MINUTES
City Council
Wednesday, May 21, 2025
City Council Chamber – Norco City Hall
2820 Clark Avenue, Norco, CA 92860
CALL TO ORDER 4:00 PM
Approval of Mayor Newton to Teleconference Under Assembly Bill 2449 - "Emergency Circumstances".
M/S SULLIVAN/BASH Approve Mayor Newton to teleconference. The Motion was carried by the following roll call vote:
AYES: NEWTON, GRUNDMEYER, BASH, BOWEN, AND SULLIVAN
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
ROLL CALL Greg Newton, Mayor
Robin Grundmeyer, Mayor Pro Tem
Kevin Bash, Council Member
Gregory Bowen, Council Member
Fia Sullivan, Council Member
BUDGET WORKSHOP
A. Discussion of Preliminary Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Operating and Capital Improvement Program Budgets
City Manager Free introduced the workshop discussing the Preliminary Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Operating and Capital Improvement Program Budget.
Interim Finance Director Liu reviewed revenues, taxes and expenditures.
City Manager Free reviewed internal departmental budgets and contracted budgets.
City Manager Free answered questions and addressed concerns from the City Council.
Interim Finance Director Liu reviewed various funds from the 2025-2026 Operating Budget.
City Council Minutes - May 21, 2025
City Manager Free, Communications Manager Anderson and City Attorney Burns answered questions and addressed City Councils concerns.
City Council provided direction to staff for the next Budget Workshop.
Communications Manager Anderson and City Manager Free concluded the workshop.
CLOSED SESSION
Mayor Pro Tem Grundmeyer adjourned to Closed Session at 5:23 PM.
City Attorney Burns read the Closed Session item into the record.
CONFERENCE WITH REAL PROPERTY NEGOTIATORS
Property: (APN 153121010; APN 153121008; APN 153121012; APN 153121004; APN 153121003; APN 153121002; APN 153121001)
Agency negotiator: City Manager, City Attorney, Director of Public Works, Community Development Director and Finance Director
Negotiating parties: City of Norco and Property Owners: (Samuel Davis and Carly Davis; Denee Simeone and Joseph Simeone; Robert Barth; Kent Crowson and Wanda Crowson; Rafael Ramirez; Juan Ramirez and Beatriz Ramirez; Jeffery Nelson and Otila Nelson)
Under negotiation: Price and terms of payment
RECONVENE PUBLIC SESSION 7:03 PM
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Mayor Pro Tem Grundmeyer
REPORT OF ACTION(S) TAKEN IN CLOSED SESSION
City Attorney Burns stated there were no reportable actions taken in Closed Session.
INVOCATION Chaplain Vincent Ball
Riverside County Sheriff's Office
PRESENTATIONS National Preservation Month Proclamation
Asian American, Native Hawaiian and
Pacific Islander Heritage Month
Proclamation
1. CITY COUNCIL REPORTS ON REGIONAL BOARDS
City Council Minutes - May 21, 2025
The Mayor, Mayor Pro Tem and Council Members provided reports on their recent individual participation in committees, commissions, regional boards, and community organizations.
2. PUBLIC COMMENTS
Geoff Kahan spoke regarding the Westcoast Thunder event on Saturday, May 24, 2025, and the Memorial Day event on Monday, May 26, 2025, that will be at the Veterans Memorial. He also requested that the City Council honor the passing of Larry Eckhoff.
3. CONSENT CALENDAR
a) Approval of Consent Calendar as Presented.
M/S NEWTON/BOWEN Approve of Consent Calendar as presented. The Motion was carried by the following roll call vote:
AYES: NEWTON, GRUNDMEYER, BASH, BOWEN, AND SULLIVAN
NOES: NONE
ABSENT: NONE
ABSTAIN: NONE
3.A. Waive Reading of all Ordinance Adoptions on this Agenda and Read by Title Only
Action: Waived reading, by title only, of all Ordinances and Resolutions. Said Ordinances and Resolutions which appear on the agenda shall be determined to have been read by title and further reading waived.
3.B. Approval of City Council Regular Meeting Minutes
Action: Approved the City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of May 07, 2025.
3.C. Recap of Actions Taken by the Planning Commission at its Meeting Held on May 14, 2025
Action: Received and filed the recap of actions taken by the Planning Commission at its meeting held on May 14, 2025.
3.D. Declaration of Assorted Obsolete City Assets as Surplus Property
City Council Minutes - May 21, 2025
Action: Adopted Resolution No. 2025-17, declaring assorted obsolete City assets as surplus property and authorized the City Manager to dispose of them through public auction, scrap or donation.
3.E. Approval of Three-Year Enterprise Agreement with ESRI, Inc. for GIS Software Licensing and Services
Action: Authorized the City Manager to execute a three-year Enterprise Agreement with ESRI, Inc. for geographic information system (GIS) software licensing and support services in an amount not to exceed $87,900 over the three-year term.
3.F. Approve purchase of a Utility Bed Service Truck for the Facilities Maintenance Division
Action: Approved purchase of a Utility Bed Service Truck in the amount of $70,716 for the Facilities Maintenance Division.
3.G. Approval of an amendment to the contract with Sargent Town Planning (STP) to update the City of Norco's Objective Development Standards (ODS), for additional services thereby increasing the contract amount by $10,000.
Action: Approved the amendment to the contract with STP to update the City's Objective Development Standards (ODS) for Mixed-Use and Multifamily Development Projects, for additional services in the amount not to exceed $10,000.
3.H. Order of Procedure and Approve Resolutions Necessary for the Annual Assessment Levy Continuing Landscape Maintenance Districts No. 1 – Beazer, Tract 28765; No. 2 – Western Pacific, Tract 25779; No. 3 – Centex, Tract 28626; No. 4 – Norco Ridge Ranch, Tracts 29588 and 29589; and No. 5 – Hawk’s Crest, Tract 30230
Action: Adopted the following Resolutions approving the Preliminary Engineer’s Reports and the additional Resolutions providing for an Annual Levy of Assessments and setting the Public Hearing date for June 4, 2025, for each District.
Resolution No. 2025-18, LMD No. 1 (Beazer); Resolution No. 2025-19, LMD No. 2 (Western Pacific); Resolution No. 2025-20, LMD No. 3 (Centex); Resolution No. 2025-21, LMD No. 4 (Norco Ridge Ranch); Resolution No. 2025-22, LMD No. 5 (Hawk’s Crest), approving the Engineer’s Preliminary Report for the Annual Levy of Assessments for the Fiscal Year 2025-2026 in said Districts;
City Council Minutes - May 21, 2025
Resolution No. 2025-23, LMD No. 1 (Beazer); Resolution No. 2025-24, LMD No. 2 (Western Pacific); Resolution No. 2025-25, LMD No. 3 (Centex); Resolution No. 2025-26, LMD No. 4 (Norco Ridge Ranch); Resolution No. 2025-27, LMD No. 5 (Hawk’s Crest), Declaring City’s Intention to Provide for an Annual Levy and Collection of Assessments for Certain Maintenance in an Existing District, and Setting a Time and Place for the Public Hearing.
4. ITEM(S) PULLED FROM CONSENT CALENDAR
There were no items pulled from the Consent Calendar.
5. CITY COUNCIL / STAFF COMMUNICATIONS
City Clerk Roa provided information regarding the 2025 Annual Recruitment for Commissions and Committees and that application acceptances have been extended to June 5, 2025, at 6 PM.
Council Member Bash had concerns regarding the start time of the Historic Preservation & Agricultural Heritage Commission meetings.
City Clerk Roa addressed concerns.
6. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Pro Tem Grundmeyer closed the meeting with a moment of silence in honor of Veterans Commission Member and United States Marine Corps Sergeant, Larry Eckhoff.
Mayor Pro Tem Grundmeyer adjourned the meeting at 7:19 PM. _________________________________
Dana Roa, CMC
City Clerk