MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
OF THE CITY OF LEMON GROVE
Lemon Grove Community Center
3146 School Lane, Lemon Grove, CA 91945
Tuesday, September 2, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
Call to Order
Mayor Snow convened the Regular City Council meeting to order at 6:03 p.m.
Bly or Alysson Snow, Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Mendoza, Councilmember Jessyka Heredia, Councilmember Yadira Altamirano.
Staff Present
City Manager Lydia Romero, City Attorney Kristen Steinke, City Clerk Joel G. Pablo, Senior Management Analyst Portland Bates, Public Works Director Izzy Murguia, Community Development Manager Michael Fellows, Finance Director Stacey Tang, Public Works Operations and Administrative Manager Tom Martin, Executive Assistant Shaun Dershem, Communications Specialist Greg Jackson.
Pledge of Allegiance
Mayor Snow led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Changes to the Agenda
City Manager Romero requested to pull Item 1.K from the Consent Agenda for discussion and to allow for staff to provide a clarifying report. Moved by Councilmember Altamirano, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Mendoza to pull Item 1.F from the Consent Calendar.
Mayor Snow stated that Consent Calendar Item Nos. 1.K and 1.F will be heard following Reports to Council.
Presentations
Certificates of Recognition / Proclamation Honoring the 2025 Lemon Grove/Spring Valley "Sixtyders" - Senior Division Little League West Region Champions and World Series Participants
Mayor Snow highlighted the team's achievements and presented Certificates of Recognition to Adrian C., Randy P., Jacob A., Ivan V., Jake A., Michael D., Mikey O., Maximo P., Xavier "X" R., GuJuan S., Kaden B., Romeo B., and Isaac L.
A Proclamation was presented to Manager Esteban Virto, Coach Kyle Bedsole, Lemon Grove Little League President Anibal Preciado and Spring Valley Little League President David Preston
Mayor Snow recessed the meeting at 6:17 p.m. Mayor Snow reconvened the meeting at 6:31p.m. with all Councilmembers present.
National Preparedness Month
Chief Koch offered remarks and introduced Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Andy McKellar. Mayor Snow read and presented the proclamation to Chief Koch and Emergency Preparedness Coordinator McKellar.
Public Comment
Mayor Snow opened the public comment period.
In Person: John L. Wood
Michelle Krug
Mat Kostrinsky, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (ASFME) Local 127
Brenda Hammond
Amelia Broadnix
Victoria
Joy Banks
Written: Barbara Gordon
Mayor Snow closed the public comment period.
Action: Moved by Mayor Pro Tem Mendoza, second by Councilmember Altamirano to approve Consent Calendar excluding Items 1.E and 1.K which were removed under Changes to the Agenda.
The motion passed by the following vote:
AYES: Altamirano, Heredia, Mendoza, Snow
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Waive the Full Text Reading of All Ordinances on the Agenda Action: Waived the full text reading of all ordinances included in this agenda. Ordinances shall be introduced and adopted by title only.
1.B City of Lemon Grove Payment Demands
Action: Ratified demands covering July 23, 2025 to August 21, 2025.
1.C Approval of City Council Meeting Minutes
Action: Approved the minutes of the Lemon Grove City Council meetings held on August 5, 2025.
1.D Designation of Voting Delegate to the 2025 League of California Cities Annual Conference
Action: Adopted Resolution No. 2025 - 2124 designating Mayor Snow as the City's voting delegate and Mayor Pro Tem Jennifer Mendoza as the first alternate for the 2025 League of California Cities Annual Business Meeting.
1.E Annual Investment Policy Review
Action: Pulled via Changes to the Agenda.
1.F Note and File Planning Commission Minutes
Action: Note and File Approved Planning Commission Minutes for February 24, 2025.
1.G Award of Agreement (No. 2025-31) to Compass Rose GIS, for On-Call Geographic Information System Support Services
Action: Adopt Resolution No. 2025 - 4126 to award an agreement (No. 2025-31) for on- call Geographic Information System (GIS) support services to Compass Rose GIS in an amount not-to-exceed $150,000, and authorize the City Manager to execute any necessary documents.
1.H Award of Purchase Order to Hawthorne Caterpillar for a 2025 Skid Steer Loader Action: Adopt Resolution No. 2025 - 4127 authorizing the purchase of a new skid steer loader with attachments from Hawthorne Caterpillar through Sourcewell Cooperative Purchasing Contract No. 011723-CAT for the amount of $124,879.60, and authorize the City Manager, or her designee, to execute any necessary documents. 1I Award of a Purchase Order to El Cajon Ford for a New 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning Truck
Action: Adopt Lemon Grove Sanitation District Resolution No. 2025 - 06 authorizing a purchase order to El Cajon Ford in the amount of $60,265.24 for a new 2025 Ford F-150 Lightning Pro Extended Range electric utility truck and authorizing the City Manager, or her designee, to execute any necessary documents.
1.J Award of Contract (No. 2025-30) for the Fiscal Year 2019-20 Sewer Rehabilitation Project
Action: Adopt Lemon Grove Sanitation District Resolution No. 2025 - 07 awarding Contract No. 2025-30 to Palm Engineering Construction Company, Inc. in the amount of $2,543,569.50 for the Fiscal Year (FY) 2019-20 Sewer Rehabilitation Project and authorizing the General Manager to execute any necessary documents.
1.K Accept the Connect Main Street Project Phases 1-2 (No. 2023-21) Action: Pulled via Changes to the Agenda.
Reports to Council
2. Consideration of the Updated City of Lemon Grove Records Retention Schedule and a Resolution Amending the Citywide Records Retention Schedule for City Records Mayor Snow introduced the item by title and introduced City Clerk Joel G. Pablo to present the report.
Mayor Snow opened the public comment period.
In Person: Mat Kostrinsky, ASFME Local 127
Michelle Krug
Mayor Snow closed the public comment period.
Round 1: Councilmembers directed questions/comments to staff.
Round 2: Councilmembers directed questions/comments to staff.
Council Direction
No action was taken and direction was provided to staff to include:
• Provide a redline/side-by-side comparison to the 2019 Records Retention Schedule.
• List statutory citations separately for each record series.
Replace open-ended triggers with clear timelines and destruction milestones. • Reevaluate long retention periods (e.g., "permanent,' "30+ years") and limit to what is legally required; prioritize destruction when not required. • For employee files/disciplinary records, align retention timelines with minimum state/legal requirements and provide explicit durations.
3. Review and Approve Lemon Grove's Homeless Action Plan 2025 Mayor Snow introduced Senior Management Analyst Portland Bates and Consultant Bonnie Baranoff to present the report.
Mayor Snow opened the public comment period.
In Person: Brenda Hammond
Mat Kostrinsky, ASFME Local 127
Merlynn Watanabe
Melanie Zamora
Michelle Krug
Joy Banks
Mayor Snow closed the public comment period.
Action: Moved by Mayor Snow, second by Councilmember Altamirano to adopt Resolution No. 2025 - 4129 approving the Lemon Grove Homeless Action Plan, as amended; receive the presentation; incorporate Council comments; and direct staff to publish the plan.
The motion passed by the following vote:
AYES: Altamirano, Heredia, Mendoza, Snow
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Items Pulled from the Consent Calendar
1.E Annual Investment Policy Review
Mayor Snow opened the public comment period. No comments were directed to the Council.
Finance Director Stacey Tang presented the report.
Action: Moved by Mayor Snow, second by Councilmember Altamirano to adopt Resolution No. 2025 - 4125 approving the updated City of Lemon Grove Investment Policy and rescind Resolution No. 2021-3804.
The motion passed by the following vote:
AYES: Altamirano, Heredia, Mendoza, Snow
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
1.K Accept the Connect Main Street Project Phases 1-2 (No. 2023-21) Mayor Snow opened the public comment period. No comments were directed to the Council
Public Works Director Izzy Murguia presented the report.
Action: Moved by Mayor Pro Tem Mendoza, second by Councilmember Heredia to Adopt Resolution No. 2025 - 4128 to:
1. Authorize an appropriation of $75,000 from the TransNet Smart Growth Incentive Program to the TransNet Fiscal Year 2025-26 budget line item "CIP-SGIP Connect Main Street", and
2. Accept the Connect Main Street Project Phase 1-2 as complete and authorize filing of a Notice of Completion.
The motion passed by the following vote:
AYES: Altamirano, Heredia, Mendoza, Snow
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
City Council Reports on Meetings Attended at the Expense of the City - Removed from the Agenda.
City Manager's Report
City Manager Romero reported that SDG&E will begin drilling on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, with work hours from 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. For the duration of the project, the driveway between Main Street and City Hall's front parking lot will be barricaded and closed 24/7 and used to stage the drilling rig and materials. SDG&E anticipates completing drilling by Friday, September 5, 2025 after which the driveway will be reopened.
Closed Session
City Attorney Steinke read the Council into Closed Session. The Council convened into closed session at 9:14 p.m. Mayor Snow mentioned that she will be recusing herself from the Closed Session matter.
a. Conference With Legal Counsel - Existing Litigation (Government Code §54956.9(d)(1)) Snow v. Pablo, et al. (San Diego Superior Court, Case No.:
25CU041752C)
City Attorney Steinke reported out from Closed Session and had no reportable action.
Adjournment
Mayor Snow adjourned the meeting at 9:44 p.m. and stated that the next regular City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, September 16, 2025 at 6:00 p.m.
Approved by City Council on Tuesday, October 21, 2025