AGENDA
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
NEEDLES PUBLIC UTILITY AUTHORITY
HOUSING AUTHORITY CITY OF NEEDLES
COUNCIL CHAMBERS - 1111 BAILEY AVE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026
EXECUTIVE SESSION - 5:00 PM
COUNCIL MEETING - 6:00 PM
THE PUBLIC MAY ATTEND VIA TEAMS AND MAY SUBMIT ANY COMMENTS IN WRITING PRIOR TO NOON ON THE DAY OF THE MEETING BY EMAILING [email protected] TO JOIN THE LIVE TEAMS MEETING: log onto the City of Needles website at www.cityofneedles.com to access the agenda and CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE MEETING If asked, enter the following: Meeting ID: 202 746 159# Or listen in and participate by calling Teams:
1-323-488-2227 - Meeting ID: 202 746 159#
The meetings are being recorded.
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
PUBLIC COMMENTS PERTAINING TO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION ITEMS
A THREE-MINUTE TIME LIMIT PER PERSON HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED
RECESS TO EXECUTIVE SESSION
EXECUTIVE SESSION
a) Conference with legal counsel regarding existing litigation pursuant to Government Code section 54956.9(d)(1) Jane Doe v. City of Needles, et al., Superior Court of the County of San Bernardino, Case No. CIVSB2603777
b) Conference with Labor Negotiation Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6. Agency designated representative City Manager Patrick Martinez or his designee. Unrepresented Employee: Utility Manager. c) Conference with Labor Negotiation Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6. Agency designated representative City Manager Patrick Martinez or his designee. Unrepresented Employee: Development Services Director/Capital Projects
d) Conference with Real Property Negotiators pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.8. Property:
APN(s): 0186-095-03-0-000, AND 0186-095-04-0-000. Agency Negotiator: City Manager Patrick Martinez.
Negotiating Parties: City of Needles as potential seller and Palm Communities as potential purchaser.
Under Negotiation: price and terms.
e) Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation – Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2) and/or (3). One potential case f) Conference with Legal Counsel Regarding Potential Initiation of Litigation Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(4). One Potential Case.
CALL TO ORDER
ROLL CALL
EXECUTIVE SESSION REPORT – CITY ATTORNEY
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
INVOCATION
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
CORRESPONDENCE
INTRODUCTIONS
CITY ATTORNEY — Parliamentary Procedures
As a courtesy to those in attendance, we would ask that cell phones be turned off or set in their silent mode.
Thank you
PUBLIC APPEARANCE
Persons wishing to address the City Council on subjects other than those scheduled are requested to do so at this time. When called by the Mayor, please announce your name and address for the record. In order to conduct a timely meeting, a three-minute time limit per person has been established by Municipal Code Section 2-18.
Amendments to the California Government Code Section 54950 prohibits the City Council from taking action on a specific item until it appears on the agenda.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
1) Public Hearing noticed to consider all evidence and testimony for or against adoption of Resolution 2026- 38 approving 2026-2027 Green Fee & Membership Rate Change at Rivers Edge Golf Course (ACT) 2) Public Hearing noticed to consider all evidence and testimony for or against approval of Ordinance 686- AC, Amending Chapter 14, Article I, of the Needles Municipal Code by Adding Section 14-21, "Sale of Kratom Prohibited (2nd Read Adopt) (ACT)
3) Public Hearing noticed to consider all evidence and testimony for or against approval of Ordinance 685- AC adopting by reference the 2025 California Fire Code, California Code of Regulations, Title 24, Part 9, together with applicable appendices and amendments adopted by the San Bernardino County Fire Protection District through Ordinance FPD 26-02 (2nd Read Adopt) (ACT)
PRESENTATIONS
(A ten-minute time limit per presentation has been established per Municipal Code Section 2-18.) 4) Presentation of the future Colorado River Operating Guidelines (INF)
NPUA CONSENT CALENDAR
All matters listed on the NPUA Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion in the form listed. The Mayor or any member of the City Council may pull an item from the NPUA Consent Calendar for discussion. Prior to Council action, a member of the public may address the City Council on matters scheduled on the NPUA Consent Calendar. A three-minute time limit per person applies. Recommended Action: Approve Items 5 through 8 on the NPUA Consent Calendar by affirmative roll call vote. (ACT) 5) Accept and File the AB32 Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions Verification Report 2025 Emissions prepared by Lincus Incorporated
6) Accept and File the 2027 California Air Resources Board (CARB) Publicly Owned Utility (POU) Allocation Distribution Form and Annual Free Allowance Allocation under the California Cap-and-Trade Program 7) Authorize Brooks Consulting LLC to Develop a 10-year Capital Funding Plan for the Needles Public Utility Authority (NPUA) Electric Department, not to exceed $15,000, utilizing the adopted FY 27 Operations and Maintenance Budget
8) Receive and File the October 2026 Water and Wastewater COLA Adjustment
NPUA REGULAR ITEMS
9) Approve a 2.9% cost-of-living (COLA) increase in electric basic service charge rate and streetlights as of October 1, 2026; approve an over-hydro rate of $0.1058 effective October 1, 2026; apply a .01 Power Cost Adjustment reducing the over-hydro rate to $.0958 and approve the methodology to calculate the annual electric base rate and the power cost adjustment rate based on the rate calculation spreadsheets (ACT)
HACN REGULAR ITEM
10) Receive and File Public Housing Agency Recovery & Sustainability (PHARS) Assessments Results and Determinations (ACT)
CONSENT CALENDAR
All matters listed on the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine and will be enacted by one motion in the form listed. The Mayor or any member of the City Council may pull an item from the Consent Calendar for discussion. Prior to Council action, a member of the public may address the City Council on matters scheduled on the Consent Calendar. A three-minute time limit per person applies. Recommended Action: Approve Items 11 through 17 on the Consent Calendar by affirmative roll call vote. (ACT) 11) Approve the Warrants through September 8, 2026
12) Approve the Minutes of August 11, 2026
13) Approve filing of a claim for Local Transportation Fund (LTF) and State Transit Assistance (STA) Funds for the fiscal year 2026-2027
14) League of California Cities 2026 Annual Conference Resolution No. 1 - City Position and Voting Delegate Direction
15) Approve the 2027 Employee Benefits Plan for Medical, Dental, and Vision. 16) City Council Resolution 2026-41 Approving a Second Amendment to the Lease Agreement with News West Publishing Company Inc. doing business as the Needles Desert Star, for Office Space at 950 Front Street, Suite A-25
17) City Council Resolution 2026-40 Approving an Amendment to the Lease Agreement with Tri-State Alano Club of Needles, Inc., for the City-Owned Building at 801 Third Street Until September 9, 2029
END OF CONSENT CALENDAR
REGULAR ITEMS
18) Consideration of Purest USA LLC’s appeal of the City Manager’s denial of Cannabis Business Regulatory License Application No. 2017-80 and adoption of a resolution either denying the appeal and upholding the City Manager’s decision or granting the appeal and setting aside the denial. (ACT) 19) Approve the Purchase and Delivery of a Modified Shipping Container to Provide ADA Restrooms, Office Space and Utility Room for the Animal Control Facility (ACT) 20) Accept the Work Completed by Rainy Day Roofing, Inc. for the Administration Building Façade Awning Project and Authorize a Notice of Completion to Record with the San Bernardino County Recorder’s Office (ACT)
21) Award the base bid and Additive Alternate No. 1 to Phillips Excavating, Inc. for the Phase V-B Water Service Lateral Replacement Project in the amount of $474,386 plus 10% contingency for a total project cost of $521,825 and authorize staff to execute a Public Works Agreement with Phillips Excavating, Inc. and move forward with the Notice of Award and Notice to Proceed (ACT) 22) Resolution 2026-36 authorizing the City Manager to execute Program Supplement No.F005 to the Administering Agency-State Agreement for Federal-Aid Projects with the State of California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) for the administration of federal-aid funds for the River Road/River Street Rehabilitation Project (ACT)
23) Accept TKE Engineering Inc. Proposal to provide Professional Engineering Services to complete the project plans, contract documents, engineers’ estimate; and to provide right-of-way assistance for the River Road and River Street Rehabilitation Project for a Not to Exceed (NTE) amount of $256,000; and authorize staff to execute the Professional Services Agreement with TKE Engineering, Inc. (ACT) 24) Authorize those interested to attend the 2026 San Bernardino County State of the County Conference on October 8, 2026, at the Ontario Convention Center in Ontario, CA (ACT) 25) City of Needles Fall Festival Route 66 Celebration Update (INF) 26) Resolution 2026-39 Approving the Third Amendment to the City Manager Employment Agreement with Patrick Martinez (ACT)
CITY ATTORNEY REPORT
CITY CLERK REPORT
CITY MANAGER REPORT
City Manager Reports for the week of August 21 and 28, 2026
COUNCIL REQUESTS
COUNCIL MEMBER FORD
COUNCIL MEMBER MCCORKLE
VICE MAYOR CAMPBELL
COUNCIL MEMBER POGUE
COUNCIL MEMBER BELT
COUNCIL MEMBER LONGBRAKE
MAYOR JERNIGAN
ADJOURNMENT
Posted: September 4, 2026
SB 343 -DOCUMENTS RELATED TO OPEN SESSION AGENDAS - Any public record, relating to an open session agenda item, that is distributed within 72 hours prior to a meeting is available for public inspection at the Needles Administrative Office, 817 Third Street, Needles, CA 92363.
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact Candace Clark, City Clerk, at (760) 326-2113 ext 133. Notification 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting (28 CFR 35.102-104 ADA Title II) If a decision is made at this hearing and you later disagree with the decision, only issues raised at the public hearing or in written form at or before the public hearing can be considered.
I hereby certify, under penalty of perjury under the laws of the State of California that the foregoing Agenda was posted at the front entrance of City Hall not less than 72 hours prior to the meeting.
Dated this 4th day of September 2026
Candace Clark, CPMC, CMC, City Clerk