CITY OF LOS BANOS
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
MAY 5, 2026
ACTION MINUTES – These minutes are prepared to depict action taken for agenda items presented to the City Council. For detail of this meeting refer to the electronic media.
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Amabile called the City Council Meeting to order at the hour of 9:02 a.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Police Chief Reyna led the pledge of allegiance.
ROLL CALL – MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL PRESENT: Council Members Mitzy Perez – District 1, Refugio LLamas – District 2, Marcus Chavez – District 3, Deborah Lewis – District 4, Mayor Michael Amabile, ABSENT: None STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: City Manager Than, City Clerk Mallonee, Police Chief Reyna, Community & Economic Development Director Souza Elms, Parks & Recreation Director Heim, Assistant Fire Chief Dorenbush, Public Works Director Via, Finance Director Moreno, Human Resources Director Carlos
CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Motion by Lewis, seconded by Chavez to approve the agenda as submitted. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.
PRESENTATIONS.
PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING PROVIDER APPRECIATION DAY. No one was present to accept the proclamation.
PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER. Mayor Amabile presented the proclamation to Pastor Hammond who was present to accept.
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. SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO A FIVE (5) MINUTE PRESENTATION. DETAILED GUIDELINES ARE POSTED ON THE COUNCIL CHAMBER INFORMATIONAL TABLE. Mayor Amabile invited the public to come forward to speak. BLANCHE JORGE spoke regarding her ongoing requests and noted that the Council has the power to grant them. She expressed gratitude to God and shared that the community is still in the middle of kitten season, while commending the animal shelter for doing a great job. She stated that she continues working to trap animals that do not have homes or someone to care for them so they can receive vaccinations, be spayed or neutered, and be assessed for possible placement into homes. She also emphasized the need to find individuals in neighboring cities who can work together throughout the County to address animal welfare issues collaboratively, noting that reducing animal dumping would help make the Westside area a better place. She expressed appreciation for everything the Council and staff do. No one came forward to speak and the public forum was closed.
CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION OF CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 7086 –
AUTHORIZING THE TERMINATION FOR CONVENIENCE OF THE PROGRESSIVE
DESIGN-BUILD AGREEMENT WITH SWINERTON BUILDERS FOR THE LOS BANOS CIVIC CENTER PROJECT. Community & Economic Development Director Elms presented the staff report, which included a PowerPoint presentation. City Manager Than clarified that the project is not being terminated and will continue moving forward, with staff only requesting a change to the progressive design-build team. He acknowledged Swinerton’s positive working relationship with the City and prior successful projects, but explained that the project overhead and indirect costs were very significant in comparison to the actual building costs. He noted that maintaining key programmatic items and core project components was very important to preserving the building’s intended functionality.
For that reason, staff was requesting Council approval to terminate negotiations with Swinerton and proceed with the second-ranked bidder, who had scored very closely during the original selection process and demonstrated the ability to complete the project within scope and budget.
Mayor Amabile invited the public to come forward to speak, no one came forward.
Council Member Lewis inquired as to the identity of the secondary company being considered for the project. Ms. Souza Elms responded that three proposals had originally been submitted, with Swinerton and the second-ranked team receiving the highest scores, and identified the secondary company as Fortune Ratliff and Paul Halajian Architects. Council Member LLamas asked whether the City had previously done business with the contractors that were mentioned. Ms. Souza Elms responded that the City had not previously worked with them on a project. Council Member LLamas asked how soon after the contractor accepted the job their overhead costs changed from 15% to 35%. Ms. Souza Elms responded that the discussion occurred during ongoing project negotiations and clarified that the issue was not a change in costs by the contractor, but rather a difference in interpretation of the contract terms during the project discussions.
Mayor Amabile stated that it is very important to proceed with improvements to the Police Annex building in the manner originally intended, emphasizing that the project should be completed to its full potential. He noted the significance of the investment and the importance of ensuring the facility is developed in a way that fully meets the City’s needs and intended use.
Motion by Lewis, seconded by LLamas to adopt City Council Resolution No. 7086 – Authorizing the Termination for Convenience of the Progressive Design-Build Agreement with Swinerton Builders for the Los Banos Civic Center Project. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.
CONDUCT A CITY COUNCIL GOALS & OBJECTIVES WORKSHOP. City Manager Than presented the staff report and wished everyone a happy Cinco de Mayo. He read a prepared statement welcoming attendees to the goal setting and budget workshop, noting it as a forum where priorities must be set as community needs continue to grow alongside increasing expectations and limited available funding. He emphasized that the workshop is focused on making responsible and sometimes difficult decisions regarding priorities, sequencing of projects, and identifying future opportunities. He further noted that the budget reflects community values expressed in financial terms and encouraged participants to maintain an open mind, a sense of humor, and patience as the discussion proceeds. Finance Director Moreno provided a detailed presentation on the Fiscal Year 2026–2027 Council priorities and budget workshop. She reviewed the key components of the budget process and outlined the associated priorities, which included a PowerPoint presentation.
Informational item only, no action taken.
ADJOURNMENT. The meeting was adjourned at 4:11 p.m.
APPROVED:
__/s/ Michael S. Amabile________
Michael S. Amabile, Mayor
ATTEST:
__/s/ Lucille L. Mallonee___________
Lucille L. Mallonee, City Clerk