City Council
Evan Hutson, Mayor
Richard Thomas, Vice Mayor
Gary Hansen, Council Member
Lorri Pride, Council Member
Matt Busby, Council Member
City Manager
Marti Brown
City Clerk
Karleen Price
Willows City Council
Regular Meeting
Action Minutes
May 26, 2026
Willows City Hall
6:00 PM
201 North Lassen Street
Willows, CA 95988
(530) 934-7041
1. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 PM
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. ROLL CALL
Councilmembers Present: Mayor Hutson, Vice Mayor Thomas, Councilmember Busby, Councilmember Hansen, and Councilmember Pride
Councilmembers Absent: None
4. CHANGES TO THE AGENDA
5. CEREMONIAL
a. Proclamation – National Poppy Day - received by Rebecca Warnock, VFW Auxiliary #1770. b. Proclamation – Memorial Day – received by Rebecca Warnock, VFW Auxiliary #1770. c. Proclamation – National Forest Week – received by Laura Leidner and Shiloh Springstead, Mendocino National Forest.
6. PUBLIC COMMENT & CONSENT CALENDAR FORUM
a. Register Approval
Action: Approved general checking, payroll, and direct deposit check registers. b. Minutes Approval
Action: Approved the minutes of May 12, 2026, City Council Meeting. c. Weed Abatement Contract Award
Action: Awarded the weed abatement contract to Robert Burt Construction and authorized the City Manager to execute an agreement in an amount not to exceed $40,000. d. Mello-Roos Community Facilities District – Willows Police Department Action: Authorized the City Manager to execute professional services agreements with Wulff, Hansen & Co. (Municipal Advisor), Stradling Yocca Carlson & Rauth (Formation Counsel), and Webb Municipal Finance (Special Tax Consultant) for the formation of a Mello-Roos Community Facilities District (CFD) to fund the startup capital and ongoing operational costs of the Willows Police Department (WPD), in a total amount not to exceed $125,000 for all three agreements. 2 Motion to approve consent calendar items #6a, 6b, 6c, and 6d as presented.
Moved/Seconded: Councilmember Pride/Councilmember Hansen Yes: Mayor Hutson, Vice Mayor Thomas, Councilmembers Busby, Hansen, and Pride No: None
Absent: None
7. DISCUSSION & ACTION CALENDAR
a. November 2026 Cannabis Tax Ordinance & Measure
Public Comment
Public Comment #1: Melissa Wight, CaliLove
Action: Directed staff to introduce the ordinance at the June 9, 2026, City Council meeting; and prepare the Cannabis Tax measure language and resolution for the June 23, 2026, City Council meeting agenda, allowing quarterly payments and no limits on when tax rates may change.
Moved/Seconded: Councilmember Pride/Vice Mayor Thomas
Yes: Mayor Hutson, Vice Mayor Thomas, Councilmembers Busby, Hansen, and Pride No: None
Absent: None
b. Re-establish Willows Police Department in Civic Center – Hire Consultant Action: Authorized the City Manager to release a Request for Qualifications to hire a consulting firm to develop design recommendations and a cost estimate to re-establish the Willows Police Department in the Civic Center.
Moved/Seconded: Councilmember Hansen/Vice Mayor Thomas
Yes: Mayor Hutson, Vice Mayor Thomas, Councilmembers Busby, Hansen, and Pride No: None
Absent: None
8. PUBLIC HEARING
Weed Abatement Declaration - Public Hearing For Protest Action: Held a Public Hearing and adopted resolution 17-2026 confirming declarations of nuisances as amended and confirming the order for abatement.
Moved/Seconded: Councilmember Hansen/Councilmember Busby Yes: Mayor Hutson, Vice Mayor Thomas, Councilmembers Busby, Hansen, and Pride No: None
Absent: None
3 9. COMMENTS AND REPORTS
a. Council Correspondence
Mayor Hutson received an invitation from the Glenn County Superior Court to the Civil Grand Jury Discharge and Empanelment Ceremony on June 30, 2026, at 3:00 pm. b. City Council Comments & Reports
Councilmembers reported on various community events and meetings attended.
Councilmember Pride requested a proposed timeline for the completion of updates to Title 18 of the Municipal Code.
Mayor Hutson requested that Community Development & Services Director Joe Bettencourt investigate the Cannabis Grant Program.
c. City Manager’s Report
City Manager Marti Brown reminded the public of the Special Joint Meeting of the Board of Supervisors, Orland City Council, and Willows City Council to be held on June 1, 2026, at 6:00 pm in Council Chambers to discuss the Ambulance Rate Study and invited the public to attend.
10. CLOSED SESSION – 8:21 PM
a. Public Employee Performance Evaluation (§ 54957)
Title: City Manager
Report Out: No reportable action was taken.
11. ADJOURNMENT – 9:19 PM
______________________________
Karleen Price, City Clerk