Lodi City Council Agenda - August 5, 2026

Lodi

Jul 31

Lodi City Council Agenda Summary — August 5, 2026

Summary

This is a governance-heavy agenda dressed up as a routine August meeting. There are no public hearings. Five threads run through the 291-page packet: a twice-deferred, formally protested $616,700 citywide tree maintenance award (G.3) that will determine who operates Lodi's street-tree inventory for the next two to four years; a no-bid $115,000 consulting contract (G.2) to CityWise Strategies, LLC — the firm of Aaron Busch, Lodi's Interim City Manager through June 22, 2026; a first-reading ordinance moving City Clerk appointment and removal authority from the Council to the City Manager (G.6), introduced two days after the incumbent Clerk's last day; a single consent vote clearing a two-year backlog of 18 sets of minutes (C.1), ten of which record canceled meetings; and continued fiscal strain visible in a boiler award 57% over the Engineer's Estimate funded by draining two other capital accounts (C.6) alongside the elimination of executive CalPERS employee cost-sharing (G.5).

Also on the agenda: ratification of David Hanham as Community Development Director at $201,619.47, filling a vacancy open since February 24, 2026 (G.4); an informational report restoring Friday library service and ending Sunday hours for a net gain of four weekly public service hours at no added cost (G.1); a countywide free bus transfer pilot including Lodi GrapeLine (C.7); and recognition of Lodi as America's Favorite Small Town 2026.

Source document: 08.05.2026-Regular_Agenda-Packet.pdf — 291 pages, City of Lodi. Page references below (p###) are PDF pages of that packet. Scanned exhibits (the West Coast Arborists protest, the City's response, Elite's letter, and the Hanham employment agreement) were OCR'd to recover text.

Part 1 — Executive Overview

Meeting basics


Date/time	Wednesday, August 5, 2026 — Invocation 6:55 p.m., Regular Meeting 7:00 p.m.
Location	Carnegie Forum, 305 W. Pine Street, Lodi
Council	Mayor Ramon Yepez; Mayor Pro Tempore Mikey Hothi; Council Members Cameron Bregman, Lisa Craig-Hensley, Alan Nakanishi
Remote access	Zoom ID 821 7418 0304, passcode 123456; webcast on the City's public meetings YouTube channel
Written comment	councilcomments@lodi.gov
Clerk of record	Agenda issued by City Clerk Olivia Nashed; every resolution in the packet is pre-signed for attestation by Walfred Solorzano, Interim City Clerk
Public hearings	None

What actually matters on this agenda

This is a governance-heavy agenda dressed up as a routine August meeting. Five threads run through it:

1. A contested $616,700 tree maintenance award (G.3) — the marquee item. Public Works is asking Council, for the second time, to reject a formal bid protest from West Coast Arborists, Inc. (WCA), Lodi's tree contractor of roughly two decades, and award the 2026–2028 citywide tree maintenance contract to a lower bidder, Elite Maintenance & Tree Service of Ceres. The protest is not about price — Elite is $68,220 cheaper — it is about whether Elite meets the contract's own tree inventory and GIS database experience requirements. That makes this a data-governance decision as much as a landscaping one: the winner effectively becomes custodian of the City's GPS street-tree inventory. Council took no action on June 17 and it now returns with two new exhibits in the record.

2. A no-bid $115,000 consulting contract to the City's own recently departed Interim City Manager (G.2). The City Manager is recommending a formal-bid waiver to hire CityWise Strategies, LLC for a Development Services operational review. CityWise is the consulting firm of Aaron Busch — Lodi's Interim City Manager from late February through June 2026 (Lodi News-Sentinel, Stocktonia). The staff report cites "familiarity with the City of Lodi" as part of the justification. Busch's name appears on the City letterhead of the very protest-response letter attached as an exhibit to G.3 (p260), and he participated in the June 17 tree contract discussion as Interim City Manager. This item deserves the scrutiny that Gene Redding has repeatedly applied to smaller no-bid awards.

3. Continued consolidation of authority under the City Manager (G.6). A first-reading ordinance would move appointment, removal, promotion, and demotion of the City Clerk from the City Council to the City Manager. This lands one meeting after the Clerk's position went vacant and follows Ordinance No. 2045 (January 2026), which shortened the City Manager removal process from 30+ days to 10 days. Two of the three historically Council-appointed officers (Clerk, Attorney) are in transition simultaneously.

4. A two-year minutes backlog being cleared in one vote (C.1). Eighteen sets of minutes are up for approval at once, spanning September 2025 back to May 2024 — including nine canceled 2024 Shirtsleeve Sessions and six substantive 2026 meetings. Approving minutes from May 2024 in August 2026 is a records-management failure worth naming, even though the content is unremarkable.

5. Fiscal pressure showing up as small appropriations and pension cost-shifts. C.6 (Carnegie Forum boiler) requires cannibalizing two other capital projects to cover a $46,183 shortfall on a bid that came in 57% over the Engineer's Estimate. G.5 formalizes eliminating employee CalPERS cost-sharing for executives and confidential staff — moving cost back onto the General Fund in the same year the June budget discussion flagged a ~$5 million deficit and reserve depletion.

Fiscal summary of items with dollar figures

Item	Vendor / purpose	Amount
C.2	SEL Engineering Services — cyber maturity Phase 2	$49,535 (revised NTE $80,797.50)
C.4	Fifth Asset, Inc. (DebtBook) — SaaS renewal	$46,500 (total NTE $92,250)
C.5	CHP Cannabis Tax Fund grant — DUI enforcement	$67,896 (revenue, not cost)
C.6	Mesa Energy Systems — Carnegie Forum boiler	$94,363 + $15,000 change orders
C.7	SJCOG countywide free bus transfer pilot	$600,000 regional (Measure K)
C.9	Solenis, LLC — dewatering polymer	+$70,000
C.10	A.M. Stephens Construction — Alley Phase 10 (accept)	$246,131.62 final
G.2	CityWise Strategies, LLC — no-bid consulting	$115,000
G.3	Elite Maintenance & Tree Service — tree maintenance	$616,700 + $100,000 change orders
G.4	David Hanham — Community Development Director salary	$201,619.47/yr

Part 2 — Presentations (Item B)

B.1 — Certificates of Recognition for Life Saving Efforts to Annabelle Ebbs, Andrew Kanas, Landon Shaw, Austin Bates, Emily Melton, LaCrissa Black (nursing assistant, San Joaquin General Hospital), and Camille Gillespie (Fire Department) (p6–8).
B.2 — Recognition of the Fire Department, Police Department, and Electric Utility for their response to a fire in the 400 block of Harold Street (p9).
B.3 — Certificate of Recognition to the Visit Lodi Conference & Visitors Bureau for Lodi being named America's Favorite Small Town 2026 (p10–11). Worth noting the contrast: at the June 17 budget hearing, public commenter Scott Hamilton pointedly paired this award with the City's ~$5 million deficit and depletion of savings.

Part 3 — Consent Calendar (C.1–C.10)

C.1 — Approve Minutes (18 sets, p12–102)

Eighteen sets of minutes are approved in a single consent action. Nine of the eighteen record canceled meetings.

Summary table

#	Meeting	Type	Substance
a	Sept 17, 2025	Regular	Canceled — one sentence
b	Jan 7, 2026	Regular	Res. 2026-01 → 2026-07; Ords. 2035–2043 adopted; 2044–2045 introduced
c	Feb 4, 2026	Regular	Res. 2026-10 → 2026-16; mid-year budget; Access Center operator award
d	Feb 11, 2026	Special	Closed session only — Interim City Manager recruitment
e	Feb 18, 2026	Regular	20 pages; EDSP adopted; 8 exec contracts continued; Busch appointed Interim CM
f	Feb 18, 2026	Special	Closed session only — 350 N. Washington St. property
g	Mar 4, 2026	Regular	Res. 2026-33 → 2026-47; Strategic Vision; 8 exec salary addenda
h	Apr 1, 2026	Regular	Res. 2026-55 → 2026-66; Interim City Attorney; Nov. 2026 election calls
i	Jun 17, 2026	Regular	15 pages; FY2026/27 budget; tree contract deferred; data center debate
j–r	May 7 – Jul 2, 2024 (9 sessions)	Shirtsleeve	All canceled — one sentence each

Major decisions and discussions in the approved minutes

January 7, 2026 (Regular). Mayor Yepez absent the entire meeting; Mayor Pro Tem Hothi presided. Adjourned 7:54 p.m.

Res. 2026-01 — Five-year, no-bid substation maintenance agreement with Substation Solutions, LLC of Woodland, $278,000.
Res. 2026-02 — Parking Structure Stair Re-sealing: apparent low bidder Paine Construction withdrew citing a substantial bidding error; award moved to second-low Waterproofing Associates, Inc. of Lodi, $76,980.
Res. 2026-03 — Emergency declaration for immediate replacement of two Police Station boilers; Amendment No. 6 ($120,000) to the ICR Refrigeration on-call HVAC PSA. Staff disclosed the Police Station/jail had been without heat for two to three weeks, forcing jail closure.
Res. 2026-04 — Accepted Gateway South Neighborhood Park improvements.
Res. 2026-05 — WGR Southwest stormwater support, Amendment No. 2, +$81,806 (total NTE $298,574).
Res. 2026-06 — Bickford Ventures / Division 01 Construction Management, Animal Shelter, 8-month extension. Council Member Bregman recused and left the dais.
Res. 2026-07 — Carollo Engineers Amendment No. 4, White Slough Solids Handling progressive design-build documents.
Ordinances 2035–2043 adopted, including the full 2025 California Building, Existing Building, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Residential, Green Building, and Fire Codes.
Ord. 2044 introduced — raises the LMC 15.44.040 off-site improvement threshold from $75,400 to $150,000.
Ord. 2045 introduced — amends LMC 2.12.050, compressing City Manager removal from 30+ days to 10 days, with a 90-day post-election window requiring a 4/5 vote for at-will removal.
Discussion of note: Gene Redding pulled six consent items (C.1, C.2, C.3, C.5, C.6, C.7) objecting to no-bid/sole-source awards, contract length, the gap between withdrawn and awarded bids, emergency bidding bypassing competitive safeguards, and the use of PSA amendments in lieu of rebidding. Staff (Berkheimer, Nathan, Lindsay) defended each; all items passed.
A technical glitch caused Hothi's votes to display on-screen as Yepez's during the public hearings; the minutes correct the record.

February 4, 2026 (Regular). Adjourned 10:06 p.m.

Res. 2026-15 — FY 2025-26 Mid-Year Budget Adjustments. Adds 1 Police Officer, 1 Senior Billing Specialist, 1 Management Analyst-Confidential, 1 Senior Plans Examiner; deletes 1 Customer Service Representative and 1 Health and Safety Specialist; reclassifies Deputy City Clerk → Assistant City Clerk and Program Manager → Recreation Manager. Extended Q&A on PERS/PARS liability, Beckman Park cricket lighting and skate park funding, and General Plan capital treatment.
Res. 2026-16 — Lodi Access Center & Emergency Shelter operator award to Outreach Ministries International, Inc. Fourteen-plus public speakers in support. Mayor Yepez voted No, stating he supported the Salvation Army instead. 4–1.
Also: Res. 2026-10 (Patrick Clark Consulting labor relations, +$60,000 → $120,000 NTE), Res. 2026-11 (United Site Services portable restrooms), Res. 2026-12 (Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan), Res. 2026-13/14 (District 1 non-profit allocations to Lodi Sister City Committee $15,870 and Boys & Girls Club $4,130).

February 11, 2026 (Special). Closed session only, 3:01–5:31 p.m., on Interim City Manager appointment. Bregman left at 5:26 p.m. No reportable action.

February 18, 2026 (Regular). The largest meeting in the batch (20 pages). Adjourned 9:32 p.m.

Claims approved: $156,510,180 (C.1).
Recognized retiring Community Development Director John Della Monica (B.2) — the vacancy that G.4 on this agenda now fills — and outgoing Interim City Manager James Lindsay (B.3).
Res. 2026-27 — adopted the Lodi Economic Development Strategic Plan (consultants: The Natelson Dale Group, Economic Growth Strategies, RRM Design Group). This is the plan G.2's CityWise scope now cross-references.
Res. 2026-28 — extended the Economic Development Ad-Hoc Committee one year; Bregman ceded his seat to Mayor Yepez to focus on the Downtown Specific Plan.
G.3 (Feb 18) — discussion on forming an ad-hoc committee on service delivery/permitting efficiency. No vote. Craig-Hensley stepped back citing personal/professional over-investment. This is the direct antecedent of item G.2 on the August 5 agenda — the permitting-efficiency question that started as a Council committee idea has become a $115,000 outside consulting contract.
Res. 2026-21 (HHAP Round 5 grant) — pulled by Mayor Yepez; Yepez voted No, 4–1.
Labor: Res. 2026-29 (Mid-Management MOU 2026–2028), Res. 2026-30 (unrepresented Mid-Management/General Service), Res. 2026-31 (IBEW Local 1245 side letters) — all eliminating CalPERS employee cost-sharing and raising the City's medical premium share to 90%. This is the policy chain G.5 completes.
Items G.8 through G.15 — eight executive employment addenda — continued to March 4 on Craig-Hensley's motion, because delayed agenda posting left her unable to read the agreements.
Res. 2026-32 — appointed Aaron Busch Interim City Manager, retired PERS annuitant, $140/hour, NTE 960 hours per fiscal year.
Also: Res. 2026-19 (Christina Jaromay appointed City Treasurer), Res. 2026-23 (rejected all bids, Adore Pets Building Demolition), Res. 2026-24 (West Yost Amendment No. 5, White Slough, $60,000), Res. 2026-26 (pre-approved ENR water rate index), Ord. 2046 introduced (Community Benefits Incentive Discount).

February 18, 2026 (Special). Closed session only, 6:19–7:05 p.m., real property negotiations for 350 North Washington Street (APN 041-240-28) with Cody Diede of Diede Construction. No reportable action. (This parcel is Lawrence Park — the site leased to Galt Fuel Station, LLC three weeks later.)

March 4, 2026 (Regular). First meeting with Interim City Manager Busch. Adjourned 9:16 p.m.

Claims: $21,825,205.
Res. 2026-33 — wrote off $1,573,855.04 in uncollectible utility billing bad debts (2017–2021) and appropriated $1,292,718.
Res. 2026-37 — Concession Lease with Galt Fuel Station, LLC for ~5,400 sq. ft. of Lawrence Park (350 N. Washington St.) for an enclosed dining/entertainment patio next to the American Legion renovation. Bregman voted No, arguing the City lacks a method to calculate property value versus public benefit on such leases. 4–1.
Res. 2026-38 — adopted the revised Council Strategic Vision, repealing Res. 2023-98.
Res. 2026-39 — LPMO side letter: a complaint over the City's delayed execution of the 9% → 3% CalPERS cost-share reduction was settled with a $1,000 one-time payment per LPMO member. Directly relevant to G.5.
Eight executive salary addenda (G.5–G.12) adopted with a consistent dissent pattern. Mayor Yepez announced he would vote against some based on his evaluations, then voted No on four: Library Director Jennifer Fontanilla ($172,010), PRCS Director Christina Jaromay ($219,390), Economic Development Director Luis Aguilar ($198,198, 5% equity), and City Attorney Katie Lucchesi ($303,680). Unanimous on Electric Utility Director Berkheimer (salary held at $342,000), Police Chief Garcia ($269,921), Fire Chief Johnson ($236,752), and City Clerk Nashed ($162,842). Public commenter Scott Hamilton questioned why department director contracts come to Council at all when those directors report to the City Manager — an argument that G.6 on this agenda now applies to the City Clerk in reverse.

April 1, 2026 (Regular). Adjourned 7:47 p.m.

B.1 — Arbor Day proclamation for April 4, 2026, presented to Steve Dutra and Bill Nantt of Tree Lodi.
Res. 2026-62 — appointed John Luebberke Interim City Attorney with a legal services agreement with Herum Crabtree Suntag.
Res. 2026-63 through 2026-66 — called and noticed the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election for Districts 1, 2, and 3, requested County election services, and set ballot-argument and candidate-statement rules.
Res. 2026-59 — EagleShield Pest Control, squirrel abatement at White Slough, $229,827.
Res. 2026-58 — Four replacement vehicles and equipment, $212,804.46.
C.9 — appointment of Christopher Anderson to the Library Board of Trustees. Bregman recused and left the dais; Hothi voted No. Passed 3–1.

June 17, 2026 (Regular). Adjourned 10:40 p.m. First meeting with Interim City Attorney Luebberke on the dais and Busch recognized as outgoing.

Closed session: existing litigation Scott R. Carney v. City of Lodi, Case Nos. STK-CV-UWM-2026-0003828 and STK-CV-UOE-2026-0044713. (Carney is the former City Manager placed on leave in April 2025; he later filed a whistleblower retaliation suit — see Recordnet coverage.)
Res. 2026-141 — FY 2026/27 Financial Plan and Budget adopted, with the Gann limit, new classifications, Budget and Fiscal Policies, and Investment Policy. Public comment was unusually pointed: Scott Hamilton contrasted the "America's Favorite Small Town" award with a $5 million deficit, depletion of savings, and deferred maintenance; Christopher Anderson urged permitting reform and revenue growth; JP Doucette raised staffing constraints; Mike Carouba said nothing had changed since Measure L passed. Council discussion covered use of reserves, asset monetization, and holding dedicated revenue sessions.
Res. 2026-140 — Access Center operating agreement with Outreach Ministries International. Mayor Yepez voted No again. 4–1.
G.3 — Data centers. Bregman reversed his earlier support for a data center at the White Slough WPCF and asked for a moratorium. Craig-Hensley opposed moratoriums on principle; Yepez wanted the item tabled indefinitely. Hamilton, Anderson, and Doucette spoke against a moratorium; Aliferas against data centers generally. No action taken.
F.3 — Vacancy/recruitment public hearing (Gov. Code §3502.3): citywide vacancy rate 7.6%. Bregman and Craig-Hensley requested a 5-year vacancy average and General-Fund-specific data.
Res. 2026-136 / 2026-137 — pre-authorized award to lowest responsive bidder for On-Call HVAC (NTE $700,000) and Fire Alarm Monitoring (NTE $200,000).
Res. 2026-133 / 2026-134 — 2026/2027 Pavement Resurfacing (RMRA/SB1) and Hutchins Street resurfacing appropriation ($129,165). Craig-Hensley again asked for a complete road condition assessment.
Res. 2026-126 — Lodi Electric Utility 2026 Wildfire Mitigation Plan.
Res. 2026-127 ($537,000 Dell refresh), Res. 2026-128 (Placer.ai Labs, $72,500), Res. 2026-130 (LC Action Police Supply, $500,000/5 yr), Res. 2026-132 (United Cerebral Palsy: Downtown Cleaning $125,139.25, Transit Facility Cleaning $97,123, Hutchins Street Square landscape $26,028).
C.15 — the tree maintenance contract — pulled and deferred. Full account in the G.3 section below.

Records-management observations on C.1

A two-year lag. Nine Shirtsleeve Session minutes from May–July 2024 are only now being ratified, alongside a September 2025 regular meeting cancellation. Minutes are the legal record of Council action; a backlog of this length weakens the audit trail during exactly the period when the City had a City Manager on administrative leave, litigation, and three interim managers.
Half the batch is null content. Ten of eighteen sets record no business (one canceled regular meeting, nine canceled Shirtsleeves). The nine consecutive canceled 2024 Shirtsleeve Sessions also document that Lodi's informal informational meeting format was effectively dormant for two straight months.
Approval by a Council that has changed. These minutes are being approved under a City Manager (Reddig), City Attorney (Luebberke, interim), and City Clerk (Solorzano, interim) none of whom held those roles when most of the meetings occurred.

C.2 — Change Order No. 1, Cyber Maturity Support Agreement — SEL Engineering Services, Inc. ($49,535) (p103–109)

Action: Approve Change Order No. 1 with SEL Engineering Services, Inc. (New York), increasing the revised not-to-exceed amount to $80,797.50.

Background. Phase 1 was executed October 1, 2025 for $31,262.50 and covered a cyber maturity assessment of the Electric Utility's operational technology (OT) environment. Phase 2 adds incident response and disaster recovery policy development plus tabletop exercises, to be complete by December 31, 2027. The staff report notes assessment findings are confidential and not disclosed publicly — standard practice for critical-infrastructure vulnerability findings.

Funding: EUCP-26002.Contracts. Prepared by Jasminder Singh, Engineering Operational Technology Supervisor.

Context. This is a NERC/CIP-adjacent maturity program for a municipal electric utility. The confidentiality carve-out means the public record will never show what the assessment found — the only visible artifacts are the dollar amounts and the deliverable list. Pairs with the June 17 adoption of the 2026 Wildfire Mitigation Plan as the utility's two active resilience workstreams.

C.3 — LAIF Signature Authority (p110–113)

Action: Adopt a resolution authorizing City officials to deposit and withdraw funds in the Local Agency Investment Fund under Government Code §16429.1.

Authorized signers: Kara Reddig, City Manager; Jamie Bandy, Administrative Services Director / City Treasurer; Jennelle Baker-Bechthold, Budget Manager.

Background. Purely administrative housekeeping triggered by senior staff turnover. Reddig started June 22, 2026; Bandy was appointed Administrative Services Director and City Treasurer in May 2026, replacing Christina Jaromay, who had been appointed Treasurer only in February 2026 (Res. 2026-19). LAIF is the State Treasurer's pooled investment fund used by California local agencies for short-term liquidity.

Context. This is the fourth or fifth signature-authority update in six months — a direct cost of the leadership churn. Prepared by Jennelle Baker-Bechthold.

C.4 — Amendment No. 2, SaaS Agreement with Fifth Asset, Inc. (DebtBook) — $46,500 (p114–152)

Action: Approve Amendment No. 2 with Fifth Asset, Inc. d/b/a DebtBook (Charlotte, NC), adding $46,500 for a three-year renewal; total not-to-exceed $92,250.

Background. The original agreement was executed August 15, 2022 as a one-year, $9,750 contract, then renewed for three years through August 15, 2026 at $45,750 total. DebtBook supports compliance with GASB 87 (leases) and GASB 96 (subscription-based IT arrangements — SBITAs), both of which require governments to identify, measure, and disclose lease and software-subscription obligations that previously sat off the balance sheet.

Future-year costs: FY2027 $15,000 · FY2028 $15,500 · FY2029 $16,000. Charged to account 10020202-72450. Prepared by Chia Lor, Accounting Manager.

Context. Cost has escalated from $9,750/yr equivalent to ~$15,500/yr — roughly 59% over four years. The renewal is uncompetitive by nature (the accounting records live in the platform), which is the same structural lock-in argument that surfaces in G.3 around proprietary tree inventory software.

C.5 — CHP Cannabis Tax Fund Grant — $67,896 (p155–171)

Action: Adopt a resolution accepting the California Highway Patrol Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program award and appropriating $67,896.00; authorize the Chief of Police to execute grant documents.

Background. Funded under Proposition 64 / AUMA, Revenue & Taxation Code §34019(f)(3)(B), which directs a share of cannabis excise revenue to programs reducing impaired driving. The grant funds: - 2 DUI checkpoints - 10 DUI saturation patrols - DUI detection training — Standardized Field Sobriety Testing (SFST) and Advanced Roadside Impaired Driving Enforcement (ARIDE)

Budget splits: revenue 21800000.56421 $67,896; overtime 21899000.71002 $66,900; Medicare 21899000.71015 $996. Prepared by Candice Alaniz.

Context. Essentially 100% overtime-funded enforcement — no equipment or personnel. Zero net General Fund cost, and it lets the Police Department run enforcement operations that the June budget discussion would not otherwise have funded given the flagged deficit and Police Officer vacancies.

C.6 — Carnegie Forum Boiler Replacement — Mesa Energy Systems, Inc. ($94,363) (p174–183)

Action: Adopt a resolution awarding the Carnegie Forum Boiler Replacement Project to Mesa Energy Systems, Inc. of West Sacramento for $94,363; authorize the City Manager to execute change orders up to $15,000; appropriate an additional $46,183.

Bid results (informal bidding process):

Bidder	Amount	Status
Engineer's Estimate	$60,000	—
Champion Industrial Contractors (Modesto)	$83,497	Non-responsive — failed to acknowledge receipt of addendum
Mesa Energy Systems, Inc. (West Sacramento)	$94,363	Recommended award

Background. The Carnegie Forum boiler — the heating plant for the Council chamber itself — was installed in 1988 and is 38 years old.

The funding maneuver. $63,180 was previously appropriated to GFCP-26001.Contracts. The $46,183 gap is covered by transferring: - $10,000 from the completed Facilities Office Remodel (GFCP-22006) — which fully depletes that project account, and - $36,183 from Fire Station 4 Stucco (GFCP-23003) — leaving $73,817 in that project.

Context worth flagging. The awarded bid is 57% above the Engineer's Estimate, and the only other bid was disqualified on a paperwork technicality (no addendum acknowledgment), leaving Council a single responsive bid on an informal solicitation. Combined with the January 2026 emergency Police Station boiler replacement (Res. 2026-03, $120,000, jail closed 2–3 weeks), this is the second aging-boiler failure in seven months and reinforces the deferred-maintenance theme raised at the June 17 budget hearing. Raiding the Fire Station 4 stucco project to heat the Council chamber is exactly the kind of intra-capital transfer that a deferred-maintenance backlog produces.

C.7 — SJCOG Countywide Free Bus Transfer Program (p184–196)

Action: Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute an agreement with the San Joaquin Council of Governments for the Countywide Free Bus Transfer Program.

Terms. Two-year regional pilot, $600,000 in Measure K Renewal Local Transit Improvement Program (LTIP) funding, term June 1, 2026 – June 30, 2028. Free inter-operator transfers began July 1, 2026 for riders holding eligible Day or Monthly passes.

Participating operators: Lodi GrapeLine, San Joaquin RTD, Tracy Tracer, Manteca Transit, Lathrop Transit, Escalon eTrans, and Ripon Blossom Express.

Mechanics. Digital passes are issued through the Vamos Mobility app. Operators submit monthly reimbursement requests against the $600,000 pool on a first-come, first-served basis; Lodi's reimbursements deposit to the Transit Fixed Route Fare Revenue account.

Context. This is a genuine regional-mobility win for Lodi riders — a Lodi-to-Stockton medical or college trip previously required paying two operators. The first-come, first-served reimbursement structure is the risk: if RTD (by far the largest operator) draws the pool down early, smaller operators including GrapeLine could be left unreimbursed for fares they have already forgiven. Note also that the agreement is retroactive — the term began June 1, 2026 and free transfers started July 1, 2026, but Council is ratifying in August. Follows the February 18 SJCOG transit planning MOU (Res. 2026-25).

C.8 — MOU with Lodi Unified School District — Pavement Markings and Signage (p199–204)

Action: Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with Lodi Unified School District for LUSD-performed curb painting and pavement markings in the public right-of-way, and for LUSD reimbursement of City sign modifications.

Terms. 10-year term. LUSD provides all labor, material, equipment, and traffic control, performs ongoing maintenance of the markings it installs, obtains a no-cost City encroachment permit for each modification, and reimburses the City for sign work the City performs. No long-term cost to the City.

Background — why this exists. The trigger was Lodi High School's Pacific Avenue bus turnouts. At LUSD's request the City removed and replaced 9 signs, installed new signs and posts, and removed red curb — and the work failed to achieve its purpose of redirecting parents to the designated student pickup/drop-off zone. Two additional schools are also covered by the MOU.

Context. The candid admission that a completed signage change did not change driver behavior is the interesting part. The MOU's real function is to stop the City from absorbing the cost of iterative trial-and-error at school sites — it shifts both cost and maintenance liability to the District while keeping City engineering control through the encroachment permit. This is a school-zone traffic safety item and connects to the broader safe-routes-to-school and high-injury-network question: signage-only interventions at school drop-offs have a weak track record without geometric or enforcement changes.

C.9 — Amendment No. 1, Solenis, LLC — Dewatering Polymer (+$70,000) (p206–219)

Action: Adopt a resolution approving Amendment No. 1 with Solenis, LLC (Wilmington, DE) for biosolids dewatering polymer, increasing the contract by $70,000.

Background. The original contract was executed September 30, 2023 for $700,000 and expires September 30, 2026. New dewatering equipment installed in April 2025 consumes polymer at a higher rate than the prior equipment, exhausting the contract authority before term end. A new polymer contract is already out to bid.

Funding: White Slough Water Pollution Control Facility operating accounts, FY2025/26 and FY2026/27.

Context. A textbook capital-versus-operating tradeoff: the City bought new dewatering equipment and the chemical consumption rate went up, producing a 10% overrun on a three-year chemical supply contract. Whether the new equipment nets out favorably (higher polymer cost against lower disposal tonnage, labor, or energy) is not addressed in the staff report — a reasonable question to ask. Related to Res. 2026-07 (Carollo, White Slough Solids Handling) and Res. 2026-24 (West Yost regulatory engineering).

C.10 — Accept Improvements, Alley Improvement Project Phase 10 (p221–224)

Action: Accept improvements under the Alley Improvement Project Phase 10 contract with A.M. Stephens Construction Co., Inc. of Lodi.

Scope. The alley north of Pine Street between Central Avenue and Garfield Street: approximately 13,000 sq. ft. of pavement removal and replacement, 2 new alley approaches, sidewalk replacement, and 500 linear feet of concrete valley gutter.

Procurement history. Council approved plans and specifications November 19, 2025 (Res. 2025-200) with $310,000 not-to-exceed authority. Bids opened March 25, 2026 — 9 bids:

Bidder	Location	Bid
A.M. Stephens Construction Co., Inc.	Lodi	$246,131.62
Consolidated Engineering	Valley Springs	$256,950.40
Tri-Valley Excavating	Sunol	$267,920.10
United Pavement Maintenance	Hughson	$284,765.20
FBD Vanguard	Livermore	$290,938.00
B&M Builders	Rancho Cordova	$294,529.00
Martin General Engineering	—	$305,669.60
Tom Mayo	Stockton	$317,382.00
Frontline General Engineering	Tracy	$396,419.18
Engineer's Estimate	—	$311,385.40

Contract executed April 27, 2026. Final price $246,131.62 — no change orders, landing $65,253.78 below the Engineer's Estimate.

Funding. 2025/26 CDBG plus 2024/25 TDA Streets funds; the alley is within the CDBG service area. Filing the Notice of Completion starts the 30-day stop-notice period.

Context. The cleanest procurement on the agenda and a useful benchmark: nine competitive bids, a local low bidder, 21% under estimate, zero change orders. Read against C.6 (one responsive bid, 57% over estimate) and G.2 (no bid at all), C.10 shows what Lodi's formal competitive process produces when it works. Worth noting for the record that A.M. Stephens is a Lodi firm — relevant to the local preference differential in the updated Procurement Policy that Hothi asked about during the June 17 tree contract discussion.

Part 4 — Regular Calendar

F. Public Hearings — None.

G.1 — Informational Report on Approved Library Hours (p225–234)

Action: Receive and file — informational only. The Library Board of Trustees already approved the revised hours on July 14, 2026; no Council action is required.

Presenter: Library Director Jenni Fontanilla.

The change

Figure 2. Library open hours by day, current versus approved

Friday service is restored at seven hours; Sunday's four hours are eliminated; Monday through Wednesday each gain one hour and Thursday loses two. Net change is an increase of four weekly public service hours, from 43 to 47, with no budget increase and no new positions. Source: City of Lodi agenda packet, August 5, 2026, item G.1.

Day	Current	New
Monday	10 a.m. – 6 p.m.	10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Tuesday	10 a.m. – 6 p.m.	10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Wednesday	10 a.m. – 6 p.m.	10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Thursday	12 p.m. – 8 p.m.	1 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Friday	Closed	10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday	10 a.m. – 5 p.m.	10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday	10 a.m. – 2 p.m.	Closed
Total	43 hours	47 hours

Net: +4 weekly public service hours, Friday service restored, Sunday service discontinued.

Background and rationale

Why Friday returns: the Library received sustained patron feedback requesting Friday service. The staff report is explicit that no formal survey was conducted — the decision rests on informal patron feedback plus usage data.
Why Sunday goes away: Sunday had the lowest usage of any open day and was staffed exclusively by part-time employees, meaning no full-time librarian or manager was routinely present.
How it is staffed at no additional cost: a four-week rotating A/B/C/D schedule staggers full-time staff 9/80 Friday days off so the building is covered every Friday. Each full-time employee works one Saturday per month; part-time staff supplement Friday and Saturday coverage.
Supervisory coverage goal: a full-time librarian or manager present during all open hours — previously not the case on weekends.
Fiscal impact: none. No budget increase and no new positions.

Regional benchmarking (report slide 5)

System	Branches	Sunday service
Sacramento Public Library	28	Closed Sunday and Monday
Stockton–San Joaquin County Public Library	17	Limited Sunday access
Stanislaus County Library	13	Closed Sunday
Amador County Library	4	Closed Saturday and Sunday

Lodi's single-branch system dropping Sunday puts it in line with every neighboring system.

Context and things to watch. This is a genuinely well-constructed operational change — more hours, better supervision, no money. Two caveats a data-minded reader should hold onto: (1) the absence of a formal survey means the Friday-versus-Sunday tradeoff rests on self-selected feedback, which systematically under-weights patrons who can only come on Sunday — often households with weekday and Saturday work obligations, and precisely the population a single-branch library serves as a de facto weekend community space; (2) the four-week rotating schedule tied to 9/80 Fridays is fragile — a single vacancy or extended leave inside a four-person rotation breaks Friday coverage, and there is no slack described in the plan. Also note Fontanilla's salary was one of the four executive addenda Mayor Yepez voted against on March 4, 2026. This item is also the clearest illustration of the G.6 question: the Library Board of Trustees is a Council-appointed body that approved a service-level change and is reporting it to Council after the fact.

G.2 — CityWise Strategies, LLC — Development Services Operational Initiative, No-Bid, NTE $115,000 (p235–250)

Action: Adopt a resolution waiving the formal bid process and approving a Professional Services Agreement with CityWise Strategies, LLC for a Development Services Operational Initiative, not to exceed $115,000.

Prepared by: Kara Reddig, City Manager.

Bid waiver authority: Lodi Municipal Code §3.20.070(5) — waiver when doing so is in the best interests of the City.

The consultant — and the conflict Council should address on the record

The staff report describes the consultant as bringing 37+ years of California local government experience, including service as City Manager, Community Development Director, Planning Director, and Permit Center Manager, and cites "familiarity with the City of Lodi" as part of the justification for the waiver.

CityWise Strategies, LLC is the consulting firm of Aaron Busch. Busch retired as Vacaville City Manager (2020–2025) and founded CityWise Strategies after leaving the public sector (Lodi News-Sentinel). The Lodi City Council appointed him Interim City Manager on February 18, 2026 (Res. 2026-32) at $140/hour, capped at 960 hours per fiscal year as a retired CalPERS annuitant; he served from February 28, 2026 until Kara Reddig started June 22, 2026 (Stocktonia, City of Lodi). His career includes community development, housing, code enforcement, redevelopment, and economic development leadership in Roseville, Yuba City, Rancho Cordova, and Vacaville, with a Fresno State degree in geography emphasizing urban planning.

Two facts in this same packet sharpen the issue:

Busch's name appears on the City letterhead of the G.3 protest-response letter dated May 28, 2026 (p260), as Interim City Manager.
Busch personally participated in the June 17, 2026 tree contract discussion, asking Council to specify what staff should investigate — recorded in the minutes being approved tonight under C.1.

So the person now proposed for a no-bid $115,000 contract was, six weeks ago, the City's chief executive — and the justification for skipping competitive procurement is his familiarity with the organization he ran. There may be entirely legitimate reasons for this: he is genuinely qualified, the 960-hour annuitant cap constrained what he could do as interim, and continuity has real value. But the structure is exactly what Gene Redding has objected to repeatedly on far smaller items (Res. 2026-01, $278,000 no-bid substation contract; the January 7 PSA-amendment cluster), and the record should reflect: whether Busch had any role in scoping this initiative while serving as Interim City Manager, whether any competitive solicitation was considered, and how §3.20.070(5) "best interests" is documented. Note also the Feb 18, 2026 discussion (G.3) in which Council explored forming its own ad-hoc committee on service delivery and permitting efficiency — and Craig-Hensley stepped back citing over-investment. The Council-committee path was not taken; the consultant path is now before them.

Scope of work

Review development approval policies, procedures, and ordinances
Evaluate the development review process end-to-end — initial inquiry through entitlement, permitting, construction, and final approval
Document workflows, decision points, handoffs, and sources of delay
Confidential interviews with City leadership, department directors, line staff, applicants, and developers
Evaluate interdepartmental coordination among Community Development, Public Works, Utilities, Finance, City Attorney, Fire, and Police
Review staffing levels, workload distribution, and organizational structure
Assess technology systems and performance tracking capability
Benchmark 6–8 comparable jurisdictions (selection subject to City Manager approval)
Develop implementation recommendations

Phases, schedule, and cost

Figure 3. Distribution of the $115,000 CityWise Strategies engagement by phase

Phase 2 (Existing Conditions Assessment) and Phase 4 (Stakeholder Engagement) together account for $54,050, or 47 percent of the contract. Total duration is approximately six to eight months. Source: City of Lodi agenda packet, August 5, 2026, item G.2.

Phase	Deliverable	Duration	Cost
1	Project Initiation & Work Plan	2 weeks	$9,200
2	Existing Conditions Assessment	7–8 weeks	$31,050
3	Comparative Benchmarking (6–8 agencies)	4 weeks, overlapping	$17,250
4	Stakeholder Engagement & Organizational Alignment	6–8 weeks, overlapping	$23,000
5	Findings & Implementation Strategy	5 weeks	$20,700
6	Final Report & Executive Presentation	3 weeks	$13,800
	Total	~6–8 months	$115,000

Deliverables include: process flow diagrams, an issues matrix, a benchmarking report, a quick wins matrix, a KPI / performance dashboard framework, an implementation roadmap, and a Leading Practices Toolkit.

Funding: Community Development Special Revenue account 27081000.72450 — i.e., developer fee revenue, not the General Fund.

Policy linkage. The initiative is tied to the Economic Development Strategic Plan adopted February 18, 2026 (Res. 2026-27) and to anticipated future annexation. Contract insurance runs through the PINS Advantage program (Exhibit C).

Context. The underlying problem is real and independently documented in the minutes being approved tonight: on March 4, 2026, local engineer David Mendoza told Council that Public Works is severely understaffed; on June 17, Christopher Anderson urged permitting process improvement during the budget hearing; the 7.6% citywide vacancy rate and the Community Development Director vacancy since February 24, 2026 (filled by G.4 tonight) both bear on permit throughput. A $115,000 diagnostic on a Community Development Department that has had no permanent director for six months is arguably premature — the incoming director starting September 8 will want to own that diagnosis. The KPI / performance dashboard framework deliverable is the most durable piece: it is the only item on this agenda that would create standing, publishable permit-cycle-time metrics.

G.3 — Reject Protest and Award 2026-2028 Tree Maintenance Contract to Elite Maintenance & Tree Service ($616,700) (p255–265)

Action: Adopt a resolution rejecting the bid protest, awarding the 2026-2028 Tree Maintenance Project, Project No. 26-06 to Elite Maintenance & Tree Service of Ceres in the amount of $616,700, and authorizing the City Manager to execute change orders not to exceed $100,000.

Prepared by: Sean Nathan, Interim Public Works Director.

Contract terms in detail

Element	Detail
Project No.	26-06
Contract amount	$616,700
Change order authority	$100,000 (City Manager)
Total authorized exposure	$716,700
Initial term	2 years — FY2026/27 and FY2027/28
Extensions	Two optional 1-year extensions — max 4 years
Extension conditions	Each extension requires Council approval of funding and increased change-order authority
Funding account	30156004.72499 — Landscape/Trees Miscellaneous Contract Services
Funding source	Adopted FY2026/27 operating budget; FY2027/28 and extensions contingent on future budget adoption
Legal drafting authority	City Attorney may make minor non-substantive revisions per Council Protocol Manual §6.3q (Res. 2019-223)

Scope of work: structural pruning, maintenance trimming, stump grinding, emergency call-outs, City tree removals, pest control, and tree planting citywide.

What the $100,000 change-order authority is really for. The staff report explains it is intended to let other City divisions — Parks, Transit, and Facilities — use the same contract for tree work on their properties. Functionally this makes the award a citywide master tree services vehicle, not just a Public Works street-tree contract. That materially raises the stakes: it is not $616,700 of street trees, it is the City's single procurement channel for tree work across departments.

Bid results — opened May 8, 2026

Figure 1. Tree maintenance bids against the Engineer's Estimate

Four of six bids were responsive. Elite Maintenance & Tree Service came in $168,000 below the Engineer's Estimate and $68,220 below West Coast Arborists, the incumbent and protesting bidder. The two remaining responsive bids exceeded the estimate by $215,050 and $370,350. Source: City of Lodi agenda packet, August 5, 2026, item G.3.

Six bids received; four responsive.

Bidder	Location	Bid	vs. Engineer's Estimate
Engineer's Estimate	—	$784,700.00	—
Elite Maintenance & Tree Service	Ceres	$616,700.00	−$168,000.00 (−21.4%)
West Coast Arborists, Inc.	Anaheim	$684,920.00	−$99,780.00 (−12.7%)
Professional Tree Care Company	Berkeley	$999,750.00	+$215,050.00
New Image Landscape Company	Fremont	$1,155,050.00	+$370,350.00

Spread between the two low bidders: $68,220 — about 11% of Elite's bid. Over a full four-year term at similar annual pricing, the differential is roughly $136,000–$273,000 depending on escalation.

The protest, explained

Who is protesting and why it is not about price

The protest comes from the incumbent. West Coast Arborists, Inc. is a family-owned firm established in 1972, headquartered at 2200 E. Via Burton Street, Anaheim, serving 200–350+ municipalities and public agencies across California, Arizona, and Nevada (WCA, WCA Mobile app listing). WCA has held Lodi's tree maintenance contract for roughly 20 years — the June 17 minutes record WCA's representative citing a "twenty-year history with the City of Lodi," and Lodi's own records show Council adopting Res. 2023-44 to ratify expenditures and add $200,000 in change orders to the 2021-2023 Tree Maintenance contract with West Coast Arborists (Lodi City Council minutes).

WCA did not protest on price. It protested on responsibility — arguing Elite cannot lawfully be found a "responsible bidder" because it does not meet the contract's own experience prerequisites.

The protest letter (Exhibit A, p257–259)

Dated May 8, 2026 — the day bids were opened. From Patrick Mahoney, President, West Coast Arborists, Inc. to Alice Bernardino, Associate Civil Engineer, City of Lodi; copied to the City Manager, City Clerk, and City Attorney.

The protest is built entirely on one clause. Special Provisions Section 6-20.16, "Tree Inventory Experience," which WCA quotes:

"The Contractor shall have at a minimum two (2) years of experience in collecting tree inventories for cities and other public agencies and developing inventory databases, including an extensive program that simplifies the management of the City's Urban Forest. The Contractor shall have developed a complete and comprehensive database in at least two (2) California cities."

WCA also points to specification requirements that the contractor maintain and continue the City's existing GPS-based tree inventory system and provide GIS-compatible inventory management.

WCA's four alleged deficiencies in Elite's bid:

No minimum two years of municipal / public agency tree inventory experience
No experience developing urban forest inventory databases
No experience maintaining GIS-compatible tree inventory systems
No completed comprehensive tree inventory database projects for at least two California cities

What WCA asked the City to do: - Conduct a formal bidder responsibility review of Elite - Require verifiable documentation of the required experience - Disclose which California cities Elite claims to have served - Make no award until the qualifications are verified - Give WCA an opportunity to review Elite's submitted documentation

WCA's legal argument: a bid that fails a mandatory, material experience requirement is materially nonresponsive and cannot lawfully be awarded under California public contracting law. It also noted Elite's bid was low by roughly $70,000 — framing the protest as "$70,000 of savings against a contractor who cannot perform the inventory scope."

The City's response (Exhibit B, p260)

Dated May 28, 2026, signed by Alice Bernardino, on City letterhead listing Aaron M. Busch, Interim City Manager; John M. Luebberke, Interim City Attorney; Olivia Nashed, City Clerk; Sean Nathan, Interim Public Works Director.

The City's rebuttal is two-part and factual rather than legal:

Reference checks. Staff contacted multiple Elite references — California public agencies — that confirmed Elite has maintained their tree inventories for more than two years on a GIS-compatible system.
Live software demonstration. Staff met with Elite for a demonstration of its tree care management software, viewing actual databases in active use for multiple California agencies, and confirmed the software can collect the data required by the contract documents.

Recommendation: reject the protest.

The June 17, 2026 Council meeting — where it fell apart

The award first came to Council on June 17, 2026 as Consent item C.15, and was pulled by Jason Pinegar of West Coast Arborists. What followed (from the minutes being approved tonight under C.1):

Pinegar spoke to the protest, the low bidder's qualifications, emergency response capability, and WCA's 20-year Lodi history.
Interim City Attorney Luebberke confirmed to Mayor Yepez that Council could postpone the award.
Interim PW Director Nathan explained the City's ability to terminate the contract for substandard performance.
Craig-Hensley said she does not favor "evergreen" contracts, supports staff's bid evaluations, and would move forward given the termination provision — but separately said WCA's work for local non-profits should be taken into account.
Nathan walked Hothi through bid history, process, and evaluation, and separately praised WCA's "outstanding service."
Hothi asked about the Finance Committee's recommendation on the updated Procurement Policy's local preference differential; Budget Manager Baker and Luebberke responded. (Neither bidder is local — Ceres and Anaheim — so a local preference would not decide this bid, but the question signals where Council policy is heading.)
Bregman asked for verification of tree maintenance work with the reference agencies.
Pinegar's most damaging claim: WCA is the current tree maintenance provider for some of the agencies Elite listed as references; Elite provides those agencies landscape services, not tree maintenance; and Elite has not completed a full year of tree maintenance service for any city.
Pinegar said he had requested information on Elite's tree management software and received no response.
Pinegar described the City of Roseville bid ranking in which both firms competed.
Nakanishi spoke in favor of awarding to West Coast Arborists.
Interim City Manager Busch asked Council to specify exactly what staff should investigate.
No action taken. Item directed to return July 1, 2026 — it now appears August 5, 2026.

A procedural fairness problem the City acknowledges. The August 5 staff report states that at the June 17 meeting, "[t]hrough an unintentional issue with the comment cards, no other members of the public (including Elite) were given an opportunity to speak on the item." So Council heard a sustained case from the protesting incumbent and nothing from the recommended awardee. That is a significant part of why the item was deferred, and it is why Elite's letter now sits in the record as Exhibit C. Any Council member weighing the June 17 discussion should discount it accordingly — it was a one-sided record.

Separately, Gordon Schmierer, Vice President Emeritus of Tree Lodi, spoke during that same meeting's non-agenda public comment in support of West Coast Arborists.

Elite's response (Exhibit C, p261–263)

Dated June 24, 2026, from Jose Flores, Regional Tree Care Operations Manager, Elite Maintenance & Tree Service. Elite's counter-case:

Its bid is roughly $60,000 below the next bidder.
Public agency clients: Fresno Unified School District, Stanislaus Regional Transit Authority, City of Clovis, Merced County School District.
Operational facilities in Ceres, Tracy, and Lincoln — relevant to the emergency-response objection, since Ceres and Tracy are both far closer to Lodi than Anaheim.
Pre-stages resources ahead of severe weather events.
Was recently selected competitively to maintain roughly 18,000 trees of the City of Roseville's ~55,000-tree urban forest — a direct rebuttal to the Roseville argument Pinegar raised on June 17.
Demonstrated a GIS/GPS-based tree inventory and management platform with real-time tracking of work activities, inventories, inspections, service requests, and reporting.
Asks Council to give weight to staff's recommendation.

Publicly, Elite Maintenance & Tree Service (EMTS) is headquartered in Clovis with regional branches in Bakersfield, Buellton, Ceres, and Santa Ana, and describes itself first as "a professional landscape management company that maintains landscapes and irrigation systems for commercial properties," with tree services as a service line (EMTS, EMTS home). That public self-description is consistent with Pinegar's characterization — the firm's center of gravity is landscape maintenance, with municipal tree care as a newer and growing vertical.

How to read the competing claims

The two sides are not actually contradicting each other on facts so much as arguing over which facts satisfy Section 6-20.16:

Requirement in 6-20.16	Elite's evidence	WCA's objection
2+ years collecting tree inventories for cities and other public agencies	Fresno USD, Stanislaus RTA, City of Clovis, Merced County SD — staff-verified 2+ years on GIS-compatible systems	Some are school districts and a transit authority, not cities; WCA says at some of these Elite does landscape, not tree maintenance
Developed inventory databases / extensive urban forest management program	Live demo of GIS/GPS platform with real-time work, inspection, and service-request tracking	Software demo ≠ two years of developed databases; Elite never sent WCA the software details it requested
Complete, comprehensive database in at least two California cities	City of Clovis + City of Roseville (~18,000 trees)	Roseville was recently awarded; may not yet constitute a completed comprehensive database
Maintain/continue Lodi's existing GPS-based inventory	Platform is GPS/GIS-based	Silent on migrating Lodi's existing dataset
Emergency response	Ceres, Tracy, and Lincoln yards; pre-staging for severe weather	Untested for Lodi; no full year of city tree maintenance anywhere

The honest summary: staff verified enough to defend a responsibility finding, and WCA has raised enough to make "at least two California cities" genuinely arguable — because the strongest of Elite's two city references (Roseville) is very new. Council's decision is not "who is right" but how much verification a responsibility finding requires, and how much risk the $68,220 first-year saving justifies.

What Council can lawfully do

Reject the protest and award to Elite (staff recommendation) — relies on the termination-for-cause provision as the risk control, as Craig-Hensley framed it.
Sustain the protest and award to WCA at $684,920 (+$68,220) — the position Nakanishi took on June 17.
Reject all bids and rebid with clarified, testable inventory-experience criteria — the cleanest fix to the ambiguity in 6-20.16, at the cost of a delayed season of pruning.
Award to Elite with conditions — e.g., require a documented data migration and export plan, a 90-day inventory-system acceptance milestone, and contractually mandated City ownership of the inventory data.

Option 4 is not in the staff report but is the one that resolves the substantive risk without paying the premium or losing a pruning cycle.

G.3's real impact: what this does to Public Works' tracking of trees and the urban canopy

This is the part of G.3 that the staff report does not address, and it is the part with the longest tail. The tree maintenance contractor is, in practice, the operator of Lodi's street-tree information system. Changing contractors changes the City's data infrastructure.

1. Lodi's tree inventory has been contractor-hosted for a long time — and that is the trap

Lodi's street-tree inventory dates to a 2001 program with ACRT, which collected GPS-located tree data using Tree Manager for Windows, covering location, species, age, size (diameter, height, canopy spread), condition rating, maintenance needs, clearance trim, and utility conflicts (City of Lodi records, Oct. 9, 2001 Shirtsleeve). Over the roughly two decades since, with WCA holding the maintenance contract, the practical home of that inventory has been WCA's proprietary platform.

WCA's ArborAccess is a web and mobile tree management platform with GPS-based tree siting, work history, work ordering, resident service requests, maintenance scheduling, and budget projection, used by hundreds of agencies and documenting the life history of millions of trees. WCA's own materials are explicit about the commercial model: "For cities under contract with WCA, it doesn't cost them any money to have their tree inventory housed in this program" — WCA charges for data collection, not for platform access, while the agency is under contract (Taylor Guitars profile of WCA, ArborAccess service description). Contract documents from other cities describe ArborAccess data as live data linkable directly into GIS platforms such as ArcView, with crews updating tree condition in the field (City of Rosemead WCA proposal).

That model is efficient and it is also a lock-in. Free hosting is bundled with the maintenance contract. When the maintenance contract leaves, the hosting arrangement leaves with it. Lodi's specifications sensibly require the new contractor to "maintain and continue" the City's GPS-based inventory and provide GIS-compatible management — but that obligation is on the incoming vendor, and the staff report contains no migration plan, no data export requirement, no data-ownership clause discussion, and no acceptance test for the inventory transition.

2. The concrete transition risks

Export fidelity. Twenty-plus years of records — species, DBH, height, canopy spread, condition ratings, planting-site IDs, utility conflicts, work history, service requests, inspection notes, photos — must come out of one proprietary schema and into another. Work history and photos are the fields most likely to be lost or flattened. Work history is what makes a pruning cycle auditable.
Identifier stability. If tree/site IDs are re-issued during migration, every historical reference — prior work orders, claims files, CEQA and development-condition records, TreeLodi planting records, Lodi411's own shadetree records — silently breaks. Insisting on preservation of existing tree_id and site_id values is the single highest-value contract condition available.
Coordinate integrity. Both platforms are GPS-based, but datum, precision, and lat/lng ordering are classic failure points in municipal data handoffs. Anyone maintaining a parallel dataset should plan on re-validating coordinates against parcels after migration rather than trusting them.
Service-request continuity. Resident tree requests currently flow into the contractor's platform. During a transition, the intake path is the most likely thing to break, which shows up publicly as unanswered resident reports.
A four-year, two-vendor horizon. The contract is 2 years plus two optional 1-year extensions. If Elite serves 2 years and the contract later returns to a different firm, Lodi will have migrated its inventory twice in four years. Each migration is a lossy event.
Emergency response records. Storm response and hazard-tree removals are the records most likely to be created under pressure and least likely to survive a migration cleanly — and they are exactly the records that matter in a liability claim.

3. What Lodi loses that is not on the balance sheet

WCA sells more than trimming. Its service line includes canopy cover assessments, canopy change monitoring over time, land cover classification, planting priority maps, and interactive web maps built on GIS, machine learning, and remote sensing (WCA services). Lodi has not been buying those products under this contract, but the incumbent relationship put that capability within easy reach. Elite's demonstrated capability, per its own letter, is operational tracking — work activities, inventories, inspections, service requests, reporting — which is what the contract requires, but is not canopy analytics.

That matters because Lodi's canopy baseline is weak. Lodi's urban tree canopy is estimated at only 13–16%, roughly at the California urban average of 14.45% but far below the ~30% American Forests benchmark, with no single authoritative verified figure and a Tree Equity Score around 72.3 versus Davis's 92.8 (LodiEye canopy analysis). Lodi holds Tree City USA status for 23 consecutive years plus Growth Award recognition, and runs the Lodi Shade Tree Program with Lodi Electric Utility and TreeLodi, which has delivered 2,000+ shade trees over four seasons (TreeLodi, TreeLodi site). Tree City USA requires a community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita — this contract is a substantial share of how Lodi meets that standard.

So: the City is about to hand its street-tree data operations to a new vendor at the same time it lacks a verified canopy baseline, lacks a formal Urban Forest Management Plan, and is pursuing canopy-dependent grant funding. A messy inventory transition would degrade the evidentiary base for exactly those efforts.

4. Where this hits grant eligibility and reporting

CAL FIRE Urban and Community Forestry grants, TCC-style transformative climate grants, and federal urban forestry programs increasingly require inventory-backed baselines, species diversity data, planting-site data, priority-area targeting, and multi-year survival/stewardship tracking. Every one of those is a query against the tree inventory. A contract transition that loses work history or breaks tree identifiers directly damages Lodi's ability to document baseline and outcomes — and Lodi has active canopy grant ambitions and a nonprofit partner (TreeLodi) whose planting records need to reconcile against the City's inventory.

5. Practical recommendations for the record

If Council awards to Elite, four conditions cost nothing and protect the data asset:

Explicit City data ownership, with a right to full export in an open, documented format (GeoJSON/shapefile + CSV with a published schema) at any time and at no cost, including on termination or non-renewal.
A written migration and acceptance plan — pre-migration record count and field inventory, post-migration reconciliation, and preservation of existing tree_id / site_id values, with a defined acceptance milestone (e.g., 90 days) before any inventory-related payment milestone is released.
A scheduled recurring export to the City — monthly or quarterly — landed in a City-controlled system, so the authoritative copy is never solely in vendor custody again. This is the fix for the 2001–2026 lock-in, and it is cheap.
A defined API or scheduled data feed so the inventory can be joined to parcels, zoning, the CDBG service area, high-injury network segments, and canopy raster data without manual re-keying.

For anyone maintaining an independent canopy dataset outside the City's system — a parcel-joined shade-tree layer with species metadata and canopy-area attributes — the practical takeaway is: capture a snapshot of the current City inventory before the transition, and re-validate joins and coordinate ordering after it. An independently held copy is the only real hedge against a lossy vendor migration, and it becomes the reference dataset if the City's own history is degraded.

G.4 — Ratify Employment of David Hanham as Community Development Director (p266–273)

Action: Adopt a resolution ratifying the City Manager's employment of David Hanham as Community Development Director.

Prepared by: James Peavey, Human Resources Manager.

Terms of the employment agreement (OCR'd from p267–271)

Term	Detail
Position	Community Development Director — Executive Management, Exempt Service
Start date	September 8, 2026 per the agreement text
Annual salary	$201,619.47
COLA	3% effective the first pay period of January 2027 and January 2028
Employee PERS share	7% of salary, with agreement to a cost-sharing arrangement
Medical	City pays up to 90% of premium by enrollment category for the lowest-cost HMO in ZIP 95240, effective January 1, 2026
Vacation credit	Accrues as if in his 10th year of service — 4.62 hours per pay period
Signing leave bank	80 hours, usable only in the first 12 months, expires at first anniversary
Severance	6 months' salary + 6 months' health premium if terminated without cause; forfeited upon new employment during the severance window; requires a signed release of claims
Termination for cause	Gross insubordination, incapacity, dereliction of duty, conviction of a crime of moral turpitude or personal gain, or material breach — no severance
Resignation notice	30 days
Termination messaging	Employee and City Manager prepare a joint public statement; both parties agree to refrain from statements negatively impacting the other
Cell phone / vehicle	City-paid cell phone or monthly stipend at employee's option; access to the City Manager pool car as available
Evaluation	At least annually by the City Manager, against a performance plan
Exclusivity	Sole and exclusive City employment; no outside employment without advance written City Manager approval; full FPPC disclosure compliance
Amendment	Only by written instrument signed by employee and City Manager
Signatories	Kara Reddig (City Manager) and David Hanham; attested by Walfred Solorzano, Interim City Clerk; approved as to form by John M. Luebberke, Interim City Attorney

Note a date discrepancy: the staff report gives an effective date of September 7, 2026, while the agreement itself specifies September 8, 2026. September 7, 2026 is Labor Day — so September 8 is the first working day. Worth having corrected on the record.

Background. The position has been vacant since February 24, 2026, following the retirement of John Della Monica, who was recognized by Council on February 18, 2026 (per the minutes approved tonight under C.1). The City used an executive recruitment firm. Funding is included in the adopted FY2026-27 budget.

Context. Two observations. First, the vacancy duration: six and a half months without a permanent Community Development Director, in a city where public commenters, the Chamber, and Council members have all identified permitting throughput as a problem — and where G.2 proposes spending $115,000 to diagnose that department's processes. The sequencing is backwards; the new director arrives September 8 into a consultant engagement launched in August. Second, the agreement is a clean illustration of the governance shift running through this agenda: every meaningful lever — evaluation, discipline, amendment, termination — sits with the City Manager, and Council's role is limited to ratification. That is normal and appropriate for a department director. G.6 proposes extending the same arrangement to the City Clerk, which is not the same thing.

G.5 — Resolution of Intention and First Reading: CalPERS Contract Amendment (p274–286)

Action: (a) Adopt a Resolution of Intention to approve an amendment to the City's CalPERS contract; and (b) introduce and waive the first reading of an ordinance authorizing the amendment.

Prepared by: James Peavey, Human Resources Manager.

Second reading and adoption scheduled: September 2, 2026.

What is being changed

The amendment formalizes previously approved reductions in employee CalPERS cost-sharing:

Group	Cost share before	Cost share after	Approved
Unrepresented employees	—	reduced	February 18, 2026
Confidential General Services	6%	0%	July 1, 2026
Confidential Mid-Management	6%	0%	July 1, 2026
Council Appointees	6%	0%	July 1, 2026
Executive Management	6%	0%	July 1, 2026
Police Executive Management	9%	3%	July 1, 2026

Contract provisions referenced in the exhibit: the City has contracted with CalPERS since June 1, 1966; the amendment touches §20475 (different level of benefits), §21361.1 (3% at 55 full formula), §20037, §21427, and §21536.

Background and context. This completes a policy arc visible across the minutes being approved tonight: February 18, 2026 eliminated CalPERS cost-sharing for Mid-Management, unrepresented Mid-Management/General Service, and IBEW Local 1245 (Res. 2026-29, 2026-30, 2026-31), and March 4, 2026 settled an LPMO grievance over the City's delayed execution of the 9% → 3% police cost-share reduction with a $1,000 one-time payment per member (Res. 2026-39). CalPERS requires a formal contract amendment — resolution of intention, then ordinance — to give effect to these changes, which is why the paperwork trails the labor agreements by months.

The fiscal reality to name plainly. Eliminating a 6% employee cost share does not eliminate the cost; it moves that cost from employees to the City. This is being finalized in the same fiscal year in which the June 17 budget hearing surfaced a ~$5 million deficit, depletion of savings, and deferred maintenance — and it applies to the highest-paid groups in the organization (Executive Management, Council Appointees, Police Executive Management). Note also that the Hanham agreement in G.4 has him paying a 7% employee share, so the new Community Development Director's terms differ from the Executive Management group whose share is going to 0%; how those reconcile is a fair question. There is a defensible labor-market rationale — Lodi has a 7.6% vacancy rate and documented difficulty recruiting — but the General Fund impact of these six changes should be stated as a number, and the staff report does not appear to do so.

G.6 — First Reading: Amend LMC Chapter 2.13 "City Clerk" — Transfer Appointment Authority to the City Manager (p287–291)

Action: Introduce and waive the first reading of an ordinance amending Lodi Municipal Code Chapter 2.13, "City Clerk." Effective 30 days after adoption.

Prepared by: James Peavey, Human Resources Manager.

The redline

"The city clerk shall be appointed by and report to the city ~~council~~ manager... The city clerk may be removed, promoted, or demoted by the city manager, subject to all applicable rules and regulations which may be adopted by the city council. The city clerk shall report his or her own advice, recommendations, and requests directly to the city council."

In substance: appointment, removal, promotion, and demotion of the City Clerk move from the City Council to the City Manager. Statutory duties under Government Code §40801 et seq. are preserved, and the Clerk retains the right to report advice and recommendations directly to Council.

Timing and background. City Clerk Olivia Nashed announced her resignation in late June 2026, with a last day of July 31, 2026 (Steve Mann, "Spinning Door"); the position became vacant August 3, 2026, and Walfred Solorzano was appointed Interim City Clerk at $70.41/hour starting July 28, 2026 (LodiEye, July 15 agenda). Nashed had served as City Clerk since April 2022 (LinkedIn). Council approved her salary addendum, raising base pay to $162,842, on March 4, 2026 (Res. 2026-47). The ordinance is being introduced during the vacancy — two days after the incumbent's last day.

Why this deserves more than a first-reading formality

1. It fits a documented pattern of consolidating authority under the City Manager. - January 7, 2026: Ord. 2045 introduced, compressing City Manager removal from 30+ days to 10 days, with a 90-day post-election window requiring 4/5 to remove at will. Adopted February 18, 2026. - March 4, 2026: Public commenter Scott Hamilton questioned why department director contracts come to Council at all when those directors report to the City Manager. G.6 applies that logic to the City Clerk — but the Clerk is not an ordinary department director. - August 5, 2026 (tonight): G.4 ratifies a director hire in which every substantive authority sits with the City Manager; G.6 would move the Clerk into the same posture; G.2 would hand a no-bid organizational review to a former Interim City Manager on the current City Manager's recommendation.

2. The City Clerk is a records and elections officer, not a program manager. Under Gov. Code §40801 et seq. the Clerk keeps the official record of Council proceedings, administers oaths, maintains ordinances and resolutions, and functions as the local elections official and filing officer for FPPC statements of economic interest. That role has value precisely because it is structurally independent of the executive whose actions it records. If the Clerk can be removed, demoted, or promoted by the City Manager, the person who certifies the accuracy of the record depends on the person whose conduct the record documents.

3. Lodi has a live, litigated dispute about exactly this. Former City Manager Scott Carney alleged in April 2025 that then-City Attorney Katie Lucchesi and City Clerk Olivia Nashed altered or removed portions of staff reports he had prepared, without his consent (Yahoo News/Recordnet, Recordnet, Stocktonia); the resulting litigation, Scott R. Carney v. City of Lodi, was in closed session as recently as June 17, 2026. Whatever the merits, that dispute was a conflict between a City Manager and a City Clerk over the content of the public record. Moving the Clerk under the City Manager's supervisory authority in the immediate aftermath is a decision Council should make with its eyes open and its reasoning on the record, not as a routine first reading.

4. Practical arguments in favor exist and should be weighed. A five-member Council is a poor supervisor for a working department head: performance evaluation is awkward, day-to-day direction is impossible, and the Clerk's staff sit inside an administrative structure the Council does not manage. Consolidating supervision under the City Manager is standard in many California council-manager cities and can improve accountability and recruitment. The ordinance also preserves the Clerk's direct reporting channel to Council and leaves rules and regulations to Council adoption, which are meaningful guardrails.

5. A middle path exists. Council could adopt City Manager supervision for day-to-day performance while retaining Council concurrence for appointment and removal — or require Council notification and a confirming vote for removal. That preserves managerial coherence without making the records officer removable by the executive alone. Nothing in the packet indicates this option was analyzed.

What to watch. The ordinance takes effect 30 days after adoption, and the City is actively recruiting a permanent City Clerk. If adopted, the next permanent Clerk will be hired by the City Manager, not the Council — which means this vote, not the later appointment, is the moment Council decides who controls that office.

H. Ordinances — none listed.

I. Adjournment.

Part 5 — Cross-Cutting Themes and Watch Items

Procurement is the through-line

Figure 4. Award or recommended bid measured against the Engineer's Estimate

The same packet contains a nine-bid competitive award that finished 21.0 percent under estimate with zero change orders (C.10), an informal solicitation with a single responsive bid 57.3 percent over estimate (C.6), and a contested competitive award 21.4 percent under estimate (G.3). Percentages are calculated from the Engineer's Estimate and award or bid amounts stated in the staff reports.

This agenda contains, in the same packet: a nine-bid competitive award that finished 21% under estimate with zero change orders (C.10), a single-responsive-bid informal award 57% over estimate funded by cannibalizing two other capital projects (C.6), a contested competitive award where the losing incumbent is challenging the winner's qualifications (G.3), and a no-bid $115,000 waiver to the City's own former Interim City Manager (G.2). Gene Redding's January 7 objections — six items pulled over no-bid awards, contract length, and PSA amendments in lieu of rebidding — read as prescient. Hothi's June 17 question about the local preference differential in the updated Procurement Policy is the live policy thread; the Finance Committee's recommendation on it is worth tracking.

Institutional memory has been thin, and it shows

Since April 2025 Lodi has cycled through City Managers Scott Carney → Christina Jaromay (acting) → James Lindsay (interim) → Aaron Busch (interim) → Kara Reddig; City Attorneys Katie Lucchesi → John Luebberke (interim); City Clerks Olivia Nashed → Walfred Solorzano (interim); and is now filling a Community Development Director vacancy that has been open since February. The two-year minutes backlog in C.1, the repeated signature-authority resolutions, and the "Interim" title on three of four names in the G.3 letterhead are all symptoms of the same thing.

Deferred maintenance keeps arriving as emergencies

A 1988 Carnegie Forum boiler (C.6) after a January Police Station boiler emergency that closed the jail for 2–3 weeks (Res. 2026-03); polymer consumption overruns from new dewatering equipment (C.9); repeated Craig-Hensley requests for a complete road condition assessment (Res. 2026-133); Scott Hamilton's June 17 deferred-maintenance testimony. C.6's funding mechanism — draining the Facilities Office Remodel account and taking $36,183 from Fire Station 4 Stucco — is the shape of a capital program without slack.

Executive authority is being consolidated

Ord. 2045 (10-day City Manager removal), G.6 (City Clerk under the City Manager), G.4 (director agreement with all levers held by the City Manager), G.5 (executive pension cost-sharing eliminated), and G.2 (no-bid organizational review recommended by the City Manager, performed by the former Interim City Manager). No single item is remarkable; the pattern is.

For urban forestry and canopy data specifically

G.3 is the highest-leverage item on this agenda for anyone tracking Lodi's urban forest. The decision determines who operates the City's street-tree inventory for the next two to four years, and the staff report is silent on data ownership, export rights, identifier preservation, and migration acceptance. Lodi enters that transition with no verified canopy baseline (13–16% estimated), no formal Urban Forest Management Plan, a Tree Equity Score of 72.3, 23 consecutive years of Tree City USA status to maintain, and an active shade-tree partnership with TreeLodi (LodiEye, TreeLodi). The cheapest possible insurance is a contract condition requiring City data ownership, free open-format export on demand, preservation of existing tree and site identifiers, and a recurring export delivered into City-controlled storage. Independent of what Council does, anyone maintaining a parallel tree dataset should snapshot the current inventory before the handoff and re-validate coordinates and joins after it.

Appendix — Full Summaries of All 18 Sets of Minutes (Consent Item C.1)

The following appendix summarizes each of the eighteen sets of minutes presented for approval under Consent Calendar Item C.1, including attendance, presiding officer, adjournment time, every resolution and ordinance number with subject and dollar amount, split votes, recusals, and public comment. Nine of the eighteen record canceled meetings.

This document summarizes the 18 sets of minutes up for approval under Consent Calendar Item C.1 of the August 5, 2026 Lodi City Council agenda.

a) September 17, 2025 (Regular Meeting) — CANCELED

The minutes state in full: "The September 17, 2025, Regular Meeting of the Lodi City Council was canceled." No roll call, business, or attendance is recorded. Attested by Olivia Nashed, City Clerk.

b) January 7, 2026 (Regular Meeting)

Presiding: Mayor Pro Tempore Hothi (Closed Session called to order 6:35 p.m.; Mayor Yepez was absent for Closed Session but the record shows only Council Member Bregman, Council Member Craig-Hensley, Council Member Nakanishi, and Mayor Pro Tempore Hothi present throughout the meeting, with Mayor Yepez absent the entire meeting).

Attendance: Present: Council Member Bregman, Council Member Craig-Hensley, Council Member Nakanishi, Mayor Pro Tempore Hothi. Absent: Mayor Yepez (entire meeting). Also Present: Interim City Manager Lindsay, City Attorney Lucchesi, Deputy City Clerk Ditmore.

Closed Session: Discussed (a) prospective sale of real property at 350 North Washington Street (APN 041-240-28) — negotiating parties James Lindsay (Interim City Manager) and Cody Diede (Diede Construction, Inc.); (b) labor negotiations covering IBEW, Mid-Management Association, AFSCME, Police Mid-Managers, LPOA, Dispatchers Association, Firefighters, Fire Mid-Management, Confidential units, Executive Managers, and Appointed Employees; (c) anticipated litigation (two cases). No reportable action.

Presentations: B.1 — Presentation of Non-Profit Allocation Check to Wrestling Booster Club of Tokay High.

Consent Calendar vote: Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi. Noes: None. Absent: Yepez.

Resolutions/Ordinances Adopted: - Resolution No. 2026-01 — Five-year Substation Maintenance and Inspection Agreement with Substation Solutions, LLC, of Woodland ($278,000). - Resolution No. 2026-02 — Returned bid to apparent low bidder (Paine Construction, Inc., which withdrew due to substantial bidding error) for Parking Structure Stair Re-sealing Project; awarded contract to second lowest bidder, Waterproofing Associates, Inc., of Lodi ($76,980). - Resolution No. 2026-03 — Approved emergency condition declaration for immediate replacement of two Police Station boilers; approved Amendment No. 6 ($120,000) to PSA with ICR Refrigeration, Inc., of Lodi (on-call HVAC), ratifying Interim City Manager's approval of increased expenses. - Resolution No. 2026-04 — Accepted public improvements of Gateway South Neighborhood Park; authorized landscape maintenance agreement. - Resolution No. 2026-05 — Amendment No. 2 to PSA with WGR Southwest, Inc., of Los Alamitos, for stormwater support services, $81,806 increase, for a total not-to-exceed of $298,574. - Resolution No. 2026-06 — Amendment No. 2 to PSA with Bickford Ventures Inc., dba Division 01 Construction Management Services, of Lodi, for Animal Shelter Project construction management, extending contract by 8 months. Split vote/recusal: Council Member Bregman recused himself and left the dais. Ayes: Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi. Noes: None. Absent: Yepez. - Resolution No. 2026-07 — Amendment No. 4 to PSA with Carollo Engineers, Inc., of Walnut Creek, for Progressive Design Build construction documents for White Slough WPCF Solids Handling Equipment project. - Accepted improvements under contract for On-Call Well and Pump Repair (C.8) and 2025 Extruded Traffic Stripes (C.9). - C.10 — Posted vacancies: Library Board of Trustees (Frank Kooger, term expires July 1, 2027; Caitlin Casey, term expires July 1, 2027) and SPARC (Scott Hamilton, term expires January 1, 2030).

Public objections to consent items (Gene Redding pattern begins): Gene Redding, a member of the public, pulled C.1, C.2, C.3, C.5, C.6, and C.7 for separate discussion: - C.1: Objected to a no-bid, non-competitive contract with Substation Solutions and length of the contract, questioning what other vendors could have bid. Electric Utility Director Jeff Berkheimer responded on the selection process. Council Member Craig-Hensley supported moving forward given State sole-source allowances. - C.2: Objected to the price difference between the withdrawn low bid and the second-low bid, suggesting rebidding. Interim City Manager Lindsay clarified Paine Construction withdrew its bid; Interim PW Director Sean Nathan noted the recommended bid was 25% lower than the City's on-call contractor. Craig-Hensley voiced support for a Lodi company winning. - C.3: Objected that emergency bidding removes competitive safeguards. Nathan explained the Police Station/jail had lacked heat for two-to-three weeks, causing jail closure; Police Captain Eric Versteeg addressed the jail closure in response to Craig-Hensley. - C.5, C.6, C.7 (grouped): Objected to using amendments/extensions on Professional Services Agreements rather than rebidding. Nathan and Interim City Manager Lindsay explained the five-year provision in the City's Procurement Code for on-call/regulatory-filing contracts. All six items were nonetheless included in and passed with the Consent Calendar vote (except C.6, which had a separate recorded vote due to Bregman's recusal).

Public Comments (Non-Agenda): Stefan Sekula spoke on negative neighborhood impact from the temporary Access Center on North Sacramento Street (Hothi directed Captain Versteeg to follow up; Craig-Hensley asked about parking permit enforcement). Armando Valerio, San Joaquin Delta College Trustee for Area 5, introduced himself and discussed a Shriners Children's Hospital fundraiser and job training partnership with the Building and Construction Trades Council.

Public Hearings: - F.1 — Waived first reading, introduced Ordinance No. 2044 amending LMC Chapter 15.44 (Off-Site Improvements and Dedications), Section 15.44.040, raising the improvement threshold from $75,400 to $150,000. No public comment. Vote: Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi; Noes: None; Absent: Yepez. (Note: technical issue caused Hothi's votes to display as Yepez's on screen; minutes clarify actual vote recorded.) - F.2 — Waived first reading, introduced Ordinance No. 2045 amending LMC Chapter 2.12 (City Manager), Section 2.12.050 (Removal), reducing the removal process from 30+ days to 10 days, with a 90-day post-election period requiring a 4/5ths vote to remove a City Manager at will. No public comment. Same vote as above.

Ordinances Adopted (second reading): - Ordinance No. 2035 — Repeal/replace LMC 13.20.020, Energy Theft Diversion/Field Services Fee Recovery. - Ordinance No. 2036 — Amendments to LMC Title 1 Ch. 1.10 and Title 6 (Animals), multiple sections (redemption of impounded animals, prohibited animals, licensing, vaccination, breeding, noise, animals at large, microchipping, sanitation, waste removal, cat population management, behavior). Public comment: "Maria," a member of the public, spoke regarding ritualistic killing of animals in Lodi. - Ordinances No. 2037–2043 — Adopted the 2025 California Building, Existing Building, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Residential, Green Building Standard, and Fire Codes. All adopted unanimously (Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi; Noes: None; Absent: Yepez).

Adjournment: 7:54 p.m.

c) February 4, 2026 (Regular Meeting)

Presiding: Mayor Yepez (Closed Session called to order 6:34 p.m.; Regular meeting called to order 7:07 p.m.).

Attendance: Present (Regular session): Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi, Yepez. Absent: None. (Hothi arrived at 6:35 p.m. after Closed Session began.) Also Present: Interim City Manager Lindsay, City Attorney Lucchesi, City Clerk Nashed.

Closed Session: (a) Public employee appointment — one position: Interim City Manager; (b) labor negotiations (same list of units as Jan. 7); (c) anticipated litigation (two cases). No reportable action.

Consent Calendar vote: Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi, Yepez. Noes: None. Absent: None.

Resolutions Adopted: - Resolution No. 2026-10 — Amendment No. 2 to agreement with Patrick Clark Consulting (sole proprietorship) for labor relations consulting, increasing by $60,000 for a total not-to-exceed of $120,000. - Accepted improvements under contract for Lodi Lake North Restroom Restoration Project (C.2). - Resolution No. 2026-11 — Amendment No. 2 to agreement with United Site Services, Inc., of California, for portable restroom services, +$10,000, total not-to-exceed $136,826. - Resolution No. 2026-12 — Approved updates to City of Lodi Public Transportation Agency Safety Plan. - Approved specifications/authorized bid advertisement for uniform rental/cleaning services (C.5). - Resolution No. 2026-13 — Allocation of $15,870 in District 1 Non-Profit Funds to Lodi Sister City Committee. - Resolution No. 2026-14 — Allocation of $4,130 in District 1 Non-Profit Funds to Lodi Boys and Girls Club. - C.8 — Posted vacancy/expiring term on Lodi Improvement Committee (Vacancy expiring March 1, 2028; Janavi Sharma's term expiring March 1, 2026). - C.9 — Set public hearing for February 18, 2026, on ordinance amending LMC Chapter 13.20 (Electrical Service) Schedules G1/G2.

Public Comments (Non-Agenda): Clare Bhakta (Open Innovation Centers) discussed "new collar skills" education nonprofit, gave 3D-printed dragons to Council. Diane Nantt thanked Downtown sidewalk cleaning staff. Tara Valone raised traffic concerns near Elm Street and Mills Avenue (Craig-Hensley requested Traffic Division investigation and increased Police monitoring). Andrew Avina (NorCal Science and Technology Festival) previewed the 10th annual event. Aaron VanNortwick (Lodi Parks and Recreation Commission) spoke on Lawrence Park (Craig-Hensley discussed a recent Town Hall, community support for police presence/training exercises, and the Legion Hall renovation).

MAJOR DECISIONS / Regular Calendar: - G.2 — Resolution No. 2026-15 (FY 2025-26 Mid-Year Budget Adjustments): Adopted, adding 1 Police Officer, 1 Senior Billing Specialist, 1 Management Analyst-Confidential, 1 Senior Plans Examiner; deleting 1 Customer Service Representative and 1 Health and Safety Specialist; reclassifying a Deputy City Clerk to Assistant City Clerk and a Program Manager to Recreation Manager; adopting updates to Budget and Fiscal Policy. Extensive Q&A covered PERS/PARS liability (FY22-23, FY23-24), investment advisor, AFG grant for Fire paramedic training, credit card fee recouping, Beckman Park cricket lighting/skate park funding ($25,000 discussion with Supervisor Ding), Comprehensive General Plan as Capital project, Transit building repairs, non-General Fund Parks positions, Risk Management Analyst and Health and Safety Specialist recruitment difficulty, Senior Plans Examiner cost savings, and business tax/Economic Development Plan discussion. Vote: Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi, Yepez; Noes: None; Absent: None. - G.3 — Resolution No. 2026-16 (Lodi Access Center/Emergency Shelter operator award): Heard before G.2 due to technical issues (motion to amend agenda order passed unanimously). Awarded operation of the Lodi Access Center and Emergency Shelter to Outreach Ministries International, Inc., based on Evaluation Committee ranking, and authorized staff to negotiate final agreement. Extensive public comment in support of Outreach Ministries International from: Chris Rieck, Keymia Nen, Maria Elena Serna (President, Breakthrough Project for Social Justice), Jeff McEachron, Kathryn Siddle, Marvin Bryant (Lodi Committee on Homelessness), Dennis Buettner (homeless outreach worker), Annette DePauli (Adventist Health homeless services worker), Johnny Coughran (Director, Lodi Access Center), Suzie Endow (Breakthrough Project — also requested a pet foster program for homeless entering rehab), Oskar Schwollinger, Kenneth Huntley (via Zoom), and an unidentified speaker. Discussion involved Jason McEachron (Outreach Ministries), Neighborhood Services Manager Jennifer Rhyne, San Joaquin County Health Care Services Director Genevieve Valentine, and San Joaquin County Supervisor Steve Ding on budget status, grant tracking, ARPA funds, Proposition 1 funding, staffing, and Point-in-Time count. DISSENT: Mayor Yepez stated he supported the Salvation Army for the contract instead. Split vote: Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi. Noes: Mayor Yepez. Absent: None. - G.1 — Update from Lodi Senior Citizens Commission (Dr. Joseph Woelfel presented; no Council action required).

Adjournment: 10:06 p.m.

d) February 11, 2026 (Special Meeting)

Presiding: Mayor Yepez. Called to order 3:00 p.m.

Attendance: Present: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi, Yepez. Absent: None. Also Present: City Attorney Lucchesi, City Clerk Nashed. Note: Council Member Bregman left the meeting at 5:26 p.m.

Purpose: Entirely a Closed Session meeting — Public Employee Appointment (Government Code §54957(b)), one position: Interim City Manager recruitment. Closed Session ran 3:01 p.m. to 5:31 p.m. Deputy City Attorney Baird disclosed no reportable action.

Adjournment: 5:32 p.m. No resolutions, ordinances, or public business conducted.

e) February 18, 2026 (Regular Meeting)

Presiding: Mayor Yepez (Closed Session 6:17 p.m.; Regular meeting called to order 7:06 p.m.).

Attendance: Present: Bregman (arrived 6:48 p.m. after Closed Session began), Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi, Yepez. Absent (during Closed Session only): Bregman and Nakanishi. Also Present: Interim City Manager Lindsay, City Attorney Lucchesi, City Clerk Nashed.

Closed Session: (a) Public employee appointment — Interim City Manager; (b) labor negotiations (same unit list); (c) anticipated litigation (two cases). No reportable action.

Presentations: B.1 — Proclamation for Ramadan (Feb 17–Mar 19, 2026) to Masjid Ya Rasool-Allah representatives. B.2 — Recognition of retiring Community Development Director John Della Monica (spoke; received key to City and historical photo). B.3 — Recognition of outgoing Interim City Manager James Lindsay (received an axe made by the Fire Department and a key to the City).

Consent Calendar vote: Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi, Yepez. Noes: None. Absent: None.

Resolutions Adopted: - C.1 — Receive and file Treasurer's Report and Register of Claims; claims approved in the amount of $156,510,180. - C.2 — Accepted Quarterly Investment Report (quarter ending September 30, 2025). - C.3 — Accepted Quarterly Report of Purchases $30,000–$60,000 through December 31, 2025. - Resolution No. 2026-17 — Waived bid process, renewed Dental Claims Administration Agreement with Stanislaus Foundation for Medical Care. - Resolution No. 2026-18 — Allocation of $7,500 in District 2 Non-Profit Funds to Lodi Community Church ("Love Lodi"). - C.6 (Strategic Vision) — CONTINUED: Pulled by Council Member Craig-Hensley, who wanted it on the Regular Calendar for public feedback on prioritization; motion to continue to March 4, 2026 Regular Calendar passed unanimously (Ayes: all 5; Noes: None). - Resolution No. 2026-19 — Appointed Christina Jaromay to City Treasurer. Pulled by Craig-Hensley, who raised the need to codify Treasurer qualifications; included in Consent vote and passed. - Resolution No. 2026-20 — Updated City staff signers on Farmers & Merchants Bank accounts. - Resolution No. 2026-21 — Accepted/appropriated HHAP Round 5 Grant; authorized subrecipient agreements. Pulled by Mayor Yepez for separate vote. Split vote: Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi. Noes: Mayor Yepez. Absent: None. - C.10 — Approved Lodi Tourism Business Improvement District 2025 Annual Report. Pulled by Craig-Hensley; Visit Lodi President Wes Rhea gave an overview; included in Consent vote. - Resolution No. 2026-22 — Approved Lodi Electric Utility Fee Schedule, authorizing annual cost-based adjustments. - Resolution No. 2026-23 — Rejected all bids for Adore Pets Building Demolition. Pulled by Craig-Hensley; Interim PW Director Sean Nathan explained Community Development's alternate demolition plan. - Resolution No. 2026-24 — Amendment No. 5 with West Yost & Associates, Inc., of Davis, for FY2025/26 regulatory engineering services at White Slough WPCF, $60,000. - Resolution No. 2026-25 — MOU with San Joaquin Council of Governments on transit planning/federal funds coordination. - C.15 — Accepted improvements for 2024 DeBenedetti Park South Parking Lot Expansion. Pulled by Mayor Pro Tempore Hothi; discussion of EV charger Building Code requirement and installation delay (Assistant Electric Utility Director Melissa Price). - C.16 — Set public hearing for March 18, 2026, on Prop 218 CPI-based solid waste rate adjustment. - C.17 — Set public hearing for March 4, 2026, on Statewide Community Infrastructure Program (repeal/replace Resolution No. 2018-111).

Council comments: Craig-Hensley noted she could not read all agreements tied to Items G.8 through G.15 due to delayed agenda posting and requested they be continued to March 4 — foreshadowing the motion below.

Public Hearings: - F.1 — Resolution No. 2026-26 — Adopted, setting pre-approved ENR adjustment index for usage-based and flat water rates (residential/commercial/industrial). Discussion of Prop 218, Water Treatment Plant capacity expansion (FY29/30), rate history/comparisons. No public comment. Unanimous vote. - F.2 — Ordinance No. 2046 introduced (waived first reading) — Revising LMC 13.20.240/13.20.250 (Community Benefits Incentive Discount/CBID). Discussion of self-certification, Disadvantaged Community screening, confidentiality of current discount recipients, New Business/New Jobs Discounts. No public comment. Unanimous vote.

MAJOR DECISIONS / Regular Calendar: - G.1 — Resolution No. 2026-27 — Adopted the Lodi Economic Development Strategic Plan (EDSP). Economic Development Director Luis Aguilar presented (SWOT summary, target industries, eight strategy categories, Action Plan, performance metrics; consultant team: The Natelson Dale Group, Economic Growth Strategies, RRM Design Group). Mark Chandler (Chair, Economic Development Committee) spoke in support. Unanimous vote. - G.2 — Resolution No. 2026-28 — Extended the term of the Economic Development Ad-Hoc Committee by one year, with Council Member Bregman ceding his seat to Mayor Yepez (at Mayor Yepez's suggestion that Bregman focus on the Downtown Specific Plan instead). JP Doucette (Lodi Chamber of Commerce President) spoke in support. Unanimous. - G.3 — Discussion (no vote) on forming a Council ad-hoc committee on service delivery/permitting efficiency. Nakanishi suggested Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore serve; Bregman suggested himself or Craig-Hensley; Craig-Hensley stepped back, citing personal/professional over-investment; Hothi deferred to Bregman. Doucette offered Chamber assistance. Consensus (no motion needed) to bring the item back later. - G.4 — MOU with Lodi Professional Firefighters (Jan 1, 2026–Dec 31, 2028) pulled at request of staff; union needed more time. Not acted on. - G.5 — Resolution No. 2026-29 — MOU with Lodi City Mid-Management Association (2026–2028): 3% one-time off-salary-schedule payment, equity increases, Y-rating for over-market classes, COLA, increased medical premium contribution, longevity/bilingual pay, elimination of CalPERS cost-sharing, State Disability coverage. Unanimous. - G.6 — Resolution No. 2026-30 — Benefits/compensation for unrepresented Mid-Management and General Service employees (mirrors other units; 90% medical premium sharing, CalPERS cost sharing consistency). Unanimous. - G.7 — Resolution No. 2026-31 — Side-Letter Agreements with IBEW Local 1245 (cafeteria plan benefit, increased medical contribution, elimination of CalPERS cost-sharing, no health reimbursement plan; correction adding Apprentice Substation Technician position omitted by scrivener's error). Unanimous. - G.8–G.15 (Executive employment agreements) — CONTINUED TO MARCH 4, 2026: JP Doucette spoke (repeated comment on each item) about wanting results from the long-range finance forecasting tool regarding salary range impacts. Motion by Craig-Hensley, second by Yepez, to move Items G.8 through G.15 to the March 4, 2026 agenda — passed unanimously each time (identical vote repeated for G.8 Library Director Jennifer Fontanilla to $172,010; G.9 PRCS Director Christina Jaromay to $219,390; G.10 Electric Utility Director Jeffrey Berkheimer; G.11 Police Chief Ricardo Garcia to $269,921 [1.21% equity adj.]; G.12 Economic Development Director Luis Aguilar to $198,198 [5% equity adj.]; G.13 Fire Chief Kenneth Johnson to $236,752 [5% equity adj.]; G.14 City Attorney Katie O. Lucchesi to $303,680; G.15 City Clerk Olivia Nashed to $162,842). - G.16 — Resolution No. 2026-32 — Appointed Aaron Busch as Interim City Manager, a retired PERS annuitant, at $140/hour, not to exceed 960 hours/fiscal year. Nakanishi asked about choosing a retired annuitant over a department head; City Attorney Lucchesi confirmed the item includes executing the Employment Agreement. Unanimous.

Ordinances Adopted (second reading): - Ordinance No. 2044 — LMC Ch. 15.44 (Off-Site Improvements), Section 15.44.040 update. Unanimous. - Ordinance No. 2045 — LMC Ch. 2.12 (City Manager), Section 2.12.050 (Removal). Unanimous.

Adjournment: 9:32 p.m.

f) February 18, 2026 (Special Meeting)

Presiding: Mayor Yepez. Closed Session called to order 6:17 p.m.

Attendance: Present: Craig-Hensley, Hothi, Yepez. Absent: Bregman and Nakanishi (Bregman arrived 6:48 p.m.). Also Present: Interim City Manager Lindsay, City Attorney Lucchesi, City Clerk Nashed.

Purpose: Entire meeting was Closed Session — Conference with Real Property Negotiators regarding prospective sale/lease of real property at 350 North Washington Street (APN 041-240-28); negotiating parties James Lindsay (Interim City Manager) and Cody Diede (Diede Construction, Inc.), per Government Code §54956.8. Closed Session ran 6:19 p.m.–7:05 p.m. City Attorney Lucchesi disclosed no reportable action.

Adjournment: 7:06 p.m. No other business.

g) March 4, 2026 (Regular Meeting)

Presiding: Mayor Yepez (Closed Session 5:07 p.m.; Regular meeting called to order 7:20 p.m.).

Attendance: Present: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi (arrived 5:22 p.m. during Closed Session), Yepez. Absent: None (for Regular session). Also Present: Interim City Manager Busch (new — replacing Lindsay), City Attorney Lucchesi, City Clerk Nashed.

Closed Session: (a) Public employment — conference with Greg Nelson of Mosaic Public Partners re: City Manager recruitment; (b) performance evaluation of Interim City Manager. No reportable action.

Presentations: B.1 — Proclamation recognizing outgoing NCPA General Manager Randy Howard (Mayor Pro Tempore Hothi and EU Director Jeff Berkheimer spoke).

Consent Calendar vote: Ayes: all 5. Noes: None. Absent: None.

Resolutions Adopted: - C.1 — Claims approved in the amount of $21,825,205 (January 2026). - C.2 — Accepted Quarterly Investment Report (quarter ending December 31, 2025). - Resolution No. 2026-33 — Wrote off uncollectible utility billing bad debts (2017–2021), $1,573,855.04 total write-off, approved appropriations of $1,292,718. - Resolution No. 2026-34 — Accepted $10,000 donation from Carnegie Corporation of New York for Lodi Public Library. - Resolution No. 2026-35 — Accepted $25,000 donation from Constance E. Reynolds Trust for Lodi Public Library. - C.6 — Set public hearing for March 18, 2026, on 2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Report.

Public Comments (Non-Agenda): David Mendoza (local engineer) praised Building/Public Works Departments but said PW is severely understaffed, urging Council to fund positions. Gordon Shields thanked staff for installing a handicap ramp for his paraplegic daughter's mailbox access. Vanessa Barberis (Waste Management) previewed e-recycling, document shredding, and tire/mattress disposal events.

Public Hearing: - F.1 — Resolution No. 2026-36 — Repealed/replaced Resolution No. 2018-111; authorized City to join the Statewide Community Infrastructure Program (CSCDA pooled tax-exempt bonds for development impact fees/public improvements). No public comment. Unanimous.

MAJOR DECISIONS / Regular Calendar: - G.1 — Temporary Access Center/Emergency Shelter Quarterly Update (Rhyne and Jason McEachron of Outreach Ministries International presented). Craig-Hensley noted cost-per-person served is significantly below County/State average. No Council action required. - G.2 — Resolution No. 2026-37 — Approved a Concession Lease Agreement with Galt Fuel Station, LLC, for ~5,400 sq. ft. of Lawrence Park (350 N. Washington St.) for an enclosed dining/entertainment patio adjacent to the American Legion building renovation. Public speakers in favor: Maria Jones (American Legion), Bertha Castro (President, Unidos Progresando/Progressing Together), JP Doucette (Chamber), Ryan Ranchhod (on behalf of Diede family). DISSENT: Council Member Bregman said the City should have a system to calculate property value vs. return/public benefit for such leases. Split vote: Ayes: Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi, Yepez. Noes: Bregman. Absent: None. - G.3 — Resolution No. 2026-38 — Adopted (item continued from Feb. 18) the revised Lodi City Council Strategic Vision, repealing/replacing Resolution No. 2023-98. City Clerk Nashed and Interim City Manager Busch presented; Craig-Hensley emphasized need for measurable objectives; JP Doucette spoke on Chamber's Business Retention and Expansion Plan support. Unanimous. - G.4 — Resolution No. 2026-39 — Side-Letter Agreement with Lodi Police Mid-Management Organization (LPMO): resolved a complaint over delayed execution of a CalPERS cost-sharing reduction (9% to 3%, effective Feb. 2, 2026) with a one-time off-salary-schedule payment of $1,000 per LPMO member. Unanimous. - G.5–G.12 (Executive employment agreements, continued from Feb. 18) — ADOPTED with DISSENT PATTERN: Interim City Manager Busch gave one consolidated PowerPoint covering common negotiated terms, highlighting differences per position. Mayor Yepez stated he intended to vote against some items based on his evaluation of directors. - G.5 — Resolution No. 2026-40 — Library Director Jennifer Fontanilla, base salary to $172,010 (eff. Jan. 4, 2027). Split vote: Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi. Noes: Yepez. - G.6 — Resolution No. 2026-41 — PRCS Director Christina Jaromay, base salary to $219,390 (eff. Jan. 4, 2027). Split vote: Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi. Noes: Yepez. - G.7 — Resolution No. 2026-42 — Electric Utility Director Jeffrey Berkheimer, maintaining current salary of $342,000, COLA and benefit changes. Unanimous. - G.8 — Resolution No. 2026-43 — Police Chief Ricardo Garcia, 1.21% equity adjustment to $269,921 (eff. Jan. 5, 2026). Unanimous. - G.9 — Resolution No. 2026-44 — Fire Chief Kenneth Johnson, 5% equity adjustment to $236,752 (eff. Jan. 5, 2026). Unanimous. - G.10 — Resolution No. 2026-45 — Economic Development Director Luis Aguilar, 5% equity adjustment to $198,198 (eff. Jan. 5, 2026). Split vote: Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi. Noes: Yepez. - G.11 — Resolution No. 2026-46 — City Attorney Katie O. Lucchesi, base salary to $303,680. Craig-Hensley noted the City Attorney and City Clerk were the only two positions for which Council performed an evaluation and approved addenda as a whole in Closed Session. Split vote: Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi. Noes: Yepez. - G.12 — Resolution No. 2026-47 — City Clerk Olivia Nashed, base salary to $162,842. Public comment: Scott Hamilton questioned the process of bringing department director contracts to Council when those report to the City Manager. Unanimous (Ayes: all 5).

Ordinance Adopted (second reading): - Ordinance No. 2046 — LMC 13.20.240/13.20.250 (CBID). Craig-Hensley encouraged local nonprofits to inquire about qualification via Assistant EU Director Melissa Price. Unanimous.

Adjournment: 9:16 p.m.

h) April 1, 2026 (Regular Meeting)

Presiding: Mayor Yepez (Closed Session 6:16 p.m.; Regular meeting called to order 7:06 p.m.).

Attendance: Present: Craig-Hensley, Hothi, Yepez (Nakanishi arrived 6:17 p.m.; Bregman arrived 6:49 p.m., both during Closed Session). Regular session: all 5 present, none absent. Also Present: Interim City Manager Busch, City Attorney Lucchesi, City Clerk Nashed.

Closed Session: (a) Anticipated litigation (two cases); (b) public employee appointment — City Manager Recruitment; (c) public employee appointment — City Attorney Recruitment and Interim City Attorney Appointment. No reportable action.

Presentations: B.1 — Arbor Day proclamation (April 4, 2026) to Steve Dutra and Bill Nantt of Tree Lodi. B.2 — Non-Profit Allocation Check of $4,130 to Roger Coover, Lodi Boys and Girls Club. B.3 — Non-Profit Allocation Check of $7,500 to Timothy and Tara Stewart (Lodi Community Church/"Love Lodi"), Christine Alberg (Lawrence Elementary Principal), Jamie Moso (Heritage Elementary Principal).

Consent Calendar vote: Ayes: all 5. Noes: None. Absent: None.

Resolutions Adopted: - Resolution No. 2026-55 — Renewed Chiropractic Benefit Administration Agreement with Landmark Healthplan of California, not to exceed $130,000. - Resolution No. 2026-56 — Amendment No. 2 (two-year extension) with Business Recovery Services Inc., of Alameda, for utility payment lockbox services, not to exceed $138,942. - C.3 — New PSA with Loomis for cash handling/armored transport ($165,000) pulled at request of staff — not acted on. - Resolution No. 2026-57 — Reclassified Literacy and Programs Manager to Librarian II. - Resolution No. 2026-58 — Ratified City Manager's approval of three replacement vehicles from Sanborn Chevrolet, approved purchase of one from Lodi Motors/Lodi Honda, emergency equipment from Lehr Upfitters OpCo LLC, radio equipment from Dailey-Wells Communications — total $212,804.46. - Resolution No. 2026-59 — PSA with EagleShield Pest Control, Inc., for squirrel abatement at White Slough WPCF, $229,827. - Resolution No. 2026-60 — Allocation of $3,500 (District 4 Non-Profit Funds) to Unidos Progresando - Progressing Together. - Resolution No. 2026-61 — Allocation of $5,000 (District 5 Non-Profit Funds) to Beckman Elementary School. Pulled by Hothi to explain his choice of recipient; included in Consent vote. - C.9 — Appointment of Christopher Anderson to Library Board of Trustees: Pulled by Council Member Bregman, who recused himself and left the dais. Split vote: Ayes: Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Yepez. Noes: Mayor Pro Tempore Hothi. Absent: None. (Bregman recused.) Term to expire July 1, 2027. Oath of Office administered by City Clerk Nashed.

Public Comments: None (Non-Agenda Items — None recorded).

MAJOR DECISIONS / Regular Calendar: - G.1 — Resolution No. 2026-62 — Appointed John Luebberke as Interim City Attorney, approving Legal Services Agreement with law firm Herum Crabtree Suntag. City Attorney Lucchesi (outgoing) presented on candidate interviews, hourly rate, and authority. Unanimous. - G.2 — Resolutions No. 2026-63, 2026-64, 2026-65, 2026-66 — Adopted four resolutions for the November 3, 2026 General Municipal Election (Districts 1, 2, 3): (a) calling/noticing the election; (b) requesting San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors render election services; (c) setting policy on impartial analysis/arguments/rebuttals for ballot measures; (d) adopting regulations for candidates' statements. City Clerk Nashed presented via PowerPoint. Unanimous.

Adjournment: 7:47 p.m.

i) June 17, 2026 (Regular Meeting)

Presiding: Mayor Yepez (Closed Session 6:32 p.m.; Regular meeting called to order 7:15 p.m.).

Attendance: Present: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi, Yepez. Absent: None. Also Present: Interim City Manager Busch, Interim City Attorney Luebberke, City Clerk Nashed.

Closed Session: (a)–(b) Existing litigation, Scott R. Carney v. City of Lodi (San Joaquin County Superior Court Case Nos. STK-CV-UWM-2026-0003828 and STK-CV-UOE-2026-0044713); (c) anticipated litigation (one case). No reportable action.

Presentations: B.1 — Parks and Recreation Month proclamation ("The Power of Parks and Recreation," July 2026) to PRCS Director Christina Jaromay, Parks Commissioner Mike Carouba, PRCS staff. B.2 — Proclamation: June 6, 2026 as California Adopt-a-Pet Day (to David Gode). B.3 — Proclamation: June 2026 as Pride Month (to Jess Moreno and members of A New Lodi; Christopher Anderson, a founding member of A New Lodi, spoke in support). B.4 — Recognition of outgoing Interim City Manager Aaron Busch.

Consent Calendar vote: Ayes: all 5. Noes: None. Absent: None.

Resolutions Adopted: - C.1 — Minutes of May 20, 2026 approved as written. Pulled by Craig-Hensley, who noted two outstanding information requests from that meeting remained unfulfilled (business license tax vs. business license revenue breakdown; Library Investment Fund/Library Board of Trustees Fund financial reports/audits). - Resolution No. 2026-123 — Allocation of $3,000 (District 5 Non-Profit Funds) to Child Abuse Prevention Council. - C.3 — Received/filed informational report on corrections to 2024/2025 Housing Element Annual Progress Reports. - Resolution No. 2026-124 — Amendment No. 1 to Industrial Waste Connection MOU with Van Ruiten Family Winery, LLC. - Resolution No. 2026-125 — Amendment No. 2 to Industrial Waste Connection MOU with Michael/David Winery. - Resolution No. 2026-126 — Approved/accepted Lodi Electric Utility 2026 Wildfire Mitigation Plan. - Resolution No. 2026-127 — Purchase of Dell computer equipment (annual refresh) from Dell Technologies Inc., not to exceed $537,000. - Resolution No. 2026-128 — Amendment with Placer.ai Labs, Inc., of Los Altos, not to exceed $72,500. - Resolution No. 2026-129 — Purchase of three patrol vehicles from Folsom Lake Ford, one from Winner Chevrolet Inc., and emergency equipment from LEHR Upfitters OpCo LLC — $338,788.82. Pulled by Craig-Hensley re: supporting local businesses/Procurement Policy update; included in Consent vote. - Resolution No. 2026-130 — PSA for personnel safety equipment with LC Action Police Supply of San Jose — $500,000 over five years. - Resolution No. 2026-131 — Amendment No. 2 to PSA with Telstar Instruments, of Concord, for SCADA/instrumentation services — $175,000. - Resolution No. 2026-132 — FY2026/27 contracts with United Cerebral Palsy of San Joaquin, Amador, and Calaveras Counties: Downtown Cleaning $125,139.25, Transit Facility Cleaning $97,123.00, Hutchins Street Square Landscape Maintenance $26,028.00. - Resolution No. 2026-133 — Approved 2026/2027 Pavement Resurfacing Project (RMRA/SB1 funding FY2026/27). Pulled by Craig-Hensley regarding need for a complete road condition assessment report; Nakanishi discussed recent road striping; included in Consent vote. - Resolution No. 2026-134 — Appropriation adjustments for Hutchins Street Resurfacing Project — $129,165. - C.15 — TREE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT — NOT ADOPTED, CONTINUED (see detailed account below). - Approved specs/authorized bid advertisement for 2026-2028 Citywide On-Call HVAC Services; Resolution No. 2026-136 authorizing award to lowest responsive bidder, not to exceed $700,000. - Approved specs/authorized bid advertisement for 2026-2029 Citywide Fire Alarm Monitoring; Resolution No. 2026-137 authorizing award to lowest responsive bidder, not to exceed $200,000. - C.18 — Appointed Eve Melton (term to expire July 1, 2029) and Nancy Gonzalez St. Claire (term to expire July 1, 2027) to Library Board of Trustees. Oath of Office administered to Nancy Gonzalez St. Claire.

DETAILED ACCOUNT: Item C.15 — Tree Maintenance Contract (West Coast Arborists Protest)

Item: "Adopt a Resolution Rejecting Protest and Awarding Contract for 2026-2028 Tree Maintenance Project to Elite Maintenance & Tree Service, of Ceres ($616,700), and Authorizing City Manager to Execute Change Orders ($100,000)" (PW).

Pulled by: Jason Pinegar, of West Coast Arborists (the incumbent, protesting the award to the low bidder, Elite Maintenance & Tree Service).

Discussion, in sequence: - Mr. Pinegar spoke regarding the protest submitted by West Coast Arborists, raising concerns about the qualifications of the lowest bidder, concerns regarding emergency response capability, and West Coast Arborists' twenty-year history with the City of Lodi. - In response to Mayor Yepez, Interim City Attorney Luebberke stated Council has the ability to postpone the contract award. - In response to Council Member Craig-Hensley, Interim Public Works Director Sean Nathan provided information on the City's ability to terminate the contract if the new contractor's services do not meet standards. - Council Member Craig-Hensley stated she does not favor "evergreen" contracts, supports staff's decisions on bid evaluations, and favored moving forward with the award given the City's ability to terminate the contract if necessary. - In response to Mayor Pro Tempore Hothi, Nathan provided information on the bid history of the Tree Maintenance Project, the bid process, and bid evaluations. - In response to Hothi, Budget Manager Jennelle Baker and Interim City Attorney Luebberke discussed the Finance Committee's recommendation on the updated Procurement Policy's local preference differential. - In response to Council Member Bregman, Nathan discussed the reference cities provided by the low bidder. - In response to Bregman, Mr. Pinegar stated West Coast Arborists is the current tree maintenance provider for some of the agencies listed as references by the low bidder, clarifying that the low bidder provides landscape services (not tree maintenance) to those agencies, and noting the low bidder has not completed an entire year of tree maintenance service for any city. - In response to Craig-Hensley, Nathan discussed the outstanding service West Coast Arborists has provided and staff's perspective on the bid evaluation. - In response to Mayor Yepez, Interim City Manager Busch asked Council to clarify specific items for staff to investigate if the item were moved to the next Council meeting. - Council Member Bregman asked for verification of tree maintenance work with the reference agencies. - Mr. Pinegar stated he had requested information regarding the tree management software used by the low bidder but had not received a response. - Council Member Craig-Hensley spoke about the work West Coast Arborists has provided to local nonprofits and said this needs to be taken into account. - Mr. Pinegar provided information regarding the bid ranking for the City of Roseville, in which both West Coast Arborists and the low bidder participated. - Council Member Nakanishi spoke in favor of awarding the bid to West Coast Arborists. - Interim City Manager Busch spoke about confirming the information provided by the low bidder and bringing the item back at the next meeting.

Action taken: No action was taken on this item. Staff was directed to bring the item back to Council on the July 1, 2026 agenda.

Additional related public comment (later in the same meeting, under Item D, Comments by the Public on Non-Agenda Items): Gordon Schmierer, Vice President Emeritus of Tree Lodi, spoke in support of West Coast Arborists for the tree maintenance contract.

Other Public Comments (Non-Agenda), June 17: Michele Weeks spoke on animal services funding in the budget. Alex Aliferas spoke on data centers and pets on the East Side. Jim Miller (VP, Race Communications) gave a fiber-optic buildout status update.

Council Comments: Nakanishi thanked Busch and Rhyne. Craig-Hensley congratulated Rhyne on her new position; discussed the United Way's Lodi Alliance of Nonprofits event, Police Youth Academy graduation, Laura DeForce Gordon Day proclamation, a CRISI grant for a new Lodi rail station on Highway 12, and AirBNB registration ordinance updates. Bregman discussed a meeting on the senior housing project near Salas Park and the Lodi City Employees Association picnic. In response to Mayor Yepez, Council Member Bregman declined to pull his item, G.3 (data centers).

Public Hearings: - F.1 — Resolution No. 2026-138 — Final Engineer's Annual Levy Report, Lodi Consolidated Landscape Maintenance Assessment District No. 2003-1, FY2026/27; ordered levy/collection. Nakanishi called it "a routine, annual item." No public comment. Unanimous. - F.2 — Resolution No. 2026-139 — Setting pre-approved ENR adjustment index for wastewater rates. Public comment: Alex Aliferas spoke against the rate increase. Unanimous vote nonetheless (Ayes: all 5; Noes: None). - F.3 — Public hearing (Gov. Code §3502.3) on status of vacancies/recruitment and retention. HR Manager James Peavey presented: Citywide vacancy rate of 7.6%. Discussion of Police Officer vacancies (Chief Ricardo Garcia), budget savings from vacancies, and requests by Bregman and Craig-Hensley for a 5-year vacancy average and General-Fund-specific vacancy data. No public comment. Council voted to receive the report (Ayes: all 5).

MAJOR DECISIONS / Regular Calendar: - G.1 — Resolution No. 2026-140 — Authorized Interim City Manager (or designee) to execute an operating agreement with Outreach Ministries International for the Lodi Access Center and Emergency Shelter, alongside a quarterly/construction update (Rhyne, Jason McEachron, Johnny Coughran presenting). Public comment: Lisa Meyers Hill spoke in support. San Joaquin County Supervisor Steve Ding discussed potential State/Federal homelessness funding. DISSENT: Mayor Yepez voted No (consistent with his earlier Feb. 4 opposition). Split vote: Ayes: Bregman, Craig-Hensley, Nakanishi, Hothi. Noes: Yepez. Absent: None. - G.2 — Resolution No. 2026-141 — FY 2026/27 Financial Plan and Budget (also approving the FY2026/27 Appropriation/Gann Spending Limit, new job classifications/reclass studies, Budget and Fiscal Policies, and Investment Policy). Budget Manager Jennelle Baker presented (Measure L expense history/distribution, PW-General Fund updates, Transit balanced budget, 3 new position requests/3 reclass reviews, PEPRA requirements, Executive salary schedule). Public comment: Scott Hamilton noted Lodi's "America's Favorite Small Town" recognition alongside a $5 million deficit and depletion of savings, deferred maintenance, and need for revenue enhancement. Christopher Anderson urged permitting process improvement and revenue raising. JP Doucette (Chamber) discussed staffing constraints and community partnership. Mike Carouba noted the need for economic activity to support services/infrastructure and lack of change since Measure L's passage. Council discussion: Craig-Hensley on full-service city expectations, staff growth outpacing economics, deferred maintenance, use of reserves, asset monetization, and need for special revenue sessions; Yepez on long-term planning/efficiencies/revenue generation; Bregman on holding sessions on revenue generation; Nakanishi on a revenue-generation committee; Hothi noted other municipalities share similar budget problems. Unanimous vote. - G.3 — Data Centers in Lodi (discussion only, no formal Council action): Presented by Council Member Bregman, who reversed his earlier position — he initially supported a data center at the White Slough Water Pollution Control Facility (WSWPCF) as a revenue-generating project but now no longer supports that proposal and instead supports a moratorium on data centers in Lodi. DISSENT: Council Member Craig-Hensley stated she does not support moratoriums, noting future technology might make data centers viable. Mayor Yepez said he does not support spending staff time on a moratorium and suggested the item be tabled indefinitely. Public comment: Scott Hamilton and Christopher Anderson spoke against a moratorium (Anderson also opposed a WSWPCF data center); Alex Aliferas spoke against data centers generally; JP Doucette favored tabling the item. No action was taken on this item.

Adjournment: 10:40 p.m.

j–r) Nine 2024 Shirtsleeve Sessions — ALL CANCELED

Each of the nine "Shirtsleeve" Session minutes consists of a single-sentence cancellation notice, with no roll call, presentations, discussion, or Council action recorded. Each is attested by the City Clerk. The sessions and their exact cancellation language are:

j) May 7, 2024: "The May 7, 2024, Informal Informational Meeting ('Shirtsleeve' Session) of the Lodi City Council was canceled."
k) May 14, 2024: "The May 14, 2024, Informal Informational Meeting ('Shirtsleeve' Session) of the Lodi City Council was canceled."
l) May 21, 2024: "The May 21, 2024, Informal Informational Meeting ('Shirtsleeve' Session) of the Lodi City Council was canceled."
m) May 28, 2024: "The May 28, 2024, Informal Informational Meeting ('Shirtsleeve' Session) of the Lodi City Council was canceled."
n) June 4, 2024: "The June 4, 2024, Informal Informational Meeting ('Shirtsleeve' Session) of the Lodi City Council was canceled."
o) June 11, 2024: "The June 11, 2024, Informal Informational Meeting ('Shirtsleeve' Session) of the Lodi City Council was canceled."
p) June 18, 2024: "The June 18, 2024, Informal Informational Meeting ('Shirtsleeve' Session) of the Lodi City Council was canceled."
q) June 25, 2024: "The June 25, 2024, Informal Informational Meeting ('Shirtsleeve' Session) of the Lodi City Council was canceled."
r) July 2, 2024: "The July 2, 2024, Informal Informational Meeting ('Shirtsleeve' Session) of the Lodi City Council was canceled."

No topics were presented and no presenters or key points exist for any of the nine sessions, as all were canceled outright.

Cross-Cutting Notes

Gene Redding's recurring procurement objections: Documented only in the January 7, 2026 minutes among this batch, where he pulled six items (C.1, C.2, C.3, C.5, C.6, C.7) objecting to no-bid/sole-source contracts, bid-price discrepancies, emergency bidding bypassing competitive safeguards, and use of PSA amendments/extensions instead of rebidding. All items he pulled were ultimately approved.

Recusals: Council Member Bregman recused himself twice: Jan. 7, 2026 (C.6, Animal Shelter construction management contract with Bickford Ventures/Division 01) and April 1, 2026 (C.9, appointment of Christopher Anderson to Library Board of Trustees).

Recurring dissenter: Mayor Yepez cast the lone "Noes" vote multiple times: Feb. 4, 2026 (Access Center operator award to Outreach Ministries International, favoring Salvation Army instead); Feb. 18, 2026 (HHAP Round 5 Grant); March 4, 2026 (four of the executive salary addenda: Library Director, PRCS Director, Economic Development Director, City Attorney); June 17, 2026 (Access Center operating agreement with Outreach Ministries International).

Interim City Manager turnover across this period: James Lindsay (Interim, through Feb. 2026) → Aaron Busch (appointed Interim City Manager Feb. 18, 2026, a retired PERS annuitant at $140/hour, not to exceed 960 hours/year) → Busch recognized as outgoing Interim City Manager on June 17, 2026.

City Attorney transition: Katie O. Lucchesi (City Attorney) → John Luebberke appointed Interim City Attorney April 1, 2026 (with Legal Services Agreement, Herum Crabtree Suntag).

Attachments and Primary Documents

Agenda Packet: City of Lodi, Regular City Council Meeting Agenda Packet, August 5, 2026 (291 pages) — 08.05.2026-Regular_Agenda-Packet.pdf. Scanned exhibits, including the West Coast Arborists protest letter, the City's response, Elite's reply, and the Hanham employment agreement, were recovered by optical character recognition.
Exhibit A (G.3): Bid protest letter, Patrick Mahoney, President, West Coast Arborists, Inc., May 8, 2026 (packet pp. 257–259).
Exhibit B (G.3): City of Lodi protest response, Alice Bernardino, Associate Civil Engineer, May 28, 2026 (packet p. 260).
Exhibit C (G.3): Response letter, Jose Flores, Regional Tree Care Operations Manager, Elite Maintenance & Tree Service, June 24, 2026 (packet pp. 261–263).
G.4 Attachment: Employment agreement, David Hanham, Community Development Director (packet pp. 267–271).
City resources: Lodi City Council Agendas & Minutes · Meeting webcast archive · City of Lodi public records portal

References

Primary document: City of Lodi, Regular City Council Meeting Agenda Packet, August 5, 2026 (08.05.2026-Regular_Agenda-Packet.pdf, 291 pp.). All item descriptions, staff reports, resolutions, bid tabulations, protest correspondence, and employment agreement terms are drawn from this packet; exhibit text was recovered via OCR of scanned pages.

Supporting sources: - City of Lodi, City Council minutes viewer — 2021-2023 Tree Maintenance contract with West Coast Arborists, Res. 2023-44 - City of Lodi records — October 9, 2001 Shirtsleeve Session, ACRT tree inventory program - City of Lodi — City Manager page, Aaron Busch biography - Lodi News-Sentinel — Lodi names new interim city manager (Aaron Busch, CityWise Strategies LLC) - Stocktonia — Council set to hire Lodi's first female city manager - Stocktonia — Documents detail disputes in Lodi leadership - The Record (Recordnet) — Former city manager sues Lodi over alleged whistleblower retaliation - Yahoo News / The Record — City council could appoint acting city manager - Steve Mann — "Spinning Door" (City Clerk Nashed resignation) - LodiEye — Lodi City Council Agenda, July 15, 2026 (Interim Clerk Solorzano appointment) - LodiEye — Urban Tree Canopy and Tree Equity: How Lodi Compares - West Coast Arborists — Services and ArborAccess platform description - Taylor Guitars, Wood & Steel — Keepers of the Trees (ArborAccess hosting model and scale) - Google Play — WCA Mobile V2 listing (company scale, ArborAccess GPS) - City of Rosemead — West Coast Arborists tree maintenance proposal (ArborAccess GIS integration, tree inventory specifications) - Elite Maintenance & Tree Service — About EMTS (headquarters and branch locations) and company home page - TreeLodi — Lodi Shade Tree Program and organization site (Tree City USA, 23 consecutive years) - Olivia Nashed — LinkedIn profile (City Clerk since April 2022)

Prepared by Lodi411 / LodiEye. Item descriptions, staff reports, resolutions, bid tabulations, protest correspondence, and employment agreement terms are drawn directly from the City of Lodi's August 5, 2026 agenda packet. Contextual background is sourced and linked above. Corrections and additions are welcome.

Contact: info@lodi411.com · lodi411.com · LodiEye civic research

Public comment on any agenda item may be submitted to councilcomments@lodi.gov or made in person at the Carnegie Forum, 305 W. Pine Street, Lodi.

City CouncilMeeting Summary

Don Bradford