CITY OF SANTA PAULA
City Council Regular Meeting
March 4, 2026,
6:30
PM
MINUTES
1)
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Juarez called the meeting to order at 6:30 p.m.
2)
INVOCATION
Rev. Maddie Sifantus provided the Invocation.
3)
FLAG SALUTE
Councilmember Cornejo led the flag salute.
4)
ROLL CALL
Members Present: Carlos Juarez, Jenny Crosswhite, Leslie Cornejo, Pedro A Chavez, and Gabriela Ornelas 5)
PUBLIC COMMENT
None.
6)
PRESENTATIONS
6.A)
CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING OFFICER OF THE YEAR - ROBBIE MANN Police Chief Aguilar spoke of the 2025 Crisis Intervention Training Officer of the Year Award which was Awarded to Robbie Mann by the Ventura County Law Enforcement Crisis Intervention Team.
6.B)
SECONDHAND SMOKE PRESENTATION
Leslie Resendiz and Ricardo Soto presented information on secondhand smoke.
6.C)
COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT QUARTERLY REPORT Community Economic Development Director James Mason provided a presentation on the Community and Economic Development Quarterly Report. 7)
CITY COUNCIL REPORTS
Councilmember Ornelas:
No reportable events.
Councilmember Chavez:
Submitted Report to City Clerk Latshaw.
Councilmember Cornejo:
Attended Ventura Regional Sanitation District meeting; attended the mass for Anthony Tony Diaz; attended Local Business Roundtable; and read books to students at Grace Thille Elementary.
Vice Mayor Crosswhite:
Attended Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance meeting; and provided a reminder of the Southern California Association of Governments scholarship application deadline coming up.
Mayor Juarez:
Attended the City Employee Recognition Awards; Chamber Mixer at the Ag Museum; Cannabis Standing Committee meeting; Joint City Council and Santa Paula Unified School District meeting; groundbreaking on the east side of Santa Paula Creek for the bridge construction; and neighborhood watch meeting. 8)
CITY MANAGER REPORTS
City Manager Dan Singer:
No reportable events.
9)
CONSENT CALENDAR
9.A)
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
City Council Special Meeting December 2, 2025
City Council Special Meeting December 10, 2025
City Council Regular Meeting December 10, 2025
City Council Special Meeting January 14, 2026 - 4:30 pm City Council Special Meeting January 14, 2026 - 6:30 pm
9.B)
RESOLUTION NOS. 7606 AND 7607, AMENDING THE JOB DESCRIPTION OF THE ASSOCIATE PLANNER AND CITY CORPS LEADER TRAINEE POSITIONS Motion: Approve as amended
CONSENT CALENDAR with redline changes to resolution 7607, Section 4 adding the language "to include a City Corps Leader Trainee II, establishing a new pay rate for the City Corps Leader Trainee II (Job Class Code 01-824) of five percent above the City Corps Leader Trainee I." Moved by Pedro A Chavez, seconded by Leslie Cornejo
Vote: Motion carried 5-0
Yes: Carlos Juarez, Jenny Crosswhite, Leslie Cornejo, Pedro A Chavez, Gabriela Ornelas 10)
ACTION ITEMS
10.A)
ADOPTION OF URGENCY ORDINANCE AND INTRODUCTION OF A NON-URGENCY ORDINANCE TO REGULATE SUCCESSIVE RENT INCREASE APPLICATION City Attorney Monica Castillo presented this item, providing a redline for Urgency Ordinance 1352-U and introduced Ordinance 1353.
Cytlalli Salgado was called to speak in support of Urgency Ordinance and Non-Urgency Ordinance to regulate successive rent increase application.
Amalia Ochoa was called to speak in support of Urgency Ordinance and Non-Urgency Ordinance to regulate successive rent increase application.
Eduardo Romero was called to speak in support of Urgency Ordinance and Non-Urgency Ordinance to regulate successive rent increase application.
Nidia Bello was called to speak in support of Urgency Ordinance and Non-Urgency Ordinance to regulate successive rent increase application.
Motion: Approve as amended an Urgency Ordinance Amending Chapter 152 (Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks) of the Santa Paula Municipal Code to Regulate Successive Rent Increase Applications, Setting Forth Facts Constituting Such Urgency, and Finding the Urgency Ordinance is Exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act, and introduce, waive first reading of, and read by title only, Ordinance No. 1353 entitled “An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Santa Paula Amending Chapter 152 (Mobile Homes and Mobile Home Parks) of the Santa Paula Municipal Code to Regulate Successive Rent Increase Applications, and Finding the Ordinance is Exempt from the Environmental Quality Act”, both with the following amended language: Section 2 (A) add language "as defined in code of Civil Procedure Section 1094.6, and Section 2 (D) (3) add language "(which shall not include any expenses related to the processing of any application, including judicial review of or legal challenge to any application or application-related decision of the Commission)" Moved by Pedro A Chavez, seconded by Gabriela Ornelas
Vote: Motion carried 5-0
Yes: Carlos Juarez, Jenny Crosswhite, Leslie Cornejo, Pedro A Chavez, Gabriela Ornelas
10.B)
CYCLE 2 PAVEMENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND 2026 STREET MAINTENANCE PROGRAM BID AUTHORIZATION City Engineer Robert Woodward presented a presentation on the Cycle 2 Pavement Management Program and 2026 Street Maintenance Program Bid Authorization.
Andy Sobel was called to speak making suggestions of changes on different areas to be paved first.
Christina Gruna was called to speak on street damage from trash trucks, school buses, water filtration trucks, street sweepers, would like to see speed bumps on Forrest Lane.
Gene Mathwin was called to speak on concerns of street conditions and no lighting in the Oaks.
Motion: Approve Resolution No. 7605 approving the plans and specifications for the 2026 Street Maintenance Program; and authorize Staff to advertise for Project bids.
Moved by Pedro A Chavez, seconded by Jenny Crosswhite
Vote: Motion carried 5-0
Yes: Carlos Juarez, Jenny Crosswhite, Leslie Cornejo, Pedro A Chavez, Gabriela Ornelas
10.C)
REQUEST FOR LICENSE AGREEMENT AMENDMENT WITH LEAP LAB
Mayor Juarez recused himself from this item.
Marcus Eriksen, with Leap Lab-Ventura County Science, provided information on the space use.
Tim Truwe was called to speak on behalf of the Oil Museum Foundation, in support of the museum collection is preserved and maintained. Would like to see Responsibility Energy Council (REC) agreement to manage the museum archives.
David Compton was called to speak with concern of preservation of the collection at the museum.
Olivia Simonson with REC was called to speak in support of Leap Lab and would like the collection preserved. REC still leaves the door open for agreement to manage the museum archives.
Tracy Green was called to speak in support in preserving the museum collections.
Motion: Approve as amended authorizing the City Manager to enter a First Amended and Restated License Agreement with Leap Lab: Ventura County Science Center for use of the Union Oil Building to include the amendments in Section 10e under Exhibit Displays.
Moved by Pedro A Chavez, seconded by Leslie Cornejo
Vote: Motion carried 4-0
Yes: Jenny Crosswhite, Leslie Cornejo, Pedro A Chavez, Gabriela Ornelas
10.D)
CITY OF SANTA PAULA VACANCIES REPORT PURSUANT TO ASSEMBLY BILL (AB) 2561 This item was presented by Human Resource Administrator Lorena Alvarez.
Michael Hopkin with the Police Officers Association (POA), spoke of concerns of the low staffing in the police department.
Motion: Approve City’s Annual Position Vacancy Report in compliance with Assembly Bill (AB) 2561. (Gov. Code § 3502.3.) Moved by Jenny Crosswhite, seconded by Leslie Cornejo
Vote: Motion carried 5-0
Yes: Carlos Juarez, Jenny Crosswhite, Leslie Cornejo, Pedro A Chavez, Gabriela Ornelas
10.E)
MID-YEAR FISCAL REPORT 25/26
Motion: Approve extending the meeting past 10:30 p.m.
Moved by Jenny Crosswhite, seconded by Pedro A Chavez
Vote: Motion carried 5-0
Yes: Carlos Juarez, Jenny Crosswhite, Leslie Cornejo, Pedro A Chavez, Gabriela Ornelas Motion: Approve budget recommendations and personnel changes as noted in the fiscal impact section and implementation of the minimum wage increase (and subsequent increase to positions related, as noted in the adopted budget).
Moved by Carlos Juarez
Vote: Motion carried 5-0
Yes: Carlos Juarez, Jenny Crosswhite, Leslie Cornejo, Pedro A Chavez, Gabriela Ornelas 11)
ITEMS FOR FUTURE AGENDAS
11.A)
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
12)
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Juarez Adjourned the meeting in honor of Anthony Tony Diaz and Raymond Frutos at 10:53 p.m.
ATTEST:
Julie Latshaw, City Clerk