CITY OF LOS BANOS
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
JUNE 28, 2022
ACTION MINUTES – These minutes are prepared to depict action taken for agenda items presented to the City Council. For greater detail of this meeting refer to the electronic media (CD and/or audio) kept as a permanent record.
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Faria called the City Council Meeting to order at the hour of 6:00 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: The pledge of allegiance was led by Police Commander Reyna.
ROLL CALL – MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL PRESENT: Council Members Brett Jones, Kenneth Lambert, Deborah Lewis (participating telephonically), Refugio LLamas, Mayor Tom Faria; Absent: None.
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: City Attorney Vaughn, City Clerk/Human Resources Director Mallonee, Police Commander/Acting Fire Chief Reyna.
CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Motion by Lambert, seconded by LLamas to approve the agenda as submitted. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.
PUBLIC FORUM: MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL
MEMBERS ON ANY ITEM OF PUBLIC INTEREST THAT IS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY; INCLUDES AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS. NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS. Mayor Faria opened the public forum and asked those at the meeting if they would like to speak: Tom Balatti, lifelong resident of Los Banos, reading from a prepared letter that is on file with the City Clerk, stated if I would have met any of you on the street I would have congratulated you on the hiring of Josh Pinheiro, he thought he was doing a lot to improve Los Banos, he was supportive of Police, Fire, Planning and Parks & Recreation, Los Banos Unified School district, Pacheco Park and downtown have been cleaned up, new scoreboards at Colorado Ball Park, he urges the City Council to back track on your decision; CRYSTAL, Los Banos resident for 2 years, talked about her concerns with the municipal leash law, spoke regarding an incident with her dog being attacked by another dog and even attached her, how she called the police station, she feels huge fines should be enforced on your leash laws, concerns with animals needed to be neutered and spaded, and leash laws need to be obeyed for the safety and well-being of residents in Los Banos; NANCY SOARES, Los Banos, reading from a prepared letter that is on file with the City Clerk, stated that 9 months ago she applauded you on a decision to hire a city manager who was a business man not a politician, instead of giving him a chance to prove himself you went from 0-60 in one meeting, no steps were taken to resolve any issues, one of the most important things a city manager could do is put together a budget and you fire him on the same night, it appears to me that this decision was based on emotion and personal feelings, we have not been given reasons, you have to be able to justify your actions.
Mayor Faria asked if there were any written comments received and City Clerk Mallonee stated that she received the following written comment that is on file with the City Clerk:
LAUREN HARRIS wrote regarding how she is a 4th generation resident of Los Banos and how in a handful of months the former city manager was taking Los Banos is a new direction, how kink, respectful, energetic and a hard worker he is, opening the eyes of long-time residents to the idea that Los Banos could be more than just a town you drive through, how she was heartbroken hear of his termination and that the City Council look at the bigger picture and to make Los Banos the best place to live and Josh was doing that. No one else came forward to speak and the public forum was closed.
CLOSED SESSION – PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT, TITLE: INTERIM CITY MANAGER, PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54957. Direction given to staff.
ADJOURNMENT. Motion by Lambert, seconded by LLamas, the meeting was adjourned at 6:44 p.m. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present, Lewis participating telephonically, Jones absent.
APPROVED:
/s/ Manuel Thomas Faria III____
Manuel Thomas Faria III, Mayor
ATTEST:
/s/ Lucille L. Mallonee_________
Lucille L. Mallonee, City Clerk