MINUTES OF A REGULAR MEETING
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE FOREST
The regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Lake Forest held Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at the Lake Forest City Council Chambers, 100 Civic Center Drive, Lake Forest, California, was called to order at 6:30 p.m. with all members present.
ROLL CALL: Council Members:
Mayor Pro Tem:
Mayor:
City Manager:
City Attorney:
City Clerk:
Mark Tettemer
Scott Voigts
Benjamin Yu
Doug Cirbo
Robert Pequeno
Debra Rose
Matthew E. Richardson
Thy Merritt
INVOCATION: The Invocation was provided by Pastor Dave Evans, Grace Community Church.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of our Country was led by Scouting America Troop # 639.
PRESENTATIONS: ( Item Nos. 1 — 2)
MOTION: It was moved by Council Member Voigts, seconded by Council Member Yu, to approve Presentation Item Nos. 1 — 2. The motion was carried by a vote of 5-0.
1. RECOGNITION OF EL TORO HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY TEAM
City Manager Rose introduced this item and invited City Clerk Merritt to provide a presentation. No public comment was offered.
ACTION: Certificates of recognition were presented to the El Toro High School Girls Cross Country Team.
2. INTRODUCTION OF ORANGE COUNTY FIRE AUTHORITY DIVISION CHIEF
RYAN BISHOP
City Manager Rose provided a presentation on this item. Andrew O'Connor offered public comment and expressed concern with fire mitigation strategies.
ACTION: Division Chief Bishop was welcomed to the City of Lake Forest.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Larissa Clark expressed concerns with the proposed extension of term limits on the agenda.
Mark Hermanson thanked Council and staff for addressing his questions and encouraged everyone to act with decorum and respect while making public comment.
Andrew O'Connor expressed concerns with the information provided in the staff report for the proposed extension of term limits.
Jay Cost expressed concerns with the activities of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency and requested the Council provide a statement of support of those subject to these activities.
Reed Buck expressed concerns with Council Member Voigts and the proposed extension of term limits on the agenda.
Louise Robertson expressed concerns with the proposed extension of term limits on the agenda.
Bob Holtzclaw expressed concerns with the proposed extension of term limits on the agenda.
Brian McMillan expressed concerns with being issued notices of code violations.
CONSENT CALENDAR: ( Item Nos. 3 — 14)
Item Nos. 4 — 5 were pulled for discussion.
MOTION: It was moved by Mayor Pro Tem Cirbo, seconded by Council Member Yu, to approve Consent Calendar Item Nos. 3, and 6 — 10. The motion was carried by a vote of 5-0.
3. MOTION TO WAIVE READING OF RESOLUTIONS AND ORDINANCES ACTION: Said Ordinances and Resolutions which appeared on the public agenda were determined to have been read by title and further reading was waived.
6. NOTICE OF COMPLETION FOR HEROES PARK SPORTS FIELDS
RENOVATION ( 24P10)
ACTION: 1. Marina Landscape, Inc. was found to have completed construction of the Heroes Park Sports Fields Renovation ( 24P10) Project. 2. The Notice of Completion was approved and the Mayor was authorized to execute the document on behalf of the City. 3. The City Clerk was authorized to submit Notice of Completion for recordation to the Office of the County Recorder of Orange County within fifteen days of the City Council approval, as required by Section 9204 of the California Civil Code. 4. Staff was authorized to release any unencumbered retention in accordance with California law.
January 20, 2026 LAKE FOREST CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Page 2 of 7
7. ACCEPTANCE OF LENNAR HOMES IMPROVEMENTS AND RELEASE OF BONDS FOR TRACT 17331
ACTION: 1. The tract improvements and monumentation constructed by Lennar Homes of California, Inc., A California Corporation, for Tract 17331 were accepted as complete. 2. The City Clerk was authorized to release the Subdivision Faithful Performance and Subdivision Labor and Materials Bonds, both in the amount of $ 871,606 for the tract civil improvements, the Subdivision Faithful Performance and Subdivision Labor and Materials Bonds both in the amount of $ 1,722,978.52 for the landscape and irrigation improvements for the Serrano Summit entry, the Subdivision Faithful Performance and Subdivision Labor and Materials Bonds, both in the amount of $ 945,995.86 for the landscape and irrigation improvements for the Backbone streets ( Serrano Summit, Olympus, and Civic Center Drive) and the Subdivision Improvement Monumentation Bond in the amount of $ 15,000. 3. The City Clerk was authorized to release the Subdivision Improvement Warranty Bonds for all three improvements in the amount of $ 354,058.45 one year after acceptance of the public improvements for Tract 17331 with the concurrence of the Director of Public Works/City Engineer.
8. AMENDMENT TO CLASSIFICATION PLAN AND COMPENSATION
SCHEDULE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025-26
ACTION: A Resolution entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF LAKE FOREST, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING A REVISED CLASSIFICATION PLAN AND COMPENSATION SCHEDULE was adopted.
9. ORDINANCE AMENDING LAKE FOREST MUNICIPAL CODE SECTION
9.146.050 RELATING TO ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS
ACTION: A second reading was conducted and an Ordinance entitled: " AN
ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE FOREST AMENDING § 9.146.050 OF THE LAKE FOREST MUNICIPAL CODE
RELATING TO ACCESSORY DWELLING UNITS AND JUNIOR ACCESSORY
DWELLING UNITS TO COMPLY WITH RECENT CHANGES IN STATE LAW,
AND FINDING THE ACTION TO BE STATUTORILY EXEMPT FROM CEQA UNDER PUBLIC RESOURCES CODE § 21080.17" was adopted.
10. PROFESSIONAL CONSULTANT SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH DRAW TAP
GIS FOR GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM PROFESSIONAL
SERVICES
ACTION: 1. A professional consultant services agreement in the amount of 376,740.00 to Draw Tap GIS, LLC for Geographic Information System Professional Services was approved. 2. The Mayor was authorized to sign, and the City Clerk to attest, the Agreement, substantially in the form attached.
January 20, 2026 LAKE FOREST CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Page 3 of 7 ITEMS PULLED FOR DISCUSSION ( Item Nos. 4 — 5)
MOTION: It was moved by Council Member Voigts, seconded by Council Member Yu, to approve Consent Calendar Item Nos. 4 — 5. The motion was carried by a vote of 5-0.
4. MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL HELD ON JANUARY 6, 2026
Andrew O'Connor offered public comment and expressed concerns with various programs.
ACTION: Approve as submitted.
5. CERTIFICATION OF WARRANT REGISTER
Andrew O'Connor offered public comment and expressed concerns with funding for various programs.
ACTION: Approve the warrant register in the amount of $ 6,498,181.53.
DISCUSSION/ACTION ITEMS: ( Item Nos. 11 - 15)
11. CITY COUNCIL TERM LIMITS
City Manager Rose provided a presentation for this item.
The following provided public comment in opposition to placing a measure on the ballot to extend Council Member term limits:
Reed Buck
Lindsay Buck
Aline Strickler
Andrea Alexander
Jay Cost
Maria Castaiio
Laura Liegler
Herb Cohen
Sean Fletcher
Andrew O'Connor
Non Wels
Ken Forbes
Morgan Sibley
Larissa Clark
Miguel Escobar
Mike Davison
Julie Pearce
January 20, 2026 LAKE FOREST CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Page 4 of 7 Frank McGervey
Julia Mangione
Adrian Amler
Bob Holtzclaw
Jennifer Guy
Nicole McNiff
Brittany Gale
The following provided public comment in support of placing a measure on the ballot to extend Council Member term limits:
Ray Benito
Cynthia Cantrelle
Council provided comments and asked clarifying questions. Mayor Pequeno made a motion to move staffs recommendation to receive and file. Council Member Yu seconded that motion. Council Member Voigts made a sub motion to move staffs recommendation to adopt a Resolution entitled: A RESOLUTION
OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LAKE FOREST, CALIFORNIA,
CALLING AND GIVING NOTICE OF HOLDING A SPECIAL MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON JUNE 2, 2026, CALLING FOR THE PLACEMENT
OF A MEASURE AS REQUIRED BY PROVISION OF THE LAWS OF STATE
OF CALIFORNIA RELATING TO GENERAL LAW CITIES AND REQUESTING
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CONSOLIDATE THE SPECIAL ELECTION
WITH THE STATEWIDE GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION TO BE HELD ON THE SAME DATE PURSUANT TO SECTION 10403 OF THE ELECTIONS CODE and adopt a Resolution entitled: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY
COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF CITY OF LAKE FOREST, CALIFORNIA,
PROPOSING AND SUBMITTING TO THE VOTERS AT THE SPECIAL
MUNICIPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON JUNE 2, 2026, A BALLOT MEASURE
PROPOSING TO ADOPT AN ORDINANCE TO REVISE CITY COUNCIL TERM
LIMITS TO THREE TERMS, SUBJECT TO A FOUR-YEAR BREAK IN SERVICE
DIRECTING THE CITY ATTORNEY TO PREPARE AN IMPARTIAL
ANALYSIS; AND AUTHORIZING AND SETTING DEADLINES FOR THE FILING OF ARGUMENTS FOR OR AGAINST THE BALLOT MEASURE. There was no second to Council Member Voigts' sub motion. Council Member Tettemer made a friendly amendment to Mayor Pequeno's motion to receive and file this item and direct staff to come back with an agenda item discussing placing on the next General Election ballot a measure to allow a person to run for office of City Council Member four years after having served two four-year terms. Council Member Yu seconded this friendly amendment to the motion.
MOTION: It was moved by Mayor Pequeno, seconded by Council Member Yu, to receive and file this item and direct staff to come back with an agenda item discussing placing on the next General Election ballot a measure to allow a person to run for office of City Council Member four years after having served January 20, 2026 LAKE FOREST CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Page 5 of 7 two four-year terms. The motion was carried by a vote of 5-0.
12. APPROVAL OF CAVANAUGH PARK CONCEPT PLAN
City Manager Rose requested the Council table this item to the next meeting so that staff may add more information on budgeting and funding sources. The Council agreed and took public comment. Andrew O'Connor provided public comment and expressed concern with the costs of the proposed plan.
ACTION: The Council tabled this item to the next regularly scheduled City Council meeting on February 6, 2026.
13. UPDATE OF THE ANALYSIS OF THE INDUSTRIAL AND BUSINESS PARK
INVENTORY AND TRENDS STUDY
City Manager Rose introduced this item and invited Management Analyst Young to introduce Kosmont Companies President Ken Hira and Vice President Andrew Perez. Mr. Perez provided a presentation. Andrew O'Connor provided public comment and expressed concern with the costs of the analysis. Council questions were asked and answered.
ACTION: 1. The presentation was received and filed.
14. ANNUAL REVIEW OF CITY COUNCIL POLICIES
City Manager Rose introduced this item and invited City Clerk Merritt to provide a presentation. Andrew O'Connor offered public comment and expressed concerns with various policies. Council questions were asked and answered. Mayor Pequeno recommended adding language to the Travel and Reimbursement policy to indicate that lodging at the Long Beach Convention Center will not be reimbursed.
MOTION: It was moved by Council Member Tettemer, seconded by Council Member Yu, to approve the proposed changes to the City Council policies. The motion was carried by a vote of 5-0.
15. CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN UPDATE
City Manager Rose introduced this item and invited Public Works Assistant Director Mokarram to provide a presentation. No public comment was offered.
ACTION: The presentation was received and filed.
CITY MANAGER'S REPORT: City Manager Rose had nothing further to report.
January 20, 2026 LAKE FOREST CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Page 6 of 7 CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS:
Council Member Tettemer:
Council Member Voigts:
Council Member Yu:
Mayor Pro Tem Cirbo:
Mayor Pequeno:
Council Member Tettemer reported on his attendance
at the Chamber of Commerce Mixer event and
Snowfest.
Council Member Voigts had nothing further to report.
Council Member Yu had nothing further to report.
Mayor Pro Tem Cirbo reported on observing fire
mitigation efforts at Concourse Park.
Mayor Pequeno reported on his attendance at the
Chamber of Commerce Mixer event, a Labors of Love
event, Snowfest, the Chamber of Commerce Coffee
Chat, and a pre - meeting for O.C. Around the Table.
He reminded everyone about the Chamber of
Commerce New Business Reception and the
Skatepark Community Outreach meeting at the Sports
Park.
ADJOURNMENT: The Regular Meeting of the City Council was adjourned at 9:29 p.m.
Respectfully submitted:
THY MERRITT
CITY CLERK
January 20 2026
APPROVED:
ROBERT' QUENO
MAYOR
LAKE FOREST CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES Page 7 of 7