MULPIT SPECIAL MEETING OF THE MILPITAS
CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES
CALIFORNIA
TUESDAY, JULY 1, 2025
The City Council of the City of Milpitas convened in a Special Meeting of the Milpitas City Council on July 1, 2025, in the Krystall B Room at the Sonesta San Jose - Milpitas, 777 Bellew Drive, Milpitas, CA.
CALL MEETING TO ORDER by Mayor and ROLL CALL by City Clerk Mayor Montano called the Special City Council meeting to order at 10:01 AM. Roll Call was taken by Assistant City Manager Cano.
PRESENT: Mayor Montano, Vice Mayor Barbadillo, Councilmember Chua, Councilmember Lam, Councilmember Lien
ABSENT: None
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Montano led the pledge of allegiance.
PUBLIC FORUM
There were no public speakers.
ANNOUNCEMENT OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTIONS Acting City Attorney Creech asked the Mayor and City Councilmembers if they had any personal conflicts of interest. By roll call, there were no conflicts of interest.
READING OF THE CITY COUNCIL CODE OF CONDUCT
Mayor Montano read the City Council Code of Conduct.
AGENDA ITEMS
1. City Council Strategy & Governance Planning Workshop Interim City Manager Santana introduced the workshop, emphasizing the need to address governance structures and align roles given organizational changes.
Best Practices of Local City Government/City Council Governance Consultant Shawn Spano facilitated a discussion on best practices for council governance. He outlined different roles council members play, including strategic visionary, trustee/steward, constituent advocate, community builder, decision maker, and oversight. He presented scenarios to illustrate governance challenges including:
• When resources don't meet expectations: The council discussed the importance of education and transparency around budget constraints.
• Well-intentioned council member: The council discussed direct interaction with staff work. Interim City Manager Santana suggested better processes for briefing council members while maintaining staff independence.
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• When data doesn't make sense: Councilmembers emphasized the need for staff to validate data from contractors and explain discrepancies between data and resident experiences. • A politically sensitive case: The council discussed the importance of maintaining proper channels for inquiries and concerns.
• City council policy decision: The discussion explored how staff could better prepare council for decisions and how council could communicate their needs more effectively to staff.
Path Forward / Future Planning
Interim City Manager Santana presented proposed changes to governance practices, including:
• Implementing a tracking report for council requests
• Moving to a biannual council priority process aligned with budget cycles • Strengthening the city manager's office's management of departmental communications The City Council generally supported these proposals, with some discussion around ensuring timely responses to smaller requests.
Interim City Manager Santana also shared her expectations for department directors, emphasizing their responsibility for both departmental management and organizational leadership. Council members expressed support for strengthening performance management practices.
The meeting concluded with councilmembers sharing positive feedback about the workshop and expressing hope for improved governance and trust moving forward. Councilmember Chua suggested a follow-up session in six months to assess progress.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Montano adjourned the meeting at 2:28 PM.
The foregoing minutes were approved by the Milpitas City Council on August 19, 2025
Suzanne Guzzetta
Milpitas City Clerk
July 1, 2025 Militas City Council Minutes Page 2