City of Wasco City Council Special Meeting Agenda, May 14, 2026 .
AGENDA AVAILABILITY
: The City Council Agenda is posted on the bulletin board at the entry of City Hall 746 8th Street, Wasco, at the entrance of 764 E Street, Wasco, and at the entry of the Sheriff’s Office 748 F Street, Wasco. The agenda packet, meeting minutes, and archived City Council meetings are available on the City’s website at www.cityofwasco.org.
AGENDA MATERIALS:
City Council agenda materials are released no later than 24 hours prior to a Special meeting and are available to the public at the City Clerk’s Office, 746 8
th Street, Wasco, CA, in a public binder at each City Council meeting, and on the City’s website at https://www.cityofwasco.org/AgendaCenter PUBLIC
COMMENTS: This is a special meeting , and only comments or statements concerning the Agenda items listed below are allowed (GC54954.3a). Public comments may be made in person or via email. If you would like to submit a public comment via email, please submit email comments to [email protected] no later than May 14, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
E
very effort will be made to read your comment into the record; however, they are limited to two (2) minutes. If a comment is received after the specific time mentioned above but before the meeting is adjourned, the comment will still be included as a part of the record of the meeting but will not be read into the record.
P
lease be advised that communications directed to the City Council are public records and are subject to disclosure pursuant to the California Public Records Act and Brown Act unless exempt from disclosure under the applicable law. Communications will NOT be edited for redactions and will be printed/posted as submitted.
SPANISH INTERPRETATION: I
f you need an interpretation of your communications to the City Council from Spanish into English, please contact the City Clerk Department at 661-758-7215 or via email at [email protected]. Subject to availability INTERPRETACIÓN EN
ESPAÑOL: Si necesita una interpretación de sus comunicaciones al Concejo Municipal del español al inglés, comuníquese con el Departamento del Secretario de la Ciudad al 661 -758-7215 o por correo electrónico a [email protected]. Sujeto a disponibilidad.
AGENDA
Special City Council Meeting,
Successor Agency to the
Former Redevelopment Agency and the
Wasco Public Finance Authority
Wednesday, May 14, 2026 – 4:00 pm.
Council Chambers
746 8th Street, Wasco, CA 93280
www.cityofwasco.org
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City of Wasco City Council Special Meeting Agenda, May 14, 2026 SP
ECIAL MEETING – 4:00 pm
1) CA
LL TO ORDER: Mayor
2) RO
LL CALL: Mayor Saldaña, Mayor Pro Tem Reyna, Council Members: Martinez, Medina, Raya
3) FLA
G SALUTE: led by the Mayor
4) NEW B
USINESS:
a. City Council finds this action is not a project not a “project” under Section 15378 of the CEQA Guidelines; Receive department budget requests related to Fiscal Year 2025-2026 and provide feedback to staff. (Blakemore)
5) CLO
SED SESSION: None
6) CL
OSED SESSION ACTION: None
7) ADJ
OURNMENT:
Thi
s is to certify that this agenda was posted at Wasco City Hall on May 13, 2026, on/or before 4:00 p.m., 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting. The agenda is also available on the City website at www.cityofwasco.org.
_______________
__________________
Monica Flores, CPMC
Deputy City Clerk
All agenda item supporting documentation is available for public review on the city website, www.cityofwasco.org, and the office of the City Clerk of the City of Wasco, 746 8 th Street, Wasco, CA 93280, during regular business hours, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm Monday through Thursday and 8:30 am – 4:30 pm Friday (closed alternate Friday's), following the posting of the agenda. Any supporting documentation related to an agenda item for an open session of any regular meeting that is distributed after the agenda is posted and prior to the meeting will also be available for review at the same location and available at the meeting. Please remember to turn off all cell phones, pagers, or electronic devices during Council meetings.
The City of Wasco does not discriminate on the basis of disability in access to, provision of, or employment in its programs and activities pursuant to 29 United States Code Section 12132 and California Civil Code Section 54.
The City Clerk's Office can provide information regarding the rights provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
If y
ou need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk's Office at (661) 758- 7215 to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting. Telephone (661) 758- 7215.
Requests for assistance should be made at least two (2) days in advance whenever possible. 2 of 5
.
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
FROM: M. Scott Hurlbert, City Manager
Tracy Blakemore, Finance Director
DATE: May 14, 2026
SUBJECT: Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget Workshop General fund, Enterprise funds, and Capital Improvement Program.
Recommendation:
Staff recommends the City Council:
1) Receive department budget requests related to Fiscal Year 2026-2027 and provide feedback to staff; and
2) Find that this action is not a project as defined under the California Environmental Quality Act State Guidelines; therefore, pursuant to State Guidelines Section 15378; no environmental review is required.
Environmental Review:
The staff has reviewed the proposed activity for compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). It has determined that the activity is not a “Project” as defined under Section 15378 of the State CEQA guidelines because the proposed activity consists of a governmental fiscal /administrative activity which does not result in a physical change in the environment; therefore, pursuant to Section 15060(c)(3) of the State CEQA Guidelines, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Thus, no environmental review is required.
Discussion:
This meeting provides for review and discussion of economic trends, directives set forth by the Council during the annual strategic planning workshop, departmental requests for the fiscal year 2026-2027 budget.
This report aims to outline our strategic response to economic challenges and align our budgetary priorities with the directives set forth by the council during the annual strategic planning workshop held on April 30,2026.
Strategic Priorities:
The council has emphasized several key priorities during the strategic planning workshop, which will guide our budgetary decisions for the upcoming fiscal year:
STAFF REPORT
City of Wasco
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Top Priorities:
1. Water Management Expansion – Addressing capacity limitations by investing in additional wells and storage to support long-term growth. Water infrastructure, new water wells, finish wells, determine growth capacity, infrastructure for housing growth, aging well replacement, large-capacity storage tank(s).
2. Staff Development, Retention & Succession Planning - Develop/retain staff, employee satisfaction, staff feel valued, employee feedback in evaluations, succession planning, department heads training replacements.
3. Economic Development – Business development, attract new business, recruit higher paying businesses, grow tax base, downtown improvement, attract retailers/restaurants, mobile vendor congregation.
4. Public Safety Enhancements –Continue traffic enforcement, bike control, build new Police HQ, secure PD building funding, pedestrian/alternative transportation safety, speed bumps/crossings. Continue community policing initiatives.
5. Animal Control and Public Services - Animal control, evaluate staffing/services/program effectiveness, secure funding for new facility relocation.
Additional Priorities:
6. Parks / Recreation / Sports Complex Development – Staff will explore options for helping to create a sports complex to serve the community. Work with the Recreation District to identify and secure funding and ongoing revenue streams.
7. Community Communication / Transparency – Enhancing communication through social media, newsletters, and public meetings to improve transparency.
Expand city communication channels, keep community informed.
8. Homelessness / Mental Health Programs –Continue homeless programs focusing on mental health.
9. Fiscal Sustainability / Long-Term Budgeting – 3-year plan to pay bills without depending on new homes.
10. City Identity / Motto – Review current and former city mottos “Grow with Us,” “A Nice Place to Live”.
11. City Infrastructure Improvements – Investing in road and alley rehabilitation, water projects, facilities, and pedestrian safety enhancements.
Opportunities and Challenges
This year has produced some encouraging improvements:
1. Business Growth: Expansion of local businesses and increased interest from national retailers along the Hwy 46 corridor. FY 2025-2026 retail growth was forecast as “flat”. However, Q3 results show growth in excess of 3% YTD.
2. Community Engagement: Strengthened public safety efforts and growing trust in the Wasco Police Department since its inception. Crime statistics continue to show improvements.
3. Infrastructure Investments: Continued momentum in capital improvement projects, including water system, road repairs, and facility upgrades.
However, the city continues to confront ongoing challenges:
1. Stagnant Sales Tax Revenue: Short-term forecasts indicate slow revenue growth, which could impact budget flexibility. National and Global factors will affect local economics.
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2. Water Supply Limitations: Growth remains constrained due to limited water infrastructure. The prohibitive cost of well construction creates an undue burden on rate payers.
3. State and Federal Funding Challenges: California Budget issues, and Federal funding gridlock threatens the number and size of grant funding opportunities.
Budget Proposal Overview
Staff will present the proposed fiscal year 2026-2027 budget in three segments.
Part 1: Enterprise Accounts – An overview of Wastewater, Water, and Sanitation Funds.
Also discussed are the CNG and Public Transit Funds.
Part 2: Capital Improvement Plan – A review of all CIP projects categorized by status.
Special attention will be given to new and large-scale projects in this 5-year plan.
Part 3: Operating Budget – A review of Departmental/Division budgets along with General Fund summary, revenue forecast, and proposed staffing changes.
By approaching the budget process in a responsible, conservative way, the City’s sound financial practices now provide an opportunity to move forward with strategic projects.
Our reserves , particularly in our primary utility enterprises, enable reliable delivery of services with minimal imp act on utility rates. Our strategy prioritizes adaptability, sustainability, and alignment with Council goals.
We look forward to a productive review and guidance while staff works toward budget adoption next month.
Fiscal Impact:
No fiscal impact.
Attachments:
None
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