Item: B-1
Minutes for: 08/22/20255
Adopted: 09/03/2025
The City o
MADERA
VALLEY CENTRAL
Minutes of a Special Meeting of the Madera City Council Friday, August 22, 2025 Council Chambers
4:00 p.m. City Hall
The Madera City Council meetings are open to the public. The meeting was available for public viewing and participation through Zoom. Members of the public were able to observe the live-streamed meeting on the City's website and were able to comment on agenda items at the meeting, remotely through an electronic meeting via phone, via email and by regular mail.
CALL TO ORDER: Meeting was called to order at 4:01 p.m.
ROLL CALL:
Present: Mayor Cece Gallegos
Mayor Pro Tem Jose Rodriguez, District 2
Councilmember Rohi Zacharia, District 1
Councilmember Artemio Villegas, District 6
Absent: Councilmember Steve Montes, District 3
Councilmember Anita Evans, District 4
Councilmember Elsa Mejia, District 5
Others present were City Manager Arnoldo Rodriguez, City Clerk Alicia Gonzales, City Attorney Shannon L. Chaffin (Arrived at 4:06 p.m.) and Community Development Director Will Tackett.
INVOCATION: Councilmember Zacharia
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
ON MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM RODRIGUEZ AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER VILLEGAS, THE AGENDA WAS APPROVED BY A 4/0 VOTE. ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS MONTES, EVANS AND MEJIA.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Members of the public shall have an opportunity to address the City Council regarding matters on this Agenda at the time the agenda item is called. Speakers should limit their comments to three (3) minutes.
No Public Comment was presented. Public Comment was closed.
A. CLOSED SESSION:
A-1 Conference with Legal Counsel - Anticipated Litigation Deciding whether to initiate litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(4) One Case
City Clerk Alicia Gonzales made the closed session announcement at 4:05 p.m. City Attorney Shannon L. Chaffin and Council returned from Closed Session at 4:29 p.m. Councilmembers Montes, Evans and Mejia were absent. Mr. Chaffin stated there was no reportable action.
B. PETITIONS, BIDS, RESOLUTIONS, ORDINANCES, AND AGREEMENTS:
B-1 Consideration of a Resolution Requesting the Voiding of the Community Benefit Agreement dated August 15, 2024, with Madera Has Culture, Inc. (dba Culture Cannabis Club) Arising from the Corporation's Suspension by the California Secretary of State Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution of the City Council of the City of Madera Requesting the Voiding of, and Voiding, the Community Benefit Agreement dated August 15, 2024, by and between the City of Madera and Madera Has Culture, Inc. (Corporation Suspended) (Report by Will Tackett) Mike Warda, on behalf of "Culture", spoke in favor of not terminating the agreement. He did not know the reason for calling an emergency meeting for this item. He disagrees with Council that this entity cannot do business. He stated it can do business; it just can't file a lawsuit right now because it is in suspended status. He stated that they have an email from the Planning Director saying they would work with them until August 29th to get it back in good standing. He is not sure what changed. The company is in the process of getting its status corrected with the Franchise Tax Board. He is asking that the City extend the agreement. He stated that if the agreement is terminated, they will work and do whatever they need to do to enforce their rights.
Devon Julian, one of the owners of Madera Has Culture, Inc. stated they are fully committed to honoring the cannabis business permit and the benefits agreement that they've entered into with the City. The issue with the Franchise Tax Board is an administrative oversight and can be remedied quickly.
No further Public Comment was presented. Public Comment was closed.
City Attorney Shannon L. Chaffin addressed Council to clarify some items. Mr. Chaffin stated that this is not an emergency meeting. It is a special meeting, and cities have them all the time.
Mr. Chaffin stated that even though this isn't about the auto expiration of the cannabis business license, the business has known about the deadline for a year. The business received emails months ago about the deadline and having to get everything done by August 15t. The email sent out last week was seeking a confirmation as to whether or not there had been a mistake by the California Secretary of State. Was there an error on the website? The City received a response indicating that the business was going through the revivor process which is an admission that it was not a mistake, and the business had been suspended. The email did not extend any commercial cannabis business license items. It was related only to building permits and at the bottom of the email it made it very clear that if the corporation was suspended at this time rather than being an entry error by the Secretary of State, then any delays in reviving the corporation will not toll mandatory deadlines or other requirements related to permit issuance. The Commercial Cannabis Business permit had already been issued.
It is an automatic expiration under the City's code.
City Attorney Chaffin stated there was a modification to the resolution.
ON MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM RODRIGUEZ AND SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER VILLEGAS, ITEM B-1 WITH THE MODIFIED RESOLUTION WAS APPROVED BY A 4/0 VOTE. ABSENT:
COUNCILMEMBERS MONTES, EVANS AND MEJIA.
RES 25-174 RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF MADERA,
CALIFORNIA, REQUESTING THE VOIDING OF THE COMMUNITY BENEFIT City of Madera City Council Minutes
205 W. 4th Street August 22, 2025
Madera, CA 93637 Page 2 of 3
AGREEMENT DATED AUGUST 15, 2024, BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF MADERA AND MADERA HAS CULTURE, INC. (CORPORATION SUSPENDED) ADJOURNMENT: Meeting was adjourned at 4:40 p.m.
Cecile Gallege
ALICIA GONZALES, City Clerk ECELIA K. GALLEGOS, Mayot
Zelda Bein
MINUTES PREPARED
ZELDA LEÓN, Deputy City Clerk
SIN OF MADER,
CORPORATES
* : March 27, 1907
ÇALİFORN IP
City of Madera City Council Minutes
205 W. 4th Street August 22, 2025
Madera, CA 93637 Page 3 of 3