Mayor’s Message
This is a public meeting. You may be heard on an agenda item before the Council takes action on the item upon being recognized by the mayor. During the oral communications portion of the agenda, you may address the Council on items that do not appear on the agenda that are within the subject matter jurisdiction of the Council. Personal attacks on individuals, slanderous comments, or comments, which may invade an individual’s privacy, are prohibited. The mayor reserves the right to limit the speaker’s time. Individuals wishing accessibility accommodations at this meeting, under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), may request such accommodations to aid hearing, visual, or mobility impairment by contacting City Hall at (760) 344-3411. Please note that 48 hours advance notice will be necessary to honor your request.
MINUTES OF THE
REGULAR MEETING OF THE
CITY COUNCIL OF THE
CITY OF WESTMORLAND
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15, 2026
City Council Chambers
355 South Center Street
Westmorland, CA 92281
Call to Order:
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm by Mayor Cruz Pledge of Allegiance & Invocation:
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Cruz.
Roll Call:
Council Present Staff Present
Justina Cruz, Mayor- Present Laura Bryant, Manager- Present Ray Gutierrez, Mayor Pro-Tem- Absent Ramiro Barajas, PW director - Present Judith Rivera, Member – Present Sergio Cruz, Fire Chief - Present Xavier Mendez, Member- Absent Anthony Lyn Mara, Police Chief- Present Anna Beltran, Member – Present Christine Pisch- City Clerk - Present Steve Walker- Legal Partner Fill in for Mr.
Driskill
Call to Order:
Pledge of Allegiance & Invocation:
Roll Call:
Oral Communication-Public Comment: Now is the time for any member of the public to speak to the Council regarding any item not on the agenda. Please step to the podium and state your name and address for the record. Three (3) minute maximum time.
Brown Act AB 361:
Location: Westmorland City Hall Council Chambers 355 S Center Street Justina Cruz - Mayor
Ray Gutiérrez- Mayor Pro- Tem
Ana Beltran- Council Member
Xavier Mendez - Council Member
Judith Rivera - Council Member
• Daniela Vega, Valle Unido Coalition- Presenting on the Lithium Valley Programmatic Environmental Impact Report. TABLED
• Carlos Duran- IID Division 1 Candidate, stated he wanted to introduce himself and his team to the city council and residents, wanting to hear their concerns in the community.
Reports from Council Members Non-Action Items:
Staff Reports Non-Action Items:
Fire Department – Chief Sergio Cruz, nothing to report
Police Department – Chief Lynn Mara, nothing to report
City Manager- Laura Bryant, provided a written report and briefly talked about the upcoming Car Show on May 2nd.
Public Works Director- Ramiro Barajas, provided the council with an update on the hiring process of the lifeguards and pool schedule.
Consent Agenda: Approve the Consent Agenda Items 1-2.
1. Approval of Meeting Minutes of April 1, 2026
2. Approval of City Warrant List.
Motion to approve the April 1st meeting minutes and the City Warrants. 3/0 with 2 absences.
AYES: (1) Rivera, (2) Cruz, and Beltran
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 2 Mendez, Gutierrez
Regular Business:
1) Presentation Regarding Draft Downtown Overlay Zone and Objective Design Standards. -Diana Gonzalez, Senior Project Manager with MIG & Laura Bryant, Manager. Ms. Gonzalez provided the city council with a report on the feedback received from local residents at the recent Honey Festival. The majority of residents expressed a desire for more business development, as they have to travel outside the area for local stores and restaurants. They also requested more shade and benches to sit and rest. Ms. Gonzalez mentioned that the current parcel sizes are too small for today's development standards in California. She proceeded to ask the city council for their thoughts and ideas on what they would like to see in the city. The council discussed their interest in fostering more businesses and reducing the number of empty lots. Ms. Gonzalez suggested considering mixed-use developments to maximize potential. This could include townhouses in the downtown area, with apartments or condos on the second story and businesses on the ground floor. She concluded her presentation by asking if the council had specific design ideas or preferred types of land use, indicating a preference for less industrial space and more business-focused areas. The council noted that more businesses would be a better fit for the city, but there could be challenges due to CalTrans having jurisdiction over Main Street, which is a highway. They also mentioned that they do not have a specific color palette in mind for the city, but they lean towards bringing in more businesses and innovative ideas. Ms. Bryant proposed that the soon-to-be vacated Fire Department could be a potential location for the veterans' memorial that has been under consideration for the city. A few residents suggested that Main Street could benefit from more landscaping to make it more appealing to passersby, stating that the current appearance has a dry and uninviting look, as many businesses allowed their landscaping to deteriorate. Ms. Gonzalez thanked the council for their time and feedback, mentioning that she would return with more reports and updates. 2) Discussion/Action to Review and Approve the Recommended City Limits Boundary Map Proposed Adjustments. -Laura Bryant, Manager & Funi Galvan, The Holt Group Engineer.
Motion to approve the recommended city limits Boundary Map. 3/0 with 2 absences.
AYES: (1) Beltran, (2) Rivera, and Cruz
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 2 Mendez, Gutierrez
3) Discussion/Action to Adopt Resolution 2026-03 to Authorize Financial Transactions to Eliminate Recorded Debt Resulting from the Amendment to the Love’s Development Agreement. -Laura Bryant, Manager
Motion to approve the Resolution 2026-03.
3/0 with 2 absences.
AYES: (1) Rivera, (2) Beltran, and Cruz
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 2 Mendez, Gutierrez
4) Discussion Regarding the Proposed FY 2027 Budget Review Schedule. -Laura Bryant, Manager. Direction was given to staff to start the meeting at 5:30 PM, May 20th, giving more time for the council to review the budget before the scheduled public meeting at 6:00 PM.
5) Discussion/ Action Celebrating the event of July 4th as the country’s 250th birthday and the state of California’s 175th- Laura Bryant, Manager. City Manager presented the celebration on July 4th as the 250th anniversary of the United States and the 175th anniversary of the state of California. City council proceeds with action to staff to plan a celebration and bring back along with the cost for approval.
Closed Session:
o Public Service Employees Job descriptions and salary scales, as well as Appointment, Employment, or evaluation (Gov’t. Code §54957(b)(1) No closed session was held.
Adjournment: Next regular scheduled meeting onMay 6, 2026.
Council adjourned the meeting at 7:05 PM with no closed session.
Council meetings are Open to the Public
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