HALPIT REGULAR MEETING OF THE MILPITAS
CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES
CALIFORNIA
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 2026
The City Council of the City of Milpitas convened in a Regular Meeting of the Militas City Council on February 3, 2026, in the City Council Chamber, 455 E. Calaveras Blvd, Milpitas, CA, and via teleconference/Zoom webinar.
CALL MEETING TO ORDER by Mayor and ROLL CALL by City Clerk Mayor Montano called the Regular City Council meeting to order at 6:00 PM and announced the Councilmember Lien was participating remotely from 35 Che Lan Vien St., Bac My An, Ngu Hanh Son, Da Nang, Vietnam, Conference Room. Roll Call was taken by City Clerk Guzzetta.
PRESENT: Mayor Montano, Vice Mayor Barbadillo (6:14 PM), Councilmember Chua, Councilmember Lam, Councilmember Lien
ABSENT: None
ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION
Acting City Attorney Creech briefed the City Council on the closed session items.
There were no public speakers.
The City Council adjourned to Closed Session at 6:02 PM. (a) PUBLIC EMPLOYEE APPOINTMENT AND HIRING
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(b)(1)
Employee Position: City Attorney
(b) CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATOR
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6
Agency's Designated Representative(s): Jared Hernandez, Acting City Manager; and Matt Cano, Assistant City Manager
Employee Organization(s): Unrepresented City Attorney
CLOSED SESSION ANNOUNCEMENT:
The City Council reconvened in open session at 7:09 PM.
Acting City Attorney Creech had nothing to report out.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Vice Mayor Barbadillo led the Pledge of Allegiance.
INVOCATION
Councilmember Lien presented the invocation.
February 3, 2026 Militas City Council Minutes Page 1
PRESENTATIONS
There were no presentations.
PUBLIC FORUM
There were the following public speakers:
1. Jill Schwinn
2. Gwan Alisantosa
3. Kaveri Rangaraj
4. Prashanth Kumar
5. Van Leong
6. Jessenia Garcia-Morales
7. Voltaire Montemayor
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. Acting City Attorney Creech asked the Mayor and City Councilmembers if they had any reportable campaign contributions. By roll call, there were no reportable campaign contributions.
READING OF THE CITY COUNCIL CODE OF CONDUCT
Councilmember Lam read the City Council Code of Conduct.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
After discussion, motion: to approve the agenda.
Motion/Second: Councilmember Chua / Vice Mayor Barbadillo Motion carried by the following:
AYES: Mayor Montano, Vice Mayor Barbadillo, Councilmember Chua, Councilmember Lam, Councilmember Lien
NOES: None
CONSENT CALENDAR
After discussion, motion: to approve the Consent Calendar.
Motion/Second: Councilmember Chua / Vice Mayor Barbadillo Motion carried by the following:
AYES: Mayor Montano, Vice Mayor Barbadillo, Councilmember Chua, Councilmember Lam, Councilmember Lien
NOES: None
Receive City Council Calendar of Meetings (Staff Contact: Suzanne Guzzetta, City Clerk, 408- 586-3001)
Received City Council Calendar of Meetings for February 2026.
2. Approve City Council Meeting Minutes (Staff Contact: Suzanne Guzzetta, City Clerk, 408-586- 3001)
February 3, 2026 Milpitas City Council Minutes Page 2
Approved City Council Meeting minutes of December 9, 2025, January 12, 20, and 23, 2026.
3. Receive the Preview List of Anticipated Items for the Next Regular City Council Meeting (Staff Contact: Suzanne Guzzetta, City Clerk, 408-586-3001)
Received the list of anticipated agenda items for the next regular City Council meeting.
4. Receive and Review the List of Agenda Items Requested by City Councilmembers (Staff Contact: Suzanne Guzzetta, City Clerk, 408-586-3001)
Received the list of items that have been requested by City Councilmembers and received consensus in previous meetings to date.
5. Consider Recommendations from Mayor Montano for Appointments to City Commissions (Contact: Suzanne Guzzetta, City Clerk, 408-586-3024)
Received Mayor Montano's recommendations and approved and confirmed the following recommendations for appointments to City Commissions.
Arts Commission:
1. Reappoint Joyita Ghose to a term ending October 2028
2. Reappoint Sandeep Umarani to a term ending October 2028
3. Reappoint Helen Qiu as Alternate No. 2 to a term ending October 2028 Economic Development and Trade Commission:
1. Appoint Conrad Schapira to the Technology and Trade Seat with a term ending April 2029
2. Appoint Alice Nguyen to the Non-Voting Student seat with an unexpired term ending April 2027 Energy and Environmental Sustainability Commission:
1. Reappoint Anuradha Sankaran to a term ending October 2028
2. Reappoint Felix Mbuga to a term ending October 2028
Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources Commission:
1. Appoint Kashmir Gill to an unexpired term ending June 2027 Planning Commission:
2. Appoint Dawn Brown to a term ending December 2028
3. Appoint Olania Castillo to a term ending December 2028 Senior Advisory Commission:
1. Reappoint Neelam Wadhwani to a term ending December 2028
2. Reappoint Jenny Berryhill to a term ending December 2028
3. Appoint Saida Nagpurwala to a term ending December 2028
4. Reappoint Sai Anish to the Non-Voting Student seat with a term ending December 2028 Science, Technology and Innovation Commission:
1. Reappoint Suresh Sinha to a term ending January 2029
2. Promote Vishal Gandhi to a full voting seat with an unexpired term ending January 2028 February 3, 2026 Militas City Council Minutes Page 3
3. Reappoint Tarun Bajaj as an Alternate Commissioner with a term ending January 2029
4. Appoint Ray Howlett to the Non-Voting Student seat with an unexpired term ending January 2028
6. Authorize the City Manager, or Designee, to Execute an Amendment to the Software License Agreement with OpenGov, Inc. for Procurement Software (Staff Contact: Luz Cofresi-Howe, Finance Director, 408-586-3111)
Authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute an amendment to the Software License Agreement with OpenGov, Inc. for Procurement Software to extend the Agreement for an additional five years through February 28, 2031 and add $57,996 for a revised contract in an amount not-to- exceed of $156,996, subject to the appropriation of funds.
7. Set a Public Hearing for March 3, 2026, and Adopt a Resolution Declaring Weeds on Specific Properties to be a Public Nuisance (Staff Contact: Arthur Belton, Deputy Chief/Fire Marshal, 408-586-3384)
Set a public hearing for March 3, 2026; and adopted Resolution No. 9473 declaring weeds on specific properties to be a public nuisance.
8. Adopt a Resolution to Approve and Authorize the City Manager, or Designee, to Execute the Agreement under the Fiscal Year 2024 Safe Streets and Roads for All Grant Program and Any Amendments with the United States Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration (Staff Contact: Christian Di Renzo, Public Works Director, 408-586-2602; and Michael Silveira, City Engineer, 408-586-3303)
Adopted Resolution No. 9474 to approve and authorize the City Manager, or designee, to execute the Fiscal Year 2024 Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) Grant Funding Agreement and any amendments with the United States Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration.
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
Approve the 2022 and 2023 Funding Application to the Permanent Local Housing Allocation Program, Authorize Receipt of the Grant, and Certify to the California Department of Housing and Community Development Compliance with Program Requirements (Staff Contact: Matt Cano, Assistant City Manager, 408-586-3275; and Sarah Balcha, Senior Administrative Analyst, 408-586-3268)
Acting City Manager Hernandez introduced the item. Assistant City Manager Cano and Senior Administrative Analyst Sarah Balcha presented the report.
There were the following public speakers:
1. Voltaire Montemayor
Councilmember Lam questioned how the total PLA funds were split, noting specific allocations for program administration, homeless outreach, and rental assistance. Staff explained the amounts in detail, clarifying that 5% of the funds were allocated for program administration.
Vice Mayor Barbadillo inquired about the effectiveness of outreach services and whether they served all unhoused persons. Staff responded that We Hope, the contracted service provider, aimed to address the needs of every individual in Milpitas while city staff prioritized concerns raised by residents.
Mayor Montano specifically inquired about navigation centers, to which Senior Administrative Analyst February 3, 2026 Militas City Council Minutes Page 4
Sarah Balcha clarified that they are part of broader eligible activities but not part of the current funding recommendation.
Councilmember Lam noted that homelessness counts in Militas had dropped significantly in recent years and supported the staff recommendation for twice-weekly outreach services.
After discussion, motion: to (1) Approve the 2022 and 2023 funding application to the Permanent Local Housing Allocation for Unhoused Outreach (PLHA) program; (2) Authorize the receipt of the PLHA grant; and (3) Certify to the California Department of Housing and Community Development compliance with the PLHA program requirements..
Motion/Second: Councilmember Chua / Councilmember Lien
Motion carried by the following:
AYES: Mayor Montano, Vice Mayor Barbadillo, Councilmember Chua, Councilmember Lam, Councilmember Lien
NOES: None
LEADERSHIP AND SUPPORT SERVICES
10. Review Fiscal Year 2025-26 Mid-Year Report, Approve FY2025-26 Mid-Year Budget Amendments, Adopt a Resolution Amending Resolution No. 1626, the Classification Plan, to Approve and Adopt the Pay Schedule titled "New Job Classifications/Salary Table" (Staff Contact: Luz Cofresí-Howe, Finance Director, 408-586-3111) Acting City Manager Hernandez introduced the item. Finance Director Cofresí-Howe presented the report.
There were the following public speakers:
1. Voltaire Montemayor
Councilmember Lien left the meeting at 9:06 PM.
During questioning, Vice Mayor Barbadillo expressed concerns about the overtime expenses and P- Card (purchasing card) usage. Acting City Manager Hernandez and Finance Director Luz Cofresi- Howe responded, explaining that there were ongoing efforts to examine these issues in detail, including consulting with external vendors and ensuring transparency in the process. There was extensive discussion on how best to share ongoing progress reports with the council and public, with suggestions including regular updates at council meetings or through public memos.
Councilmember Lien returned to the meeting at 9:30 PM.
Councilmember Chua praised the contract review process and the implementation of project-based accounting, which will allow better tracking of expenses across departments.
Councilmember Lien left the meeting at 9:45 PM.
Following an in-depth exploration of fiscal strategies, the structural deficit, and monitoring methods, multiple key concerns and insights were raised. Vice Mayor Barbadillo focused on the need for transparency and regular reporting, particularly for overtime expenses and the use of P-Cards. The council discussed creating a format for regular updates, either included as agenda items or through public memos, to foster transparency. Meanwhile, Finance Director Cofresi-Howe elaborated on efforts to scrutinize contracts and expenditures, ensuring both one-time savings and sourcing ongoing budget February 3, 2026 Militas City Council Minutes Page 5
efficiencies.
Councilmember Chua underscored the significance of the contract review process and the enhancement of project-based accounting, noting that these improvements should allow for more detailed tracking of expenditure across departments, thus helping better align spending with city priorities.
Acting City Manager Hernandez discussed the ongoing consulting with external vendors aimed at understanding the sources and implications of historical overtime patterns, stipulating that results from these inputs would be integrated into the upcoming budget cycle's strategic planning to better predict and manage future budget needs. The council deliberated on these various budget amendments and classification plan changes amidst the call for ongoing status updates regarding the organizational assessment items during the upcoming operating budget discussion sessions.
After discussion, motion: to (1) Review Fiscal Year 2025-26 Mid-Year Report; (2) Adopt Resolution No. 9475 to approve FY2025-26 Mid-Year Budget Amendments; and (3) Adopt Resolution No. 9476 amending Resolution No. 1626, the Classification Plan, to approve and adopt the pay schedule titled "New Job Classifications/Salary Table" and amend budgeted allocated positions.
Motion/Second: Councilmember Chua / Councilmember Lam
Motion carried by the following:
AYES: Mayor Montano, Vice Mayor Barbadillo, Councilmember Chua, Councilmember Lam NOES: None
ABSENT: Councilmember Lien
Staff was directed to bring back a report on the status of organizational assessment items at the operating budget discussion.
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Councilmember Chua announced the Parks and Recreation Commission's discussion about launching an "Adopt a Spot" program for community involvement in local parks. She also thanked staff for the Super Bowl lights display.
Councilmember Lam proposed providing city-branded jackets for councilmembers and the mayor to wear at conferences. Vice Mayor Barbadillo suggested adding hats, and Councilmember Chua suggested T-shirts.
There was consensus to move forward with this proposal (4-0-1. Absent: Lien) Vice Mayor Barbadillo asked for information about cell tower permitting processes. Acting City Manager Hernandez committed to providing a council briefing memo explaining the current process.
Mayor Montano requested that alcohol permits and massage parlor permits come before the full council rather than being approved administratively. The council reached consensus on developing a policy for this. (4-0-1. Absent: Lien)
Mayor Montano also requested information regarding ICE operations in Milpitas following the public forum comments. The Acting City Manager indicated staff would provide information through an informational memo.
February 3, 2026 Militas City Council Minutes Page 6
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Montano adjourned the meeting at 10:08 PM
council on rebruary 1
ALC
Milpitas City Clerk
February 3, 2026 Milpitas City Council Minutes Page 7