City of Red Bluff
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 5:30 PM
City Council
Regular Meeting Minutes
555 Washington Street
Red Bluff, CA 96080
(530) 527-2605
Council Chambers
CALL TO ORDER
COUNCIL PRESENT
J.R. Gonzales, Mayor
Mark Clement, Mayor Pro Tem
Cassie Pope, Councilmember
Patrick Hurton, Councilmember
Kris Deiters, Councilmember
STAFF PRESENT
Tom Westbrook, City Manager
Kelly Snowden, City Attorney
Paul Young, Finance Director
Scott Garrison, HR Administrator
Scott Miller, Public Works Director
Beth Moyer, Community Development Director
Quintan Ortega, Police Chief
Michael Bachmeyer, Fire Chief
Anita Rice, Deputy City Clerk/Executive Assistant to the City Manager Cassidy DeRego, City Clerk
Donna Gordy, Treasurer
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Gonzales led the pledge of allegiance.
CITIZEN COMMENT
Pastor Scott Camp led a prayer. He discussed the Declaration of Independence.
A community member discussed Beef and Brew. He is disappointed that the balloons at the event were sponsored by beer companies. He is in support of Flock cameras because they have helped him find a missing person with dementia.
Ken Boone, a community member, read biblical scripture.
Pastor Ken Auld from the Spirit of Life church in Los Molinos led a prayer. He is the Moderator of the Tehama County Ministerial Association.
ANNOUNCEMENTS OF AGENDA CORRECTIONS
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes September 15, 2026 Mr. Westbrook announced that item #12 from the Regular Agenda is being removed at the request of Chief Ortega due to grant fund allocation questions.
STAFF ITEMS
Mr. Westbrook reported on several community events. The next Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6, 2026, and will be when the Prop 218 Protest Hearing will take place.
Mr. Garrison gave a staffing update.
Ms. Moyer gave an update on several new businesses coming to the community.
Mr. Miller reported that PHI Tehama has suspended their services. He gave an update on several projects being completed within the community.
Chief Bachmeyer gave a staffing update. A firefighting training event was held at the old Denny's building. They are working on a maintenance program for vegetation management.
Mr. Young reported that the financial audit is scheduled for next week.
Chief Ortega reported that an internal promotional and swearing-in ceremony will be held on Monday, September 21, 2026.
COMMISSIONS REPORTS - None
PRESENTATION
1. Tobacco and Public Health in Tehama County: Information for Local Policy Decisions
0370
Minnie Sagar, TCHSA Director of Public Health, gave an informational presentation regarding the Local Health Impacts of Tobacco in Tehama County.
Councilmember Deiters asked and received clarification that they do see generational use of smoking.
An employee of Sub Culture asserted that the California State average is 12%. She also provided information on socioeconomic associations with smoking and tobacco use.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST DECLARATION
No conflict of interest was declared.
CONSENT AGENDA / APPROVAL OF DRAFT MINUTES
Approval of the Consent Agenda
A motion was made by Council Member Deiters, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Clement, to approve the Consent Agenda. The motion carried by the following vote:
RESULT: APPROVED THE CONSENT AGENDA
MOVER: Kris Deiters
SECONDER: Mark Clement
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes September 15, 2026 Mayor Pro Tem Clement, Council Member Pope, Council Member Hurton, Mayor Gonzales, and Council Member Deiters
Aye:
2. Approval of City Council Minutes; August 18, 2026 0372 The Minutes were approved.
3. Open Market Purchases of $2,000 or More & Contract Awards 0356 The Report was approved.
4. Approval of Warrant List 0355
The Report was approved.
5. A Resolution of the Red Bluff City Council Authorizing Acceptance of Fiscal Year 2027 Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control’s ABC-OTS Grant Program.
27-2026
The Resolution was approved.
6. A Resolution of the City Council Authorizing the Public Works Director and/or City Manager to sign agreements for Federal and/or State funding for certain transportation projects.
28-2026
The Resolution was approved.
ITEMS PULLED FROM CONSENT
REGULAR AGENDA
7. Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) Program 0359
Chief Ortega gave an informational presentation about the Automated License Plate Reader Program. He corrected the record that the Police Department has 8 cameras. He emphasized that they only have MOUs to share data with approved California agencies.
The Council had an in-depth discussion, and all questions were asked and answered adequately. The discussion centered on the Red Bluff Police Department’s Automated License Plate Reader (ALPR) program. Community members raised privacy concerns, Fourth Amendment rights, data storage and control, potential misuse, inaccurate plate readings, the expansion from three to eight cameras, costs, and the broader growth of surveillance technology. Others emphasized the cameras’ value in solving crimes, locating missing persons, and supplementing limited police staffing. Supporters noted that the system has been used responsibly, is subject to policies, training, and audits, and has not been found to have been abused by department personnel. Council discussion focused on whether the 2016 policy adequately addresses current technology, how the program has changed over the past decade, and whether additional oversight is warranted.
The Council asked to bring the ALPR program back for further review, including examining why other agencies discontinued similar programs.
Eric Johnson, a community member, urged the Council to reject or remove the ALPR cameras.
He feels they create a record of every driver that passes by the cameras and can become data points. He feels this is an overreach and no consent was given. Several cities have already canceled their contracts with these cameras. He emphasized that public safety matters and the
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes September 15, 2026 existing tools should be used.
Amy Gibbs, a community member, has seen a decline in the community over the last several years. Does not feel that constitutional rights are being upheld. Feels these cameras have been installed without a vote from the community, and they violate the 4th Amendment rights.
She also asserted that Law Enforcement in other areas has been found to have misused these cameras. She also feels that accuracy with these readers is a large problem.
Brianna Phelps, a community member, asserted that she is not in favor of the ALPR cameras.
She strongly feels this is an overreach. She stated that other agencies have acknowledged that the technology does solve crimes but at a cost that is not acceptable. She asked for an explanation of how the program was expanded from three to eight cameras. She also wants proof that the City of Red Bluff has control over the data that is obtained by the cameras.
Jessica Clark, a community member, asked the council to watch one episode of Person of Interest. She emphasized that she is not accusing the Police Department of misusing the cameras; however, she would like it acknowledged that it has happened with other agencies.
William Ellis, a community member, spoke about several entities within the State of California that have chosen to discontinue their camera use. These are the same cameras that the RBPD currently has. He feels they are good for law enforcement, but they are flawed. They have only 90% accuracy at best, and that gets worse with weather and poor license plate readability.
These were started in 1976. In 1998, they switched to digital, and that has created many of the issues of false readings. There have been records of people being arrested when they were innocent due to false readings. His issue with the system is that it needs to be evaluated every 30-90 days.
A community member wanted to give information about the Flock readers. On October 17, 2024, they bought Aerospace, a drone company. They also have other programs that can provide digital footprints and track people without warrants. The program is called Nova. On September 3, 2026, a webinar from Flock was leaked, and an operating system was leaked.
They stated that these programs all link into the Flock operating system. They had access to different cameras and could use the Flock operating system to send information to law enforcement. There are many companies that have invested in similar systems. He does not want the ALPRs to continue.
Matt Hansen, the original administrator of the program, stated that he is aware of the benefits of this program in solving crimes. He asserted that it isn't a perfect program; however, there are rules and there are trainings on how to handle each scenario. In the last 10 years, this technology has been used responsibly and without issues. Law enforcement relies on this and can give instant information that is time-sensitive for different crimes. Like all information, there are civil rights concerns, but we have to trust that law enforcement will do the right thing at the right time. He stated that Flock might have their own issues; we use Motorola equipment, and law enforcement uses it responsibly.
Ken Boone, a community member, stated that he is unsure about this technology. The good has to be weighed with the bad.
Scott Camp, a community member, suggested that the chief contact the departments that have discontinued the programs and find out the reason for the discontinuation before it comes back to council for discussion and review.
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes September 15, 2026
8. 2026/27 Budget Update 0367
Mr. Young gave an informational presentation on the 2025/2026 and 2026/2027 FY Budget Update.
9. Award of Construction Contract for the Red Bluff River Park Rehabilitation Project, Splash Park
0374
The Council had an in-depth discussion, and all questions were asked and answered adequately. The discussion focused on funding and moving forward with the community-supported project, with Vici Miranda of Soroptimist reporting that she has raised $62,470.00 toward the project and continues to seek additional donations from businesses and nonprofit organizations. Councilmembers discussed the remaining funding gap, noting that approximately $324,700.00 has already been paid toward the project. Some project elements were removed from the construction contract and converted into separate City purchases, which have not yet been spent and will help to save money. Staff indicated that development fees and additional fundraising could reduce the approximately $410,000.00 funding gap, bringing the amount still needed closer to $208,000.00, although the project must be fully funded before proceeding. Community members strongly encouraged the City to provide additional financial support and avoid further delays, noting that the original grant was awarded in 2022 but project delays and increased costs have created the current funding challenge.
Questions were also raised about local workforce development, prevailing-wage requirements, audits, and the project timeline. Staff explained that if the contract is awarded, construction is expected to begin in spring 2027. Grant funds would be spent first, and donated funds would be used later; waiting until spring is not expected to increase the contracted construction prices.
Amy Schutter, local businessperson and grant consultant, explained that when this grant was written in 2022, the requirements were outlined by the community and were funded in 2022.
Unfortunately, due to delays, it has changed the costs, and it is the City's responsibility to ensure this project can be seen through. This has had extraordinary support from the community and needs to be supported by the City of Red Bluff.
Matt Goody, with the Building Construction Grade Council of California, would like to know what the contractor will be doing for local workforce development. He asked who is responsible for ensuring that the correct wages are paid. It was explained that everything will be done through the prevailing wage program. Audits will be done regularly.
Mark, a community member, asked for a timeline and how quickly this needs to be done. It was explained that the project will begin in the spring. They will apply all donation money last, and all grant funding will be allocated first. There will be time to find additional funding.
Jessica Clark, a community member, asked and received clarification that once under contract, the prices will not increase if they wait until Spring to start the project.
Brin Greer, a community member, stated that she is happy to see this moving forward. She stated that the community is asking the City to step up to cover the overages and join this effort.
A motion was made by Council Member Pope, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Clement, to award the construction contract for the Red Bluff River Park Rehabilitation Project to SnL Group in the amount of $2,498,998.00. The motion carried by the following vote:
RESULT: APPROVED
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes September 15, 2026 MOVER: Cassie Pope
SECONDER: Mark Clement
Mayor Pro Tem Clement, Council Member Pope, Council Member Hurton, Mayor Gonzales, and Council Member Deiters
Aye:
9 Award of Construction Contract for the Red Bluff River Park Rehabilitation Project, Splash Park
A motion was made by Council Member Hurton, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Clement, to approve a Supplemental Appropriation in the amount of $410,000.00 for 71Grant Fund 71 River Park Grant Department. The motion carried by the following vote:
RESULT: APPROVED
MOVER: Patrick Hurton
SECONDER: Mark Clement
Mayor Pro Tem Clement, Council Member Pope, Council Member Hurton, Mayor Gonzales, and Council Member Deiters
Aye:
9 Award of Construction Contract for the Red Bluff River Park Rehabilitation Project, Splash Park
A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Clement, seconded by Council Member Hurton, to transfer funds from the General Fund to cover the additional costs and approve a $410,000 budgetary increase in transfers in 71 Grants Fund and transfers out in fund 10 General Fund.
The motion carried by the following vote:
RESULT: APPROVED
MOVER: Mark Clement
SECONDER: Patrick Hurton
Mayor Pro Tem Clement, Council Member Pope, Council Member Hurton, Mayor Gonzales, and Council Member Deiters
Aye:
10. Report on Sales Tax - First Quarter of 2026 0357
Mr. Young gave an informational presentation on the First Quarter 2026 Sales Tax revenue.
11. Tehama County Air Pollution Control District; Carl Moyer Program Low Emission Equipment Incentive Program
0365
Priscilla Burke, a community member, reviewed the application and noticed that the amount that is being requested is for the base equipment as well as all of the other equipment. She stated that only up to 80% of the base equipment can be requested. It was confirmed that this would be researched further before submitting the grant.
A motion was made by Mayor Pro Tem Clement, seconded by Council Member Deiters, that this Grant be approved. The motion carried by the following vote:
RESULT: APPROVED
MOVER: Mark Clement
SECONDER: Kris Deiters
Mayor Pro Tem Clement, Council Member Pope, Council Member Hurton, Mayor Gonzales, and Council Member Deiters
Aye:
12. BJA FY 2026 Body Worn Camera Policy and Implementation Program 0368
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes September 15, 2026 (BWCPIP) to Support Law Enforcement Agencies, Funding Opportunity No. O-BJA-2026-172677.
This item has been pulled as requested by Chief Ortega and announced by Mr. Westbrook.
This item was not heard.
COMMITTEE REPORTS / COUNCIL COMMENTS
*Antelope Water/Sewer Project JPA - All Councilmembers
Mr. Westbrook reported that no meeting was scheduled.
*Chamber of Commerce - Gonzales & Pope
Mayor Gonzales gave an update on community events.
*City/County Ad Hoc Committee - Deiters and Gonzales
Councilmember Deiters reported that no meeting was scheduled. *Community Action Agency - Deiters
Councilmember Deiters reported that the next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 17, 2026.
*Executive Committee - Tehama County Solid Waste Management Agency - Deiters & Hurton
Councilmember Deiters reported that the next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 5, 2026.
*Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) - Gonzales & Hurton Mayor Gonzales reported that no meeting was scheduled.
*Red Bluff Community Center Commission - Gonzales & Hurton Mr. Westbrook reported that the next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, November 19, 2026.
*Tehama County Air Pollution District Review Committee - Gonzales & Pope
Councilmember Pope reported that no meeting was scheduled. *Tehama County Continuum of Care Executive Council - Deiters & Clement
Councilmember Deiters reported that the last meeting was held on Wednesday, September 9, 2026. She gave statistical information about the number of meals provided to the community by several local entities. They are concerned about funding availability moving forward.
*Tehama County Solid Waste Management Agency (JPA) - All Councilmembers
Councilmember Deiters reported that the next meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 5,
City Council Regular Meeting Minutes September 15, 2026 2026.
*Tehama County Transportation Commission - Hurton & Pope Councilmember Hurton reported that the next meeting is scheduled for Monday, September 28, 2026.
ADDITIONAL COUNCIL COMMENTS AND OTHER MEETINGS ATTENDED None
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS BY CONSENSUS OF COUNCIL
Hurton asked to bring back information about the ALPR Program. The Council agreed by consensus to bring this back to the Tuesday, October 20, 2026, City Council meeting.
CITIZEN COMMENT BEFORE CLOSED SESSION
None
RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION
13. Closed Executive Session - Labor Negotiations 0361
REPORTABLE ACTIONS FROM CLOSED SESSION
Direction was given to staff.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further business, Mayor Gonzales adjourned the meeting at 7:51 p.m. to a Closed Session. The next City Council meeting will be held on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the Red Bluff Council Chambers.
__________________________________________
MAYOR
ATTEST:
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DEPUTY CITY CLERK