Minutes
Santee City Council
Council Chamber - Building 2
10601 Magnolia Avenue
Santee, California
August 13, 2025
This Regular Meeting of the Santee City Council was called to order by Mayor John W.
Minto at 6:30 p.m.
ROLL CALL: Present: Mayor John W. Minto, Vice Mayor Rob McNelis, and Councilmembers Ronn Hall, Laura Koval, and Dustin Trotter.
Officers present: Interim City Manager Gary Halbert, City Attorney Shawn Hagerty, and City Clerk James Jeffries.
INVOCATION was given by James Huenink, First Lutheran Church.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was led by Sandi Sawa, Planning and Building Director.
PROCLAMATION: Celebrating Santee Chamber of Commerce 70th Anniversary Vice Mayor McNelis presented the Proclamation to Susie Parks, Chair of Board of Directors, and Amanda Daugherty, President/CEO, of the Santee Chamber of Commerce.
CONSENT CALENDAR:
James Jeffries, City Clerk, announced speaker slips were submitted for Items 2, 3, and 9.
Approval of Reading by Title Only and Waiver of Reading in Full of Ordinances and Resolutions on the Agenda. (City Clerk - Jeffries) (2) Item Pulled for Discussion.
(3) Item Pulled for Discussion.
(4) Approval of the Expenditure of $121,205.61 for June 2025 Legal Services. (Finance - Jennings)
(5) Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute a Professional Services Agreement with TeamCivX for Funding Feasibility Assessment Services for an amount not to exceed $140,000.00, this Action is Not a Project Under the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") Pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section | 15060 and 15378. (Engineering - Schmitz) (Reso 102-2025)
Santee City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of August 13, 2025 Page 2 of 5 (6) Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing Acceptance of Urban Area Security Initiative (VASI) Grant Subaward Amendment to Conduct Four Regional Emergency Management Specialist Certificate Training Courses and Expenditure of Same. (Fire - Wallace) (Reso 103-2025)
(7) Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing the Purchase of a New 2025 CAT 255 Compact Track Loader with Attachments, Per Sourcewell Competitive Contract #020223, in the amount of $144,305.34. (Fire - Wallace) (Reso 104-2025)
(8) Opt into Settlement Agreement with Distributors of Opioids, Purdue Pharma, L.P. and the Sackler Family. (City Manager - Halbert) (9) Item Pulled for Discussion.
(10) Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Enter into a Three-Year Enterprise License Agreement with Environmental Systems Research Institute, Incorporated ("ESRI") and Authorizing the Appropriation of $8,840.00 from General Fund Reserves. (City Manager - Halbert) (Reso 106-2025)
(11) Adoption of a Resolution Authorizing the Appropriation of Funds to Purchase Microsoft Dynamics Licenses. (City Manager - Halbert) (Reso 107-2025)
Action: Vice Mayor McNelis moved approval of the Consent Calendar and Agenda as Amended.
Councilmember Hall seconded the motion, which carried by the following vote: Mayor Minto: Aye; Vice Mayor McNelis: Aye; and Councilmembers Hall: Aye; Koval: Aye; and Trotter: Aye. Ayes: 5. Noes: 0.
Items removed from the Consent Calendar:
(2) Approval of Meeting Minutes of the Santee City Council for the Special Meeting of June 11, 2025, and Regular Meetings of June 11, 2025, June 25, 2025, and July 9, 2025. (City Clerk - Jeffries)
Public Speaker:
Truth
Action: Vice Mayor McNelis moved approval of staff recommendation.
Councilmember Koval seconded the motion, which carried by the following vote: Mayor Minto: Aye; Vice Mayor McNelis: Aye; and Councilmembers Hall: Aye; Koval: Aye; and Trotter: Aye. Ayes: 5. Noes: 0
Santee City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of August 13, 2025 Page 3 of 5 (3) Approval of Payment of Demands as Presented. (Finance - Jennings) Public Speaker:
• Truth
Action: Vice Mayor McNelis moved approval of staff recommendation.
Councilmember Trotter seconded the motion, which carried by the following vote: Mayor Minto: Aye; Vice Mayor McNelis: Aye; and Councilmembers Hall: Aye; Koval: Aye; and Trotter: Aye. Ayes: 5. Noes: 0.
(9) Adoption of a Resolution Appropriating Funding from the General Fund Reserve to Fund a Professional Services Agreement with Howard Blackson for Conceptual Design Services. (City Manager - Halbert) (Reso 105-2025)
Public Speaker:
• Truth
Action: Vice Mayor McNelis moved approval of staff recommendation.
Councilmember Trotter seconded the motion, which carried by the following vote: Mayor Minto: Aye; Vice Mayor McNelis: Aye; and Councilmembers Hall: Aye; Koval: No; and Trotter: Aye. Ayes: 4. Noes: 1.
NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT (15 minutes):
(A) Carl Constantino requested Santee consider an Ordinance for additional e-bike regulations
(B) Kathleen Lippitt spoke about the marijuana industry, comments received at the Special Meeting for Commercial Cannabis Businesses and City expenditures related to the cannabis Ordinance.
(C) John Hossick, Santee Mobilehome Owners Action Committee, thanked the Council for their support and spoke about contributions to Buddy's Backpacks. (D) Toby Brown spoke about potholes on Mesa Road and repairs it has received in the past.
(E) Truth spoke about public records on private devices, the condition of bridges in Santee, and commented on the Special Meeting for Commercial Cannabis Businesses.
PUBLIC HEARING:
(12) Public Hearing and Introduction and First Reading of an Ordinance Amending Santee Municipal Code Title 13 (Zoning) Regarding Industrial Use Regulations and Finding the Action to Not Require Environmental Review per the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") Section 15378(b)(5) (ZOA-2025-0002). (Planning and Building - Sawa) Santee City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of August 13, 2025 Page 4 of 5 The Public Hearing was opened at 7:01 p.m. Madeline Mattson, Principal Planner, provided a PowerPoint presentation and responded to Council questions with the assistance of Sandi Sawa, Planning and Building Director, Gary Halbert, City Manager, and Shawn Hagerty, City Attorney.
Public Speaker:
• Carl Costantino
• Truth
Action: Mayor Minto moved approval of staff recommendation with changes made to hours of operation for Animal Care Facilities and changes to the Coffeehouse definition.
Vice Mayor McNelis seconded the motion, which carried by the following vote: Mayor Minto: Aye; Vice Mayor McNelis: Aye; and Councilmembers Hall: Aye; Koval: Aye; and Trotter: Aye. Ayes: 5. Noes: 0.
The Public Hearing was closed at 7:16 p.m.
NEW BUSINESS:
(13) Resolution Appointing Nitin Nakrani as Interim Building Official and Approving Employment Agreement. (Human Resources - Freeman) (Reso 108-2025)
Rida Freeman, Human Resources Director, provided a staff report Action: Councilmember Koval moved approval of staff recommendation.
Councilmember Hall seconded the motion, which carried by the following vote: Mayor Minto: Aye; Vice Mayor McNelis: Aye; and Councilmembers Hall: Aye; Koval: Aye; and Trotter: Aye. Ayes: 5. Noes: O.
(14) Workshop on the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP) City of Santee Subarea Plan and Finding that the Workshop is Not a Project Subject to the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") per CEQA Guidelines Section 15378(b)(5) (Applicant - City of Santee). (Planning and Building - Sawa
Marni Borg, Principal Environmental Planner, introduced the Item and Sean Skaggs, Principal from Ebbin+Moser+Skaggs, LLP, provided a PowerPoint presentation and responded to Council questions with the assistance of Shawn Hagerty, City Attorney, Steve Miller, Principal Civil Engineer, and Sandi Sawa, Planning and Building Director.
Public Speaker:
• Truth
After discussion, direction was provided to staff.
Santee City Council Regular Meeting Minutes of August 13, 2025 Page 5 of 5 NON-AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT (Continued):
None.
CITY COUNCIL REPORTS:
Vice Mayor McNelis spoke about school supplies being provided to kids from Buddy's Backpacks.
CITY MANAGER REPORTS:
Fire Halbert, Interim City Manager, announced that Harley Wallace was the permanent CITY ATTORNEY REPORTS:
None.
CLOSED SESSION:
None.
ADJOURNMENT:
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:06 p.m.
Date Approved: September 24, 2025
After on