REGULAR CITY COUNCIL, HOUSING AUTHORITY AND SUCCESSOR AGENCY MEETING MINUTES 25541 Barton Road, Loma Linda, CA 92354
June 23, 2026, 7:03 PM - June 23, 2026, 8:15 PM
Roll Call: (The following members were in attendance)
Phillip Dupper, Mayor/Chairman
Ronald Dailey, Mayor pro tempore/Vice Chairman
Rhodes Rigsby, Councilmember/Boardmember
Rhonda Spencer, Councilmember/Boardmember
Absent:
Ovidiu Popescu, Councilmember/Boardmember
1. Call to Order
1.A. Call to Order - City Council [CC], Housing Authority Board [HA], and Successor Agency [SA] The meeting was called to order at 7:03pm.
1.B. Roll Call
All, but Councilmember/Boardmember Popescu, were present.
Staff present: T. Jarb Thaipejr, City Manager/HA Executive Director; Diane Robbins, City Attorney/HA General Counsel; Lynette Arreola, City Clerk/HA Secretary; Tom Ingalls, Fire Marshall; Lorena Matarrita, Community Development Director; Adrian DeSousa, Information Systems Specialist; and Representative from San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department
1.C. Closed Session - None
No Closed Session items.
1.D. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance - Mayor pro tempore Dailey The Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance were led by Mayor pro tempore Dailey.
1.E. Items to be Added or Deleted
There were no items that were added or deleted.
1.F. Oral Reports/Public Participation - Non-Agenda Items (Each Speaker limited to 3 minutes.
Pursuant to the Brown Act, no action or discussion can be taken by City Council, Housing Authority or Successor Agency)
There were no public participation upon invitation by the Mayor.
2. Scheduled Hearing Items
2.A. Council Bill #R-2026-34 - Consider Adopting a Resolution Establishing City Policies and Procedures Pertaining to SB707 (Durazo) Open Meetings Laws and Teleconference Requirements (City Clerk) [CC/HA/SA]
The City Clerk presented an overview of Senate Bill 707 (SB 707), which updates California's open meeting and teleconferencing requirements beginning July 1, 2026, through January 1, 2030. She noted that the legislation requires certain local agencies meeting the minimum criteria must provide hybrid meeting access through two-way telephonic or audio-video platforms and establishes new public participation and accessibility requirements. She highlighted some of the legislation requirements. She noted that the recommendation is to adopt the Resolution establishing policies governing technology disruptions, disruptive remote participation, and reasonable ADA accommodations for public meetings to ensure compliance with SB 707.
Motion by Rhodes Rigsby, seconded Ronald Dailey, passing by a vote of 4-0-0-0-1, Absent was Ovidiu Popescu
to Approve and Adopt Council Bill #R-2026-34, RESOLUTION 3314 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF LOMA LINDA, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES FOR DISRUPTIONS TO REMOTE PUBLIC
ACCESS AND ADDRESSING DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOR OF REMOTE PARTICIPANTS DURING CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS PURSUANT TO SENATE BILL 707 (DURAZO) EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026; AND ADOPTING A POLICY IMPLEMENTING
PROCEDURES TO FACILITATE REQUESTS FOR ACCOMMODATIONS AT PUBLIC MEETINGS IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE RALPH M. BROWN ACT AND THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990.
3. Consent Calendar
Motion by Rhodes Rigsby, seconded Rhonda Spencer, passing by a vote of 4-0-0-0-1, Absent was Ovidiu Popescu
to Approve the Consent Calendar items as recommended in their staff reports.
3.A. Consider Approving the Minutes June 09, 2026, as Presented (City Clerk) [CC/HA/SA] Approved the minutes of June 9, 2026, as presented.
3.B. Consider Approving Demands Register of June 23, 2026, for Payment (Finance) [CC/HA/SA] Approved by City Council the Main Demands Register dated June 23, 2026, with commercial demands totaling $1,554,116.74, and payroll dated June 18, 2026, totaling $522,441.42; Approved by the Housing Authority Board the Demands Register dated June 23, 2026, with commercial demands totaling $4,856.91; and Approved by the Successor Agency the Demands Register dated June 23,2026, with commercial demands totaling $500.00.
3.C. Consider Approving Project Proposal from Synoptek regarding VMWare to Hyper-V Migration for $70,200 (Fiscal Year 2027) (Information Technology) [CC] Approved project proposal from Synoptek for $69,050, as recommended in the staff report.
3.D. Council Bill #R-2026-30 - Consider Adopting a Resolution Establishing the Refuse Rate Collection and Disposal Fees Effective July 1, 2026, and Repealing Resolution No. 3251 (Public Works) [CC] Approved and adopted Council Bill #R-2026-30 -
RESOLUTION NO. 3313
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LOMA LINDA, CALIFORNIA, ESTABLISHING MAXIMUM REFUSE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL RATES EFFECTIVE JULY 1, 2026, AND REPEALING RESOLUTION NO. 3251.
3.E. Consider Awarding Contract to Air Exchange, Inc. for the Purchase and Installation of a Plymovent Vehicle Exhaust Extraction System at the new Fire Station in the amount of $131,600 (Fire) [CC] Approved contract to Air Exchange, Inc., for $131,600 as recommended in the staff report.
3.F. Consider Awarding Award Contract to WESTNET First-In for the Purchase and Installation of a Fire Station Alerting System for the New Fire Station in the Amount of $75,000 (Fire) [CC] Approved contract to WESTNET First-In for $75,000, as recommended in the staff report.
3.G. Consider Approving Extension of Joint Use Agreement between the Redlands Unified School District and the City of Loma Linda, Effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (Public Works) [CC] Approved the extension of the Joint Use Agreement with Redlands Unified School District effective July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027, as recommended in the staff report.
3.H. Consider Awarding Contract to HHS Construction, Inc., in the amount of $70,254.67 for the Fiber Optic Installation at Beaumont Avenue and Nevada Street (CIP 26-677) (Public Works) [CC] Approved contract to HHS Construction, Inc. for $70,254.67 as recommended in the staff report.
3.I. Consider Approving the Third Amendment to City of Loma Linda Agreement for Consulting Services with TKE Engineering, Inc. for City Related Services (Administration) [CC] Approved Third Amendment to City Services Agreement contract with TKE Engineering as recommended in the staff report.
3.J. Consider Approving the Seventh Amendment to the Loma Linda Housing Authority Agreement for Consulting Services with TKE Engineering, Inc. (Administration) [HA] Approved Seventh Amendment to Housing Authority Agreement contract with TKE Engineering as recommended in the staff report.
3.K. Consider Approving the Fifth Amendment to the Successor Agency to the City of Loma Linda Redevelopment Agency Agreement for Consulting Services with TKE Engineering, Inc. (Administration) [SA]
Approved Fifth Amendment to Successor Agency Agreement contract with TKE Engineering as recommended in the staff report.
4. New Business
4.A. Discussion and Direction Regarding the Development of a City Strategic Plan, Incorporation of the Community Survey Data, and Potential Public and City Council Workshops to Establish Priorities, Goals, and Long-Term Objectives (Mayor) [CC]
Mayor prro tempore Dailey shared his experience with strategic planning, noting that while one plan he participated in was not implemented, another developed for Omnitrans was successfully executed and produced positive results. He expressed support for developing a Strategic Plan for the City, emphasizing that it should be facilitated by experienced professionals and supported by both the City Council and staff. He stressed the importance of commitment, accountability, and proper implementation to ensure the plan's success.
Councilmember Rigsby also supported the development of a Strategic Plan, citing his previous experience with a planning process that involved an overly large group and relied on consensus. He emphasized that the City's plan should be developed through a structured process, rather than by consensus, and should include periodic updates.
Councilmember Spencer expressed support for a Strategic Plan but raised concerns about the City's capacity to implement it. She discussed the importance of evaluating staffing resources, organizational structure, job descriptions, and performance evaluations to support implementation. She also requested regular updates regarding the City's finances and inquired about the Fire Department's Strategic Plan, noting the distinction between a strategic plan and the City's General Plan.
Mayor pro tempore Dailey agreed with Councilmember Spencer's concerns regarding implementation but emphasized that the City Council's role is to establish policy and provide direction rather than micromanage staff operations.
Mayor Dupper also supported developing a Strategic Plan and recommended retaining an experienced consultant with expertise in local government strategic planning to guide the process. Noting the Council's consensus to move forward, he requested that staff begin the process.
Fire Chief Dan Harker advised that the Fire Department's 2020–2025 Strategic Plan has been completed and is available on the City's website.
City Manager Thaipejr stated that staff would obtain Request for Proposal (RFP) documents from Omnitrans and neighboring agencies, adapt them to meet the City's needs, and return a draft RFP to the City Council for review and approval.
4.B. Discussion and Direction Regarding the Retention of an Independent Forensic Financial Consultant to Conduct a Comprehensive Review and Analysis of the City's Budget, Financial Condition, Revenues, Expenditures, and Fiscal Outlook (Mayor) [CC] Mayor Dupper explained that he requested the item be placed on the agenda in response to allegations made at previous meetings regarding overspending and misuse of City funds. He recommended retaining an independent forensic financial consultant to conduct a comprehensive review to either validate or refute the allegations, stating that an objective third-party review would help determine whether any issues exist and allow the City Council to move forward with confidence.
The City Council discussed the purpose and scope of a forensic financial audit and whether it was the appropriate approach. Budget Committee member Gary Nelson described the role of an independent CPA audit, the City's internal controls, and the Budget Committee's oversight responsibilities. He noted that, if directed by the City Council, the Budget Committee could work with staff to conduct a more detailed review of the City's finances.
Councilmember Rigsby recommended continuing the item to allow the Councilmember who had raised the concerns an opportunity to participate in the discussion.
City Manager Thaipejr noted that the City Council previously held a budget workshop in March 2024 to discuss revenue-generating opportunities and stated that staff would return with an update on the progress made regarding those initiatives.
By Council consensus, the item was continued to the next regular meeting.
5. Reports
5.A. Reports of Council Members
Mayor pro tempore Dailey inquired to the park maintenance concerns raised previously.
In response, City Manager Thaipejr stated that the City obtained bids for park maintenance and will be awarding contracts at the next meeting.
5.B. Reports Of Officers
No reports.
6. Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 8:15pm.
The minutes were approved on July 14, 2026, as presented.
Lynette Arreola, City Clerk