City Council Meeting
September 8, 2026
1. CALL TO ORDER:
Regular Meeting called to order at 6:00pm by Mayor LeBarre.
2. ROLL CALL:
City Council: Mayor Mike LeBarre, Mayor Pro Tem Carlos DeLeon, Council member Rob Cullen, Council member Carlos Victoria, Council members Oscar Avalos (absent).
City Staff: City Manager José Arreola, City Attorney Roy Santos; City Clerk Erica Sonne
3. FLAG SALUTE:
The flag salute was led by Mayor LeBarre.
4. CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENTS:
City Attorney Roy Santos stated nothing to report out at this time.
5. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:
A. Jacob's Heart Proclamation accepted by Erik Lua, CEO presented by Mayor LeBarre after he read it into the record. City Clerk will mail the original to them. City Council thanked Jacob's Heart for what the organization does.
B. Presentation on City Camera System by Chief Masterson with a PowerPoint presentation. He stated that the system is getting older and trees need to be trimmed to keep the line of site open. Surveillance Grid is a good company to work with. Councilmember Cullen would like a copy of the powerpoint presentation. Councilmember Victoria wanted to know how long it takes to repair a camera when it is down. Chief stated the very next day. Mayor Pro Tem DeLeon would like to know how instrumental the cameras are and how big of an asset to the city. Chief Masterson stated that they are an immense asset to the city and have been very instrumental in solving homicides.
Mayor LeBarre is proud of our Police Department and the men and women that serve and he has seen this as a tool that makes their job more affective and to make our community safer.
Mayor Pro Tem ask about community members registering their cameras with the city for use through the police department. Chief said registration has dropped off but most residence support the police department system
6. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS:
Margarita Lopez spoke on being removed from the Planning Commission. She is here to serve her community and has over 40 years. When it comes to a personal agenda, she has a problem and she has never been disrespectful. She applauds all that Councilmember Cullen has done for the community. Ms.
Lopez state "even the new City Manager he came to me very condescending, but l am not going to get to that. How he managed to convince all the council members I don't know". All she is asking is. They came tonight because the elections are so close in November, they are looking at options of a recall or a vote of no confidence they don't want to go to war with each other. Ms. Lopez stated, "he is here to serve his own purpose". We can see eye to eye or agree to disagree with the big fundraisers. Right now, she is working with Hands for Hope and the Alejo Family that is her priority. Ms. Lopez stated, "he is nothing but KING CITY, CALIFORNIA CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES OF AUGUST 25, 2026 I will not disrespect him while he is our City Manager". You have her word that he will leave this town whether we stay until 28 for the next election. Victoria is going to seek reelection, and Avalos is going to be a write-in, so they have their ducks in line. All she is asking is not to look at her and don't make it personnel do the best interest. One thing she will ask is for full support for Chief Masterson and Erica. Ms.
Lopez stated "I will never forget when I came in for public records as a commissioner, he made me pull public records, the look I saw in Erica she has been here during the Town Square fiasco and all the storms we have rolling and the look I got from her is like loosing my mother all over again". She is going to go public for the first time she is a cancer survivor, Carlos is the only one that knows, she has never brought her illness because she has been blessed what I have been given, she raised her kids here and they are professionals born and raised in King City. She has more people if they can have 5 minutes. She would like to be put on the agenda and go public because she has everything.
Karen Jernigan, 206 N. Mildred Ave., thanked for the camera system which she feels has been a wonderful part of our city. She would encourage that the Police Department do another publicity round to engage the community in having more cameras and should be an on-going yearly event. She is also concerned when she hears things come to this council about different personalities because she knows what it takes to serve on the council and be on the staff. Sometimes she hears things that are accusations like "people are here to serve their own purpose" and she doesn't know what the means because she didn't hear specifics. She knows each of the council because she knows them personally, she knows the council cares very much about this town and she thinks that the council is here to serve the community, and she thinks the decisions the council makes are done with thought and forethought. She supports the staff and when there are problems, she encourages talking to people to make sure you are listening to them so that if there is an ounce of truth to what is being said it can be addressed. But if things are not true and things are said that are false, she feels that is detrimental to our City, County, Faith Community and we need to make sure everything we say is truthful and accurate and we work to solve problems and not make them public if they don't need to be.
7. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS:
Councilmember Victoria stated school district talks for unification continue. There is a ballot measure for this unification and if it passes there will be a new district. He was unable to attend the farmworker day but he heard good things about it.
Councilmember Cullen stated Council Member Avalos will attend his Solid Waste Authority meeting as he will be out of town.
Mayor Pro Tem Deleon stated he had nothing to report tonight.
Mayor LeBarre stated he had nothing to report tonight.
8. CITY STAFF REPORTS AND COMMENTS:
City Manager José Arreola stated Dia del Trabajador Agricola Day of the Ag Worker event Sunday August 30th he attended and spoke. He feels it was a well-organized and run event. Shout out to Ana Vargas and her team. He went on a Golf Course Tour with Nick from First Tee. Greens are improving and a recent beautification day helped with a lot of deferred maintenance. CDBG Paving Project paving is postponed to October due to discovery of shallow utility lines in several areas prompting redesigning certain areas affected for the project. Prop 68 State Parks Grant round 5 due December 17, 2026. Informational Measure P meetings to volunteer fire department on Tuesday, September 1. Scheduled to present to the Knights of Columbus on September 16, 2026 and working on scheduling a presentation to a group of 40 Spanish speaking residents at Sun Street Centers. Planning on hosting two community presentations.
Airport Assessment after Cal Fire Occupation completed September 3, 2026. Minor use now by the US Forest service.
City Attorney Roy Santos had nothing to report tonight.
9. CONSENT
A. Consideration: Meeting Minutes of August 25, 2026 Council Meeting Consideration: Second Reading of an Ordinance of City Council of the City of King Amending Chapter
17.79 (Seasonal Employee Housing) of Title 17 of the King City Municipal Code Governing Seasonal Employee Housing to Align with State Law
C. Consideration: A Professional Services Agreement with Moreno Consulting Services LLC for Finance Management Services
Mayor LeBarre pulled Item B for discussion.
Action: Motion to approve consent agenda items A&C by Cullen seconded by Victoria.
AYES: Council Members: LeBarre, DeLeon, Cullen, Victoria, NOES: Council Members:
ABSENT: Council Members: Avalos,
ABSTAIN: Council Members:
City Attorney stated that we received an email with a letter of opposition from William Parkin attorney representing Rava Ranches, Inc./Fresh Foods Inc. and a separate email with documents attached that are available for the public tonight. Council and City Clerk did not receive the email with the letter.
City Attorney clarified what the Ordinance amending chapter 17.79 of Title 17 does not do is not ban or prohibit seasonal employee housing in the FSC zone. The desire was to insure that our existing ordinance meets the states interpretation of what is appropriate regulation for employee housing in light of the meeting the city had and correspondence with HCD regarding seasonal employee housing and their objections to specifically language that is being removed at this time. The other issue under code regulations title 14 section 15378 the legislature defines a project triggering a CEQA analysis as an enactment or amendment (meaning adding to) to a zoning ordinance. Here what is being proposed to council for the amendment of the current seasonal employee housing ordinance does not qualify as an enactment or amendment. There is no new language being proposed what is happening is restructuring and renumbering. What council approved in the first meeting was an appeal of multiple sections. The sections that are left over were consulted into one section so they are easily tractable and numbered logically. Aside from that there is no new language. We want to insure that the public knows that land use designation is not being changed, zoning designation not being changed, the zoning density is not being changed, that the seasonal employee housing and multi-family housing can continue to exist and be built in the FSC zone should someone desire to do so. It is just removing sections HCD has interpret as excess of the Cities authority to regulate.
Mayor LeBarre asked if HCD samples of what the changes should look like or be. City Attorney stated yes and no mainly because they do not use the term seasonal employee housing. They have provided as part of the process of getting the Housing Element approved a laundry list of revisions for the zoning ordinance.
Mayor LeBarre clarified that if the city doesn't comply the state will not approve our Housing Element and it would drop our scoring. City Attorney stated yes. HCD made is clear that we would receive lawsuits from them and they would be supportive of another entity pursuing a legal challenge to our ordinance. There will be further edits to our zoning code to bring it into compliance with HCD interpretation.
Mayor LeBarre opened the public hearing reading the title of the ordinance into the record, he heard and saw no one come forward and he closed the public hearing
Action: Motion to approve consent agenda item B by DeLeon seconded by Victoria.
AYES: Council Members: LeBarre, DeLeon, Cullen, Victoria, NOES: Council Members:
ABSENT: Council Members: Avalos,
ABSTAIN: Council Members:
10. PUBLIC HEARINGS:
A. None
11. REGULAR BUSINESS
4. None
12. CITY COUNCIL CLOSED SESSION
A. Conference with Legal Counsel - Regarding Pending Litigation Pursuant to Government Code Section §54956.9(d)(1).
Case: 26CV004111 (Jonas Lalehzadeh v. City of King et al.) relating to the City's revocation of his commercial cannabis operations permit.
ADJOURNMENT:
Mayor LeBarre adjourned the meeting at 6:50p.m. to closed session. Mayor LeBarre adjourned closed session and the meeting at 7:24 with no reportable action.
Approved Signatures:
GuiaRisonne
Mayor Mike LeBarre City Clerk, Erica Sonne
City of King City of King