City Council Special Meeting Minutes February 11, 2026 Page 1 of 4
CITY OF EL PASO DE ROBLES
"The Pass of the Oaks"
Paso Robles City Council Special Meeting Minutes
February 11, 2026, 5:00 PM
Centennial Park - Norris Room
600 Nickerson Drive
Paso Robles, CA 93446
Councilmembers
Present:
Mayor Hamon, Councilmember Bausch, Councilmember Beal,
Councilmember Gregory, Councilmember Strong
_____________________________________________________________________ A. CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 5:01 PM
B. ROLL CALL
Councilmember Bausch, Councilmember Beal, Councilmember Gregory, Councilmember Strong, Mayor Hamon
C. DISCUSSION ITEMS
1. Housing Authority
The Paso Robles Housing Authority was established in the 1940s and is a separate Agency from the City of Paso Robles. The Authority is primarily responsible for development and operation of affordable and quality housing projects within the City, including the Oak Park Housing Project and the Chet Dotter Senior Apartment Community. The Housing Authority Board of Commissioners is responsible for policy, fiscal management, and the appointment of the Housing Authority Chief Executive Officer. There are seven commissioners, who serve overlapping four-year terms. The City Council appoints members of the Board of Commissioners.
This recruitment was for two at large commissioners. Councilmembers interviewed the following applicants:
1. David Cooke
2. Kevin Kopp - Incumbent
3. Max Zappas
PUBLIC COMMENT: None
City Council Special Meeting Minutes February 11, 2026 Page 2 of 4 Motioned by Councilmember Gregory, seconded by Councilmember Beal, and passed unanimously to appoint Kevin Kopp and Max Zappas to full terms on the Housing Authority ending on February 28, 2030.
AYES: Gregory, Beal, Bausch, Strong, Hamon
2. Planning Commission
The Planning Commission prepares and recommends City Council consideration of the General Plan and Zoning Ordinance, including formulation of policies for development and land uses. The Commission also performs duties related to the review and approval/denial of development applications and subdivision maps.
Although three vacancies were publicly noticed, the meeting agenda incorrectly stated that Council would be interviewing candidates for two vacancies due to a clerical error. Councilmembers were informed of the discrepancy during the meeting. Council interviewed the following applicants:
1. Ty Christensen - Incumbent
2. Steve Eorio
3. Kevin Fuson
4. Ashley Lorenz
5. Eric Marlow - Incumbent
PUBLIC COMMENT: None
Motioned by Councilmember Bausch, seconded by Councilmember Gregory, and passed unanimously to appoint Ty Christensen, Ashley Lorenz, and Eric Marlow full three-year terms on the Planning Commission beginning 3/1/2026 and ending 2/28/2029.
AYES: Bausch, Gregory, Beal, Strong, Hamon
3. Supplemental Sales Tax Oversight Committee
The Committee shall provide a forum for citizens to review and report to both the City Council of the City of Paso Robles (“City Council”) and the community as a whole on matters relating to Supplemental Sales Tax revenues and expenditures resulting from both Measure E-12, approved by the voters in 2012 and extended by voters in November 2024 as Measure I-24, and Measure J-20, approved by the voters in 2020.
The Committee has two distinct roles: oversight and advice. The oversight role is the higher priority: Paso citizens need to know whether the voter-approved supplemental sales tax revenues are being spent on community priorities established by the City Council, based on information gained from business and resident surveys and other means. At each regular meeting, the Committee shall review the latest accounting for each of the ballot measures, which shall summarize funds generated and expended. The Committee shall determine if the funds were spent appropriately, and report that to the Council and public. The intent is for expenditures by the City in the priority areas to equal or exceed the revenues generated by the measures.
City Council Special Meeting Minutes February 11, 2026 Page 3 of 4 In December 2025, the City Council approved updates to the Supplemental Sales Tax Oversight Committee (SSTOC) bylaws to revise the number of committee members from eleven to nine. Of the nine members, six are At-Large appointments and three are appointed by Standing Community Organizations.
The Standing Community Organization members include representatives from:
-The Downtown Paso Robles Main Street Association
-Paso Robles and Templeton Chamber of Commerce
-Travel Paso
To align the current membership with the revised bylaw structure, staff recommended that Patricia Wilmore, who was previously appointed as a Community Organization Member from an affiliated organization, be retained as an At-Large member for the remainder of her original term, which expires on March 31, 2027.
The current Chamber of Commerce appointee resigned in January 2026, and the Chamber has appointed Jennifer Loftus to fill that role. Travel Paso has appointed David Morneau as its representative to the SSTOC. Staff recommended that the Council affirm the appointments of Jennifer Loftus and David Morneau as Standing Community Organization Members representing their respective agencies.
This recruitment was for two at-large SSTOC Committee members. Council interviewed the following applicants:
Applicants:
1. Jim Fotinakes - Incumbent
2. John Peters
3. Michael Seden-Hansen
4. Cheryl Thomas - Incumbent
PUBLIC COMMENT: None
Motioned by Councilmember Gregory, seconded by Councilmember Bausch, and passed 4-1 (Beal opposed) to appoint Jim Fotinakes and Cheryl Thomas as AtLarge SSTOC members for full terms beginning 4/1/2026 and ending 3/31/2029.
AYES: Gregory, Bausch, Strong, Hamon
NOES: Beal
Motioned by Councilmember Gregory, seconded by Councilmember Bausch, and passed unanimously to affirm the appointment of Jennifer Loftus as the Chamber of Commerce appointee effective immediately; to affirm the appointment of David Morneau Travel Paso appointee effective immediately; and to retain Patricia Wilmore as an At-Large member of the committee for the duration of her original term as a Standing Community Organization Member, which expires on March 31, 2027.
AYES: Gregory, Bausch, Beal, Strong, Hamon
City Council Special Meeting Minutes February 11, 2026 Page 4 of 4 D. ADJOURNMENT
Motioned by Councilmember Gregory, seconded by Councilmember Strong, and passed unanimously by voice vote at 7:52 PM to adjourn to the February 17, 20266 City Council meeting.
Submitted by:
_____________________________
Melissa Martin, City Clerk
Approved: March 3, 2026