From: [email protected] on behalf of eSCRIBE.Admin To: [email protected]; Shelley Chapel; Tonya Hussain Subject: Public Comment Received
Date: Monday, June 29, 2026 12:09:52 PM
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User Ted Godshalk has enter the following comment(s):
ON-CALL ARCHITECTS should be a thing of the past. Expense accounts don't lead to prudent spending. It's too easy to "spend easily," in this fashion. This city government is in a budget crisis. All not-to-exceed contracts should be cancelled. All new architect work must be scheduled for Council discussion with complete communication about account balances, spending priorities, and future back-fill of budgets. "Times" have changed. Spending must be more closely monitored by our elected officials.
for Amendments to the On-Call Consultant Agreements for City’s Capital Improvement Program in Special City Council Meeting 6/30/2026 6:00:00 PM Please log into eSCRIBE to review the submitted comment(s).
Item 6.8
From: [email protected] on behalf of eSCRIBE.Admin To: [email protected]; Shelley Chapel; Tonya Hussain Subject: Public Comment Received
Date: Monday, June 29, 2026 12:01:08 PM
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User Ted Godshalk has enter the following comment(s):
The graffiti in the area is horrible, but this event will not significantly change that. This TUP needs a reasonable estimate of staff time and expenses prior to approval. There is a budget crisis in the city and for council members to pull strings to get events on the agenda shows a denial of the fiscal responsibility required by the office. As a solution, Mr. Bush's Council District budget should cover all expenses and I hope that next time he can plan events for his district in the future.
for Temporary Use Permit – Meeting of Styles Hosted by Vision Culture Foundation at 1726 Wilson Ave. on Sunday, July 19th, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. in Special City Council Meeting 6/30/2026 6:00:00 PM
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Item 6.17
From: [email protected] on behalf of eSCRIBE.Admin To: [email protected]; Shelley Chapel; Tonya Hussain Subject: Public Comment Received
Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2026 12:04:19 PM
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User Ted Godshalk has enter the following comment(s):
The proposal to hire a facilitator is not a huge expense, but it will not stop the financial slide, either. The staff report states that “The value of … a neutral facilitator… cannot be overstated,” but the staff report language certainly goes on to clearly overstate the value.
Council, follow Alternative 1 and request that Mr. Schulze do his own research prior to a comprehensive long term planning effort. The person you hired should have the skills to do this study without paying a consultant
for Authorization to Issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) for City Council Facilitation Services. in Special City Council Meeting 6/30/2026 6:00:00 PM Please log into eSCRIBE to review the submitted comment(s).
Item 7.3
From: Ted Godshalk
To: Public Comment
Cc: Ted Godshalk
Subject: Comments for Item 7.3 for Council meeting of June 30, 2026 from Mr. Ted Godshalk:
Date: Tuesday, June 30, 2026 1:58:41 PM
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Comments for Item 7.3 for Council meeting of June 30, 2026 from Mr. Ted Godshalk:
We welcome the new City Manager to the job. The Staff report for item 7.3 shows several changes in format that I think will help people determine the value of proposals and projects.
The City Council has really guided itself for quite a few years, I would say since the time Mr.
Raulston served as City Manager. The City’s Financial condition, policies, budgets, audits, and reserves have been sliding downward during this time. The proposal to hire a facilitator is not a huge expense, but it will not stop the slide, either. The staff report states that “The value of … a neutral facilitator… cannot be overstated,” but the staff report language certainly does go on to clearly overstate the value. Council, follow Alternative 1 and request that Mr. Schulze do his own research prior to a comprehensive long term planning effort.
Mr. Schulze, look at the data and show your critical thinking skills about the conditions you see in National City. Learn a little about those you interview before talking with them. First, the Managers offered to make 5% reductions in department expenses and got that proposal through the Council vote at budget time. But the 5% cut has had no real public discussion on how to accomplish it, nor has it been openly discussed to see if it is enough to help with the deficit. The manager staff does not need a facilitator to draw out their concern about their workload. A new City Manager should do a deep dive and come to a conclusion of his own.
Second, the Employee groups have been engaged in the city budget process as it relates to their own interests. They want more wages and did not give any public discussion about the increasing deficit or the connection to wages. I did not hear a commitment to more or better service. You must independently crunch the numbers with your HR and Finance Departments for a recommendation for future planning.
Third, the Council will want to give you its input in private one-on-one discussions. They do that all the time with their City Managers while studying agenda items. But there is also a lot to learn from watching earlier Council meeting videos and following their initiatives, motions, and votes. Look at the record. It is quite clear that the Councilors have pet programs to work for, but they don’t know how to raise sales revenue or bring in strong businesses. This City Council will try to manipulate the process to suit personal political agendas and policies they choose. They have interviewed you already, You all know the way things are going.
National City, the government and the community, would benefit from a City Manager who walks the streets and the halls to see for himself rather than relying on another outside firm.
Like the Managers, Employees, and Elected Officials, the Neighbors have also clearly voiced their concerns, issues, and desires for improvements over and over. You can look at the SeeClick-Fix reporting system for the problems that our neighborhoods have. It covers the gambit Item 7.3
of recurring urban problems we face. Look at staff response times and accountability.
Go out and visit our neighbors at the end of Plaza Blvd. and learn about the severe flooding they experienced when city storm drains failed. Listen carefully to see what that story says about city government. Then decide for yourself if the city is ready for the next disaster.
Look at the NCPD/CPSM independent analysis report for a comprehensive study of public safety programs, service levels and needed efforts.
Drive down National City Boulevard and Highland Avenue for the vacancies on our major commercial streets. This is where the Council has let us down.
Take a look at the parts of town that have a “saturation” level of liquor licenses. Look around at the areas that have cannabis product trash in the parkways and gutters, look at the associated legal expenses, and find out how the council members feel about weed; which ones use it, and how that might influence their judgment about things in National City.
Find out from Finance what is going on with the LATE Financial Audits and ask how the HR department will solve the hiring and retention riddle.
To close, Council, the person you hired should have the skills to do this study without spending any consultant money.
Let’s see if it is possible,
Ted Godshalk