MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING
CITY OF MONTEREY
Tuesday, February 3, 2026
4:00 PM
COUNCIL CHAMBER, 580 PACIFIC ST.
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA
Councilmembers
Present: Barber, Garcia, Rasch, Smith, Williamson
Absent: None
City Staff
Present:
Interim City Manager, Assistant City Manager, City Attorney, Finance Director, Police Chief, Library & Museums Director, Public Works Director, Parks and Recreation Director, City Clerk, Assistant Human Resources Director, Property Manager, Recreation Manager, Parks Supervisor, Assistant Fire Chief, Sports Center Manager, Administrative Analyst/Public Information Officer, Parking Superintendent, Deputy Public Works Director/City Engineer, Associate Planner, Associate Civil Engineer (x2), Environmental Regulations Analyst, Senior Park Maintenance Worker, Street Maintenance Lead Worker
Call to Order
Mayor Williamson called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m. City Clerk Klein called the roll with the Council present as indicated above.
Pledge of Allegiance
Councilmember Smith led the Pledge.
AFTERNOON SESSION
Presentations (Afternoon)
1. Recognize February 2026 as Black History Month (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378, and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Recognized Black History Month
Councilmember Barber presented the proclamation and Councilmembers spoke about the importance of recognizing Black History Month and celebrating diversity.
Public comment was received from Esther Malkin, who spoke in appreciation of diversity on the Council dais and among City staff.
2. Receive a Presentation Introducing Nicole Banks as the City’s New Parks and Recreation Director (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378, and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Received presentation
Interim City Manager Bauman and Assistant City Manager Rojanasathira gave a short verbal presentation outlining the recruitment process, after which Parks and Recreation Director Banks gave a verbal presentation introducing herself and explaining her goals for the department. The Council made brief remarks welcoming Parks and Recreation Director Banks.
City Council Minutes February 3, 2026
2 Public comment was received from Esther Malkin, who welcomed Parks and Recreation Director Banks and said she looked forward to talking with her about Laguna Grande Park.
General Public Comments
Public comment on non-agendized matters was received from: Adma Khoury, Mohammed, Bill Douros, and Esther Malkin.
Consent Agenda
Public comment on the Consent Items was solicited but not received.
On a motion by Councilmember Garcia, seconded by Councilmember Barber, and carried by the following vote, the City Council approved the Consent Agenda:
AYES: 5 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Garcia, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None)
Consent: Approval of Minutes
3. January 20, 2026 Regular Meeting (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Approved
4. January 28, 2026 Special Meeting (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Approved
Consent: Award of Construction Contracts
5. Award a Construction Contract in the Amount of $420,095.00 to Southwest Pipeline and Trenchless Corp. for the Sanitary Sewer System Rehabilitation Aguajito Sewer Cured-inPlace Pipe (Exempt from CEQA, Article 19, Section 15301, Class 1) Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-011 C.S.
6. Award a Construction Contract to Eaton Corporation in the Amount of $192,950.00 for the Removal and Replacement of 90 Enersys Batteries at Camp Roberts – Project POM 25-011 ***IGSA*** (Categorically Excluded from NEPA 32 CFR, Part 651, Section II(g)(1) (CEQA Not a Project))
Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-012 C.S.
Consent: Ordinances
7. 2nd Reading of an Ordinance Amending Chapter 31 of the Monterey City Code to add a Ten-Foot Spacing Requirement between Temporary Signs on Private Property (Exempt from CEQA Article 19, Section 15303, Class 3)
Action: Adopted Ordinance No. 3716 C.S.
City Council Minutes February 3, 2026
3 Consent: Resolutions
8. Award a Job Order Contract in the Amount of $150,000 to Mary’s Pest Control, Inc. for Presidio of Monterey Pest Control Services ***IGSA*** (Categorically Excluded from NEPA 32 CFR, Part 651, Section II(g)(1) (CEQA Not a Project)) Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-013 C.S.
9. Order Engineer’s Report for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Alvarado Street Maintenance District No. 85-1 (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-014 C.S.
10. Order Engineer’s Report for Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Calle Principal Maintenance District No. 00-1 (Not a project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-015 C.S.
11. Award a Contract to ComSonics, Inc. for the Purchase of an Automated License Plate Recognition (ALPR) Camera System and Associated Software and Services for the Parking Division in an Amount Not to Exceed $182,255.27 (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-016 C.S.
Consent: Other
12. Appoint Agency Negotiators for Conference with Real Property Negotiators Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.8; Property: 160 Municipal Wharf #2 and Approximately 3,238 Square Feet of Area Located Under the Wharf #2 Warehouse; Agency Negotiators: Kimberly Cole and Janna Aldrete; Negotiating Parties: Art Seavey and Amanda Fay (Monterey Abalone Company); Under Negotiation: Price and Terms of Payment for Lease Amendment (Not a Project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Appointed agency negotiators Cole and Aldrete
End of Consent Agenda
Afternoon Session Items
Public Appearance (Afternoon)
13. Appoint Dante G. Hall as City Manager, Approve Employment Contract, and Amend the City’s Full-Time Salary Schedule (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Adopted Resolution No. 26-017 C.S.
City Attorney Davi gave the staff presentation. The Council spoke about the recruitment, application, and interview process and explained why they had selected Mr. Hall out of the many qualified applicants. Appreciation was expressed for the recruiter, the internal candidates, the Human Resources Department, and the community stakeholders who had provided feedback.
Regarding the proposed salary, it was noted that the City desired to stay competitive and offer comparable salaries in order to recruit and retain talented employees.
City Council Minutes February 3, 2026
4 Public comment was received from Nina Beety, who expressed confidentiality concerns related to Councilmembers having had their cellular phones present in the room during interviews, and asserted that Mr. Hall had been responsible for the City of Hercules being named a "Smart City." The Council stated that the timeline and process for the recruitment had been publicly shared in Council meeting materials. It was stated that the Council had upheld the confidentiality of the interview process. It was stressed that Mr. Hall would bring policy decisions such as "Smart City" designations to the Council, and would uphold the direction that he received from the Council.
On a motion by Mayor Williamson, seconded by Councilmember Smith, and carried by the following vote, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 26-017 C.S.:
AYES: 5 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Garcia, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None)
Councilmember Smith left the Chamber at 5:03 p.m. and returned at 5:04 p.m.
14. Authorize the City Manager or Designee to Execute an Agreement with the Monterey County Office of Education (MCOE) for an Amount Not to Exceed $120,668.40 for Production and Broadcast Services (Not a Project Under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: Authorized City Manager or designee to execute the agreement with MCOE Communications Manager Huelga gave the staff presentation and answered Councilmembers' questions.
Public comment was received from: Kodiak Adams and Noa Daniels of Access Media Productions ("AMP"), Nina Beety, and Esther Malkin, who all spoke in support of retaining AMP, for various reasons and citing benefits to working with a non-profit and to keeping services local.
The Council discussed the matter. It was expressed that AMP had been part of the Monterey community for many years and that the Councilmembers knew and liked the AMP employees. It was suggested that the matter could perhaps be postponed. The "local" qualification, which had not been a factor in the bid process, was discussed. It was discussed that the RFP could perhaps be redone with a local preference.
On question, City Attorney Davi said that a request for proposals ("RFP") would need to be reissued if the Council wished to develop new criteria. She advised that an RFP should not be crafted to reach a conclusion. She advised that in regards to local preference, MCOE would be considered local.
The Council stressed that the RFP process had been done fairly and equitably and that the Council had an obligation to honor the process. It was stated that MCOE was a proven service provider. It was stated that Salinas, where MCOE offices were located, was local, and that while it would be ideal to keep business local to the Monterey Peninsula, MCOE's recommended proposal would save the City money which it was stressed should be the Council's focus. It was noted that the Council had asked City staff to find cost savings opportunities and that the Council had an obligation to use residents' dollars wisely and thoughtfully.
The Council expressed its appreciation for AMP and AMP staff's services, and stressed that this was a challenging decision and that the Council understood the impact it would have. It was hoped that there would be employment opportunities for AMP staff at MCOE. It was stated that City Council Minutes February 3, 2026
5 beyond the confines of this contract decision, the City was here to partner and help find opportunities for AMP and its staff.
On a motion by Mayor Williamson, seconded by Councilmember Smith, and carried by the following vote, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 26-018 C.S.:
AYES: 5 COUNCILMEMBERS: Barber, Garcia, Rasch, Smith, Williamson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None)
Council Comments
Councilmember Rasch reported on her attendance at the Monterey Vista Neighborhood Association meeting and on the association's discussion on the City's tree ordinance. She asked that the City take time to review the draft ordinance together more deeply with the community before a final draft would be put through the rigors of the CEQA process. In response, Interim City Manager Bauman explained that the CEQA process was a thoughtful, deliberate process that would take time and would provide for the engagement with the community.
Councilmember Smith recognized Sabrina Hiltunen as the new Executive Director of the Old Monterey Business Association ("OMBA"). He said that the OMBA board had discussed downtown security and whether there was a way to get additional support from the City for the security presence downtown. He said he would bring a draft memo from OMBA to the City Manager and Police Chief.
Mayor Williamson, regarding the OMBA memo, noted that there might be an opportunity to adjust the security hours to assist downtown business owners. He said that typically the Council held a strategic planning discussion early in the calendar year and that this year the discussion would be put off for a few months so that it could be conducted together with the new City Manager. He said he was eager to get the tree ordinance done. He reported out from Monterey One Water (M1W), sharing a basic overview of M1W's operations and updates on its utility and electric reliability program, which he explained was intended to modernize and improve the energy needed for M1W's systems and was funded largely by grants.
Councilmember Smith left the Chamber at 5:55 p.m. and returned at 5:57 p.m.
City Manager Reports
Interim City Manager Bauman announced that there were vacancies available to be filled on the City's boards, commissions, and committees and gave information on how Monterey residents could apply. He invited all to buy tickets to attend the annual Chocolate and Wine event at the Monterey Public Library, hosted by the Monterey Public Library Friends and Foundation on Feb 21, 2026, and to attend the next free Pop Up Fun event at Montecito Park, scheduled for February 7, 2026.
Adjourn to Closed Session
Public comment on the closed session was solicited but not received. The Council adjourned to closed session at 6:02 p.m.
Closed Session (Afternoon)
15. Closed Session Conference with Real Property Negotiators Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.8
City Council Minutes February 3, 2026
6 Property: 160 Municipal Wharf #2 and Approximately 3,238 Square Feet of Area Located Under the Wharf #2 Warehouse
Agency Negotiators: Kimberly Cole and Janna Aldrete
Negotiating Parties: Art Seavey and Amanda Fay (Monterey Abalone Company) Under Negotiation: Price and Terms of Payment for Lease Amendment (Not a Project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: On a unanimous roll call vote, the Council gave confidential direction to its property negotiators
16. Conference with Legal Counsel, Deciding Whether to Initiate Litigation Pursuant to Government Code §54956.9(d)(4) (One Case - Re: Zoning Code Violations at 548 Mar Vista Dr., Monterey, Owned by Desiree Albert, Trustee) (Not a Project Under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and Under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) Action: On a unanimous roll call vote, the Council authorized the initiation of litigation related to 548 Mar Vista Drive
Adjournment
The Council adjourned at 6:50 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted, Approved,
Clementine Bonner Klein Tyller Williamson
City Clerk Mayor