Longo Memorial Gym Ribbon Cutting — Saturday, September 20, 10: 00 a. m., Pier Plaza.
Symphony by the Sea— Saturday, September 27, 4: 00- 6: 00 p. m., Pier Plaza.
Annual U. S. Navy Flag Raising Ceremony— Wednesday, October 1, 9: 00 a. m., in front of City Hall.
Fire Department Open House— Saturday, October 11, 10: 00 a. m.- 2: 00 p. m., Fire Station.
City Clerk Kelly reminded everyone of the public comment process.
6. PUBLIC COMMENT
Sandi Crosby provided an update on Chamber of Commerce activities.
Mary Hensley expressed concerns about helicopter noise in the area near Iris Ave. and Oneonta Ave. and requested that regulations be followed to minimize flights over residential areas.
Truth emphasized the importance of truth, justice, and respecting the Constitution. She expressed concern about harassment and threats toward councilmembers, highlighted key points of the U. S.
Constitution, and suggested that Constitution Day be recognized with a City proclamation and national holiday.
Leon Benham praised former Mayor Aguirre for advocating before the State Water Resources Board for a $ 50 million fund to restore the Tijuana River. He emphasized the importance of the river in supplying sand to local beaches, protecting coastal homes, and maintaining river health, and urged the City Council to advocate for the return of sand to Imperial Beach.
7. PRESENTATIONS
None.
2 8. CONSENT CALENDAR
Finance Director Flyte provided an overview of Item No. 8. d, which ratifies prior Council budget actions for fiscal year 2024- 25 and proposes year- end adjustments to align revenues and expenditures with actual results. She noted that these adjustments improve the accuracy of the final budget and that the audit is scheduled for next week, with final financial statements expected to be presented to the Council in December.
Public Comments:
Item No. 8. a: Truth corrected prior minutes.
Item No. 8. b: Truth provided an updated total for Mayor Aguirre' s Farewell Breakfast.
Item No. 8. e: Leon Benham requested clarification on Item No. 8. e regarding the Sports Park roof replacement, including whether the contract was publicly bid and the reasons for the increased contract amount.
City Manager Foltz explained that the additional work for Item 8. e involves extra roof penetrations not included in the original bid, and the contract increase reflects the cost to complete this additional work as requested by the City.
Motion by Mayor Pro Tem Seabury
Seconded by Councilmember Fisher
To approve Consent Calendar Item Nos. 8. a through 8. e.
AYES ( 4): Mayor McKay, Mayor Pro Tem Seabury, Councilmember Fisher, Councilmember Leyba- Gonzalez
Motion Carried ( 4 to 0)
8. a APPROVAL OF CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES.
City Council approved the Regular Meeting Minutes of August 6, 2025.
8. b RATIFICATION OF WARRANT REGISTER FOR THE PERIOD FROM AUGUST 22, 2025 TO SEPTEMBER 4, 2025. ( 0300- 25)
City Council ratified and filed the Warrant Register Report.
8. c RECEIVE TREASURER' S REPORT FOR JULY 2025. ( 0300- 90) City Council received and filed the July 2025 Treasurer's Report.
8. d RESOLUTION 2025- 048 AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2024- 25 BUDGET AND RATIFYING PREVIOUS ACTIONS OF THE COUNCIL. ( 0330- 30)
3 City Council adopted Resolution 2025- 048 ratifying and consolidating previous actions of the City Council related to the City of Imperial Beach Budget and approving additional amendments to the FY 2024-25 Budget.
8. e RESOLUTION NO. 2025- 049 AUTHORIZING AMENDMENT NO. 1 TO INCREASE THE
CONTRACT AMOUNT FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE ROOF OF THE SPORTS PARK BUILDING WITH A. PREMAN ROOFING, INC. ( 0920- 40)
Adopted Resolution No. 2025- 049 authorizing the City Manager to execute Amendment No. 1 with A. Preman Roofing, Inc. for a not-to- exceed amount of 150, 000.
9. ORDINANCES/ INTRODUCTION & FIRST READING
None.
10. PUBLIC HEARINGS
None.
11. REPORTS
11. a INTERVIEWS OF CITY COUNCIL APPLICANTS WITH DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE
ACTION TO MAKE APPOINTMENT TO FILL VACANCY IN CITY COUNCIL POSITION, DISTRICT 3. ( 0410- 40)
City Manager Foltz gave a PowerPoint presentation on the item.
Applicant presentations:
The order of presentations was determined by random draw as follows: Alan Honeycutt PowerPoint), Brian Patrick Bilbray, John Patrick Keating, Valerie Acevez, Beatriz Sanchez Blevins ( PowerPoint), John Becker, Mariko Nakawatase ( PowerPoint), and Erika Lowery PowerPoint).
Public Comments:
Mayor McKay announced that 16 last- minute emails were received expressing support or opposition for various candidates. Additionally, the complete application for John Becker was included in the last- minute agenda package due to previously missing responses.
Written comments were received from Anthony Angelini, Alexis Honorato, Steve Futterman, Cynthia Kaui, Bridget Mahoney, Cole and Hayley Marting, Katie Rapoza, Mark Rizk, Liisa Thomas, Daniel Tovar, Amber Schad ( Acevez), Nayeli Martinez, Jarrod Caswell, Reshae Cuevas, Brianna Bilbray, and Jose Chavez.
Lynne Fischer expressed appreciation for the candidate interview process, noting the strong resident interest and diverse skills of applicants. She identified John Keating, Beatriz Sanchez Blevins, and Mariko Nakawatase as standout candidates and suggested a second round of interviews to further assess the availability of full- time applicants. 4 Truth provided individual comments on each candidate, noting strengths and concerns.
Overall, she expressed reservations about time availability, relevant experience, and specific policy priorities for several candidates. Her top choices for further consideration were Erika Lowery, Patrick Bilbray, John Becker, and Mariko Nakawatase.
Sandy Brillhart thanked the City Council for conducting an open and transparent selection process and expressed appreciation for all applicants. She encouraged selecting fresh leadership rather than former officeholders or previous candidates, and supported the same three candidates previously highlighted by Lynne Fischer.
David Nearing expressed that the presentations were informative. He noted Mr. Bilbray' s prior experience and praised Ms. Nakawatase' s presentation.
Brandon Ayala did not speak.
Cooper Saunders endorsed John Becker.
Donna Saunders endorsed John Becker.
Ignacio Martinez thanked all applicants for running and praised the open selection process. He emphasized the need for an experienced candidate who can " hit the ground running" given the City' s current challenges, noting that one candidate' s prior council experience makes him ( Brian Patrick Bilbray) well- suited for the position.
Mary Hensley expressed support for John Becker, noting his life experience and ability to work well with others. She thanked all applicants and urged the City Council to make a selection promptly.
Leon Benham expressed support for Mariko Nakawatase, noting her 18- year history of accomplishments and current role with the County of San Diego. He highlighted her familiarity with government operations and recommended her as the next City Councilmember.
Rosalina Covarrubias expressed support for John Becker, noting his long- standing connection to Imperial Beach, military service, strong work ethic, leadership, and commitment to representing the community.
The Mayor and City Council were each given three minutes per applicant for follow- up questions. They then submitted their top two candidates to the City Clerk for tabulation.
Mayor McKay called a recess at 8: 49 p. m. and called the meeting back to order at 8: 54 p. m. with all Councilmembers present.
Mayor McKay thanked all applicants and public commenters for their participation, noting the importance, fairness, and transparency of the process. He then invited Councilmembers to make final comments before the City Clerk announced the results.
Councilmember Fisher expressed appreciation for the applicants, acknowledging the effort involved in applying and the commitment it takes to serve the community. He noted 5 that the process is unique, meaningful, and reflective of the community' s dedication to Imperial Beach.
Councilmember Seabury expressed agreement with Councilmember Fisher' s remarks, noting the impressive qualifications of all applicants and thanking them for their time and effort in completing the application process.
Mayor McKay thanked staff for their efforts in organizing the selection process. He asked the City Clerk to post the list of applicants moving forward, each having received at least one City Council selection.
City Clerk Kelly announced the following results:
Name Vote 1 Vote 2
Councilmember Leyba- Gonzalez Beatriz Blevins John Keating Councilmember Fisher Brian Bilbray Mariko Nakawatase
Mayor Pro Tern Seabury Brian Bilbray Mariko Nakawatase
Mayor McKay Brian Bilbray Mariko Nakawatase
VOTE TOTALS:
Brian Bilbray 3
Beatriz Blevins 1
John Keating 1
Mariko Nakawatase 3
Mayor McKay explained that four candidates are moving forward and outlined the options:
the Council could discuss and reach a consensus to make a selection now, or, if no consensus is reached, hold a second round of interviews in two weeks to help arrive at a final decision. He opened the floor for City Council feedback.
Councilmember Fisher suggested postponing the selection to the next meeting, recommending a structured process with a mix of prepared and impromptu questions to better evaluate candidates' knowledge and ability to respond on the spot.
Council Member Leyba- Gonzalez noted that a candidate must receive three votes to be selected. He suggested simplifying the process by removing his two preferred candidates 6 from further consideration, so that the next Council meeting could focus on deciding between the two remaining candidates.
Motion by Leyba- Gonzalez to modify the process so that the two top individuals receiving the three votes, are the only two individuals to move on.
City Attorney Lyon explained that the process is not defined by state law and is at the Council' s discretion. The Council may choose to make a second cut or appointment tonight or move all four finalists to the next meeting.
Motion failed due to a lack of a second.
City Council discussion ensued.
City Council discussed the next steps for selecting a new councilmember. Concern was raised that a second round of voting tonight could result in a tie and there was a preference to stay consistent with the previously approved process. The consensus was to move the second round of interviews to the October 1 meeting, allowing more preparation time.
The Council agreed the format will include two prepared questions developed by the Mayor and staff and provided to candidates in advance. During the meeting, each Councilmember will ask one live question per candidate, followed by public comment and Council discussion. Candidates will have five minutes to respond to prepared questions and three minutes for Council follow- up questions.
Motion by Mayor McKay
Seconded by Councilmember Fisher
To conduct a second round of interviews at the October 1 City Council meeting. The process will include two standardized questions prepared by the Mayor and staff, which will be provided to the candidates in advance. During the interviews, each Councilmember will also have the opportunity to ask one live question to each candidate. Following the interviews, each Councilmember will select one candidate, and the Council will then work toward reaching a consensus from that point on. Public comment period will occur after all candidates have completed their interviews and before Council discussion.
AYES ( 4): Mayor McKay Mayor Pro Tem Seabury, Councilmember Fisher, Councilmember Leyba- Gonzalez
Motion Carried ( 4 to 0)
12. I. B. REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY SUCCESSOR AGENCY REPORTS None.
13. ITEMS PULLED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR ( IF ANY)
None.
7 14. CITY COUNCIL FUTURE AGENDA REQUESTS
None.
15. ADJOURN REGULAR MEETING
Mayor McKay adjourned the Regular Meeting at 9: 32 p. m. acq line M. elly, MM Mitchell D. McKay
ity Jerk Mayer
8