Lodi City Council Agenda - October 21, 2026
Lodi City Council — Regular Meeting
Wednesday, October 21, 2026 — Invocation 6:55 p.m. | Regular Session 7:00 p.m.
Carnegie Forum, 305 West Pine Street, Lodi, CA 95240
Mayor Ramon Yepez | Mayor Pro Tempore Mikey Hothi | Councilmembers Cameron Bregman, Lisa Craig-Hensley, Alan Nakanishi
Summary
Thirteen days before an election that puts three of five Council seats on the ballot, the Council takes up the rules for how Lodi grows. The first public hearing introduces the “Phase 4” Development Code package: a new farmland mitigation fee, a park-land requirement for new subdivisions, a rewritten annexation process and the City’s first procedures for Williamson Act farmland contracts. The second asks the Council to send the 96.1-acre Westside “F” annexation, between West Vine Street and West Kettleman Lane west of Lower Sacramento Road, to the San Joaquin Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO).
The annexation was scheduled for October 7 but was never heard. Staff pulled it at the start of that meeting and moved it here. The proposed annexation resolution still says the Council held a hearing on October 7. The packet’s acreage figures, pre-zoning map and ordinance parcel table also disagree with one another.
The Consent Calendar, approved in one vote unless an item is pulled, holds seven sets of minutes reaching back to June 2024 and about $1.3 million in new or added contract authority. The largest piece is a $325,000 increase to the A1 Protective Services security contract for a two-month extension. That is about three times what two months cost at the most recent monthly bill the City disclosed. The calendar also includes $14.1 million in state park grant applications for Lawrence, Hale and Blakely parks.
On the Regular Calendar, the Council considers a district-by-district rotation for Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore beginning with the 2027 selection. No closed session, presentations or ordinances for adoption are listed.
Meeting Details
Date and Time: Wednesday, October 21, 2026. Invocation 6:55 p.m.; regular session 7:00 p.m.
Location: Carnegie Forum, 305 West Pine Street, Lodi, CA 95240
Remote Viewing and Comment: Zoom webinar ID 821 7418 0304, passcode 123456; phone 1 253 215 8782 or 1 346 248 7799. The meeting also streams on the City’s YouTube channel (@cityoflodi_publicmeetings) and SJTV Channel 26.
Written Comment: Email councilcomments@lodi.gov, mail to City Clerk’s Office, P.O. Box 3006, Lodi, CA 95241, or hand-deliver to 221 West Pine Street. Email and hand-delivered comments must arrive at least two hours before the meeting. Written comments go to the Council and into the minutes but are not read aloud.
Public Comment Limits: Five minutes per speaker on non-agenda items, one appearance per person. The Council cannot act on items not on the agenda (Government Code §54954.2).
Pulling a Consent Item: The agenda says members of the public who want a consent item discussed separately should “refer to the Notice at the beginning of this agenda.” That notice lists ways to comment but does not explain how to ask that an item be pulled. In practice, a speaker can make the request during comment on the Consent Calendar.
Campaign Contribution Disclosure: Under the Levine Act, applicants and their agents who gave more than $500 in total to a councilmember in the past 12 months must disclose it on the record, in writing to the Clerk or aloud before the item. This applies to the Westside annexation applicant, Dobbins Properties.
Interpreters and Accommodations: Requests at least 72 hours ahead to Interim City Clerk Elizabeth Haglund, (209) 333-6702. A Spanish-language agenda is posted.
Agenda
C. Consent Calendar
- C.1 Approve seven sets of minutes: June 20, 2024; July 3, 2024; June 10, 2025 (special); June 17, 2025 (special); June 26, 2025 (special); September 16, 2026 (special and regular)
- C.2 Waive formal bidding; SNF Polydyne biosolids polymer, $468,000 (Public Works)
- C.3 Solenis polymer contract Amendment No. 2, +$100,000 (Public Works)
- C.4 Central Plume soil vapor project, change-order authority raised to $235,000 (Public Works)
- C.5 State park grant applications for Lawrence, Hale and Blakely parks (Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services)
- C.6 Waterproofing Associates roof repair Amendment No. 2, +$60,000 (Public Works)
- C.7 KONE elevator services Amendment No. 2, +$60,000 (Public Works)
- C.8 A1 Protective Services Amendment No. 4, extension to December 31 and +$325,000 to $2,781,000 (Administrative Services)
- C.9 No-parking zones on Turner Road and Stockton Street (Public Works)
- C.10 Lodi Avenue Resurfacing Project, plans and bid call (Public Works)
- C.11 Set November 4 hearing on sewer billing ordinance (Public Works)
- C.12 Set November 18 hearing on the 2025 Urban Water Management Plan (Public Works)
F. Public Hearings
- F.1 Introduce Phase 4 Development Code amendments: agricultural mitigation fee, parkland dedication, annexation procedures and Williamson Act regulations (Community Development)
- F.2 Westside “F” annexation of about 96.1 acres, pre-zoning ordinance and detachment from the Woodbridge Rural Fire Protection District (Community Development)
G. Regular Calendar
- G.1 Protocol Manual amendments: Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore rotation by district, and mentorship of newly elected members (City Attorney)
H. Ordinances
None listed.
C.1 Minutes
The Council approves seven sets of minutes prepared by Pamela Farris. Five are more than a year old. On September 16, 2026, the Council cleared 22 backlogged sets covering March 2024 through August 2026, and this batch continues that clean-up.
June 20, 2024 — Regular Meeting
The heading calls the meeting “Wednesday.” June 20, 2024 was a Thursday.
- Closed session: City Manager performance evaluation. No reportable action.
- Lodi Connect billing: Staff updated the Council on the new utility billing system from vendor SEW and listed six Phase 1 problems. Late fees charged during the transition will be removed.
- FY 2024/25 budget (major decision): Resolution 2024-113 adopted the budget, the annual appropriations (spending) limit, four new positions and the Investment Policy, 4-0, with Nakanishi absent.
- Discussion: Speakers asked how a cricket field would be funded. Then-Mayor Lisa Craig asked for a study session on the Investment Policy.
- The meeting also included a Love Lodi proclamation and adjourned in memory of police partner Nannette Singer.
July 3, 2024 — Regular Meeting (Hothi absent)
- Consent items:
- Claims of $10,612,317.32.
- Amendment 2 to the fire dispatch agreement with Stockton (Res. 2024-114).
- A $92,061.33 California Highway Patrol Cannabis Tax Fund grant (Res. 2024-115).
- Hutchins Street Square roof change orders and acceptance (Res. 2024-116).
- Diede Construction operation and maintenance of the PCE/TCE groundwater plume system, $191,200 with a $69,389 appropriation (Res. 2024-117).
- Paving and crack-seal project acceptances.
- Advanced Life Support: Agreement with the San Joaquin County Emergency Medical Services Agency (Res. 2024-118).
- New animal shelter (major decision): Haggerty Construction, $12,636,753 plus $950,000 in change-order authority; Division 1 construction management, $227,126; appropriation of $8,713,351 (Res. 2024-119).
- Downtown Specific Plan (major decision): RRM Design Group, $750,000, plus a $70,000 option for Rail Pros railroad work (Res. 2024-120).
- Discussion: Homelessness enforcement after the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling on public camping bans.
June 10, 2025 — Special Meeting
- Closed session: Threatened whistleblower-retaliation litigation from the attorney for Scott Carney. No reportable action.
- Res. 2025-90 (5-0): Amendment 2 with law firm Meyers Nave, adding $260,000 for employment matters and personnel investigations.
- Moss Adams Citywide Internal Controls Review (major discussion): The Council received the June 6, 2025 report. Priority recommendations:
- a fraud hotline
- an internal audit function
- completing bank reconciliations for June through December 2024
- a review of purchasing cards (CAL-Card)
- centralized procurement
- an investment committee
- Presentations: Utility service in the Sphere of Influence (the area Lodi expects to annex over time) and a planned 230-kilovolt (kV) transmission line.
June 17, 2025 — Special Meeting
Law firm Colantuono presented ways to pay for growth: Community Facilities Districts (Mello-Roos special taxes), benefit assessments, development impact fees and park maintenance funding. No action was taken.
June 26, 2025 — Special Meeting
Closed session on the Carney matter, other litigation and the Acting City Manager’s evaluation. No reportable action.
September 16, 2026 — Special Meeting
Resolution 2026-203 approved the Electric Utility’s annual Power Source Disclosure, the state-required report on where Lodi’s electricity comes from, 3-0, with Bregman and Yepez absent.
September 16, 2026 — Regular Meeting
- Closed session: Bennitt and Leatham cases. Nothing reportable.
- Minutes backlog: 22 sets approved, March 2024 through August 2026.
- Consent items C.2–C.17 (Res. 2026-189 through 2026-202):
- Division 1 Access Center construction management extended to March 31, 2027, with Bregman recused.
- Quarterly investment report.
- Lodi Unified Bridge after-school program agreement ($557,000/$657,000).
- DeBenedetti Park bids.
- A $25,000 alley mural.
- Arts Commission quorum change.
- A $72,080 Alcoholic Beverage Control enforcement grant.
- Crossroads software assignment.
- A $95,940 tobacco enforcement contract.
- Quest jail intercom change orders.
- Robertson-Bryan, $59,862.
- A $158,000 bicycle/pedestrian project.
- A $1 million on-call well and pump contract.
- Well 8 abandonment, $320,000.
- Civil Hydro Tech, $122,160.
- Acceptance of the Hutchins Street Square pool repair.
- Access Center update: Craig-Hensley and Hothi will meet with San Joaquin County.
- Unpermitted food vendors: Task force update.
- League of California Cities: Craig-Hensley named voting delegate, Yepez alternate.
These minutes say “Interim City Clerk Solorzano” presented an item, while listing Haglund as the clerk present.
Consent Calendar Items
C.2 SNF Polydyne Polymer, $468,000
The White Slough Water Pollution Control Facility uses polymer to bind wastewater solids so they can be pressed into biosolids for disposal. Staff asks the Council to waive formal bidding under Lodi Municipal Code 3.20.070(5) and buy from SNF Polydyne, the lowest of four informal quotes. At 65 tons a year, staff estimates $156,000 annually from Wastewater account 53053003.
FIGURE 1. Informal polymer quotes. Source: Agenda item C.2 staff report, October 21, 2026 packet.
Values: SNF Polydyne (recommended) $1.20/lb; CarboNet $1.29/lb; Solenis (current supplier) $1.60/lb; Jenfitch $2.32 rising to $3.14/lb.
Open Issues to Watch
- The staff report calls this a three-year agreement, which matches $468,000 ($156,000 × 3). The contract term runs January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2030, which is four years, plus two one-year options.
- C.2 relies on informal quotes. C.3 describes formal requests for proposals (RFPs) for the same chemical.
C.3 Solenis Polymer, Amendment No. 2: +$100,000 to $870,000
This bridges supply from the current vendor through December 31, 2026, until the SNF contract begins. New dewatering equipment installed in April 2025 uses more polymer than the old equipment. Amendment 1, approved August 5, 2025, added $70,000. Staff says a first RFP did not produce a usable result.
Open Issues to Watch
- The contract expired September 30, 2026, so this extension is retroactive.
- The amendment document gives a November 15, 2023 start date and dates Amendment 1 “August 28, 2026.” The staff report gives September 30, 2023 and August 5, 2025.
- The amendment refers to an Exhibit 1 that is not in the packet.
C.4 Central Plume Soil Vapor Project: Change-Order Authority to $235,000
The Central Plume is underground contamination from the dry-cleaning solvents PCE (perchloroethylene) and TCE (trichloroethylene) beneath central Lodi. This $1 million contract with Innovative Construction Solutions, approved July 2, 2025, removes contaminated soil vapor. Crews found a concrete slab twice as thick as expected and two unknown concrete structures, which required more soil and sand work. The City Manager’s change-order authority would rise from $100,000 to $235,000, paid from the PCE/TCE Rates Fund (56599000.77020).
The $135,000 increase matches two actions from July 1, 2026: a $135,000 reimbursement to Pine Street Partners and a $135,000 credit on this contract.
C.5 State Park Grant Applications: $14.1 Million
The Council authorizes applications to Round 5 of the Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program (SPP), run by California State Parks. The California Grants Portal lists $188.5 million available, with awards of $200,000 to $8.5 million and no local match. Applications are due December 17, 2026, according to State Parks.
| Park | Request | Planned improvements |
|---|---|---|
| Lawrence Park | $5.8 million | Community building, restrooms, all-wheel skate park, soccer field, playground |
| Blakely Park | $4.3 million | Zero-entry pool, splash pad |
| Hale Park | $4.0 million | Recreation building, bandstand shade structure, cameras |
| Total | $14.1 million |
TABLE 1. Park grant requests. Source: Agenda item C.5 staff report and concept attachments.
FIGURE 2. Each request falls below the program’s per-application maximum. Sources: C.5 staff report; California Grants Portal.
Values: Lawrence $5.8M, Blakely $4.3M, Hale $4.0M; maximum $8.5M per application.
The program requires community engagement. Staff reports at least five community meetings per park, with partners Unidos Progresando, Community Partnership for Families, One Eighty, Lodi Boosters and the Boys & Girls Club.
Open Issues to Watch
- The resolution certifies that Lodi has enough money to operate and maintain the finished projects. The staff report gives no estimate of that cost for a new pool, two buildings and a skate park.
C.6 Waterproofing Associates Roof Repair: +$60,000 to $160,000
This on-call roof repair contract began at $60,000, signed by the City Manager June 13, 2024. Amendment 1 added $40,000; the Council approved it March 18, 2026, and it was signed April 9. This amendment adds $60,000. Staff cites a forecast of a wet winter.
Open Issues to Watch
- The not-to-exceed amount has grown from $60,000 to $160,000, nearly triple, with the contract running to June 30, 2027.
C.7 KONE Elevator Services: +$60,000 to $160,000
This uses the final extension option, through June 30, 2027, and adds money for City Hall elevator repairs.
Open Issues to Watch
- The previous term ended June 30, 2026, leaving about three and a half months without an active contract.
- The amendment refers to an Exhibit 1 that is not in the packet.
C.8 A1 Protective Services, Amendment No. 4: +$325,000 to $2,781,000
A1 provides security guards and the Safety Ambassador program. This amendment extends the contract to December 31, 2026, or until a replacement contract is in place, and adds $325,000.
| Action | Change | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Original (Res. 2023-91) | $1,599,000 | Guard services |
| Amendment 1 (Res. 2023-131) | +$815,000 | Added the Safety Ambassador program |
| Amendment 2 (Res. 2024-10) | +$42,000 | Added funds |
| Amendment 3 (May 6, 2026, Res. 2026-083) | $0 | Extended to Oct. 31; City Hall coverage cut to Council nights ($266.96/month); Safety Ambassadors cut to 16 hours a day at the Access Center ($16,195.46/month) |
| Amendment 4 (this item) | +$325,000 | Extends to Dec. 31, 2026, or until a new contract |
| Ceiling after Amendment 4 | $2,781,000 |
TABLE 2. A1 contract history. Source: C.8 staff report, Amendment 3 and change-order tracking sheet (packet pp. 88–94).
FIGURE 3. Council-approved ceiling by action. Source: C.8 change-order tracking sheet.
Values: $1,599,000 original; $2,414,000 after Amendment 1 (+$815,000); $2,456,000 after Amendment 2 (+$42,000); $2,456,000 after Amendment 3 (no added money); $2,781,000 after Amendment 4 (+$325,000).
What the City Has Spent
The staff report shows no spending. In written answers to companies bidding on the replacement contract, the City disclosed two figures (Security Services RFP, Addendum No. 2, July 27, 2026). It said “approximately $52,758.22 was billed during the last monthly billing period,” and that $372,351.04 was “spent on this contract last year.” The addendum does not say which month or year those cover, and the two do not line up: 12 months at the latest monthly rate would be about $633,000. No public City source shows the total paid to A1 since 2023.
The tracking sheet’s “Remaining Balance” of $387.20 (p. 94) is the gap between what the Council authorized, $2,456,000, and what was written into the contract, $2,455,612.80. It does not measure money left to spend.
Why $325,000 for Two Months
At the latest monthly bill, November and December would cost about $105,500. The request is about three times that. The staff report says: “Because the prior four-month extension did not increase the Agreement’s not-to-exceed amount, additional funding is now required.” If the ceiling was used up by June 30, the new money would also cover July through October, when Amendment 3 kept guards working with no added funding. Six months at $52,758.22 comes to about $316,500, close to the request. The staff report does not confirm that reading.
FIGURE 4. Request compared with billing-based estimates. Sources: C.8 staff report; Security Services RFP Addendum No. 2. Estimates multiply the disclosed monthly bill by the number of months.
Values: two months (November–December) at $52,758.22 = $105,516; six months (July–December) = $316,549; Amendment 4 request $325,000.
Replacement Contract
The City issued a new security RFP on June 18, 2026 (City bid posting). Addendum No. 1 set proposals due August 3, a staff recommendation September 3 and contract execution October 1. Addendum No. 2 lists an anticipated start of November 1, 2026. It says the City is rebidding because its security needs “do not align with the current contract’s scope of work.” No replacement contract has come to the Council.
Open Issues to Watch
- How much has the City paid A1 to date, and were July–October services billed beyond the approved ceiling?
- Exhibit 2 describes Safety Ambassador coverage as both 24 hours and 16 hours a day.
- The resolution is dated October 7, 2026, although this item was not on the October 7 agenda.
- When will the replacement contract come forward, and will it start before December 31?
C.9 No-Parking Zones on Turner Road and Stockton Street, $2,000
| Location | Length | Spaces removed | Spaces remaining nearby |
|---|---|---|---|
| North side of Turner Road east of Bridgetowne Drive (Katzakian Park / Appellation area) | 150 ft | about 7 | 52 |
| East side of Stockton Street at Idlewild Drive (Salas Park area) | 105 ft north + 185 ft south (290 ft) | about 13 | 235 |
TABLE 3. New red-curb zones. Source: C.9 staff report and Exhibits A and B.
C.10 Lodi Avenue Resurfacing, Beckman Road to Guild Avenue
The Council approves plans and authorizes the bid call. The work includes a rubberized cape seal, grinding and repaving (mill and fill) and ADA-compliant curb ramps. Federal money programmed through the Federal Transportation Improvement Program (FTIP) pays for the project. The estimate is about $1.45 million, and bids open November 18, 2026.
C.11 Set November 4 Hearing: Sewer Billing Ordinance
The ordinance would base residential sewer charges on average winter water use from December through March, dropping the highest month. Winter use is a common proxy for what goes down the drain because little water goes to landscaping in those months.
Open Issues to Watch
- The fiscal impact is listed as “Not Applicable.” The packet does not estimate revenue effects, show how individual bills could change or say when the change would take effect.
- The ordinance was approved as to form by Interim City Attorney John Luebberke. City Attorney Taryn Jones is now in the role.
C.12 Set November 18 Hearing: 2025 Urban Water Management Plan
State law requires larger water suppliers to update an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP), a long-range water supply and demand plan, every five years. Suppliers need one to stay eligible for state water grants and loans. The California Department of Water Resources set July 1, 2026 as the due date for 2025 plans. Lodi hired Provost & Pritchard in July 2026, after the deadline. The prior plan was adopted August 4, 2021, and the draft is posted on the City website.
Open Issues to Watch
- The staff report header misdates the meeting as November 4, 2026.
- The report does not mention the Water Shortage Contingency Plan, the companion document that sets drought stages and responses.
Public Hearings
F.1 Phase 4 Development Code Amendments
Presenter: Cynthia Marsh, Deputy Director/City Planner. Action: Waive first reading and introduce the ordinance. Adoption would come at a later meeting, and the ordinance would take effect 30 days after that.
Lodi has not had a full set of local rules for annexation, the process for bringing county land into the city. The Council held an annexation workshop June 9, 2026. The Planning Commission recommended the package 5-0 on August 12 (Res. 26-07, Chair Hicks absent). At the request of the Building Industry Association (BIA), represented by John Beckman, staff held a second workshop on September 22. That workshop produced the “suggested changes” versions in Attachments 4 and 5. Staff cites California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemptions 15061(b)(3) and 15378.
What the Ordinance Does
- Chapter 15.69, Agricultural Mitigation Fee:
- Applies when an annexation converts Prime Farmland, Farmland of Statewide Importance or Unique Farmland.
- Requires at least 1:1 mitigation: one acre preserved for each acre converted, through conservation easements in San Joaquin County held by a group such as the California Farmland Trust.
- The fee amount will be set later by resolution after a nexus study, the analysis that legally ties a fee to the impact it pays for.
- Paid at building permit. Land dedication is allowed instead.
- Chapter 15.70, Quimby Act Parkland:
- The state Quimby Act lets cities require park land, or a fee in place of land, when land is subdivided.
- Sets 5 acres per 1,000 residents, with an 8-acre goal that counts stormwater basins in master plans.
- The in-lieu fee will be set later.
- Section 17.28.040, Planned Development (PD) overlay: A PD cannot be used to get around annexation requirements.
- Chapter 17.77, Boundary Changes:
- Two stages: a Pre-Annexation Hearing before the Council, then a formal application.
- Requires contiguity to the city, pre-zoning, a master plan and a showing that the annexation is fiscally neutral or better for the City.
- A Council resolution must come before any LAFCO filing.
- Applicants pay the cost of detaching from the rural fire district.
- Denied applicants wait 12 months before reapplying.
- Chapter 17.78, Williamson Act: The Williamson Act lowers property taxes on farmland in exchange for keeping it in agriculture under self-renewing contracts (Government Code 51243). Before authorizing a LAFCO filing, the Council must choose a path for each contract:
- nonrenewal, which lets the contract wind down over nine years
- cancellation
- City succession, with findings and a recorded owner agreement
Open Issues to Watch
- Section 17.77.050(C) of the revised text still says “The Planning Commission shall conduct” the hearing. Section 17.77.040(A) gives that hearing to the Council.
- Section 17.77.120 uses “Pre-Annexation Merit Hearing,” mixing the old and new names.
- Changes the staff report does not describe:
- Section 17.77.100(J) shifts approval of substantial master plan changes from “the City Council” to “the City,” which could let staff decide.
- “At minimum” is deleted from 17.77.060(D).
- Required timing changes from “annexation application approval” to “annexation approval.”
- Both versions cite Government Code “5183.4.” The correct section is 51283.4, on tentative cancellation certificates.
- No fee amounts exist yet for farmland mitigation or park in-lieu fees.
- Staff says the Westside “F” annexation (F.2) relies on this package but is exempt from the pre-annexation hearing because it was filed in 2025. Its file number is PL2024-023 A, and Plan Lodi shows the application submitted March 13, 2025.
F.2 Westside “F” Annexation and Pre-Zoning
Applicant: Dobbins Properties, Inc. (PL2024-023 A). Presenters: Matt Diaz, Acting Planning Manager (contract planner), and Cynthia Marsh.
The Council is asked to:
- adopt a resolution authorizing an application to LAFCO
- detach the area from the Woodbridge Rural Fire Protection District
- introduce an ordinance pre-zoning the land, which assigns City zoning that takes effect on annexation
LAFCO is the state-created county commission that approves city boundary changes.
The site covers 20 parcels plus the Taylor Road right-of-way, bounded by West Vine Street, West Kettleman Lane (Highway 12), South Lower Sacramento Road and county land to the west. City limits touch it on three sides. It has been in Lodi’s Sphere of Influence since 2008 and is Phase 1, the top priority, in the City’s Growth Management Plan. Staff and the Planning Commission find Lodi has about a two-year supply of entitled residential lots.
Proposed Pre-Zoning (Staff Report)
| District | Acres |
|---|---|
| Residential Low Density (RLD) | 49.8 |
| Mixed Use Corridor (MCO) | 19.91 |
| Public and Community Facilities (PF) | 10.0 |
| General Commercial (GC) | 9.2 |
| Residential Medium Density (RMD) | 7.2 |
TABLE 4. Pre-zoning as described in the staff report and resolution. Source: F.2 staff report.
About 2 acres of the PF site will be reserved for a future fire station with a satellite police substation. Building and paying for the station are not conditions of the annexation. Environmental review relies on CEQA Guidelines Section 15183, which covers projects consistent with a general plan that already has a certified environmental impact report (EIR). The 2025 General Plan Amendment EIR redesignated 19.91 acres here from Office to Mixed Use Corridor.
Why It Is Back on October 21
The annexation was F.1 on the October 7 agenda. At the opening of the regular session, staff announced that “public hearing item F1 on tonight’s agenda will be pulled and will be heard at the meeting of October 21st,” along with the Phase 4 code amendments (City of Lodi meeting video, October 7, 2026, at 46:10). The Council heard no testimony and took no vote. The City’s video is titled “2026-10-09 City Council Regular Meeting,” but the recording identifies itself as the October 7 meeting. October 7 minutes are not yet posted. The October 21 packet adds the pre-zoning exhibit and the Planning Commission resolution that were missing on October 7.
Outreach and the County Island
A 2025 owner poll found the western owners in favor and the eastern owners opposed. LAFCO advised dropping the opposed properties, which leaves an unincorporated “island” surrounded by city land. The survey map (p. 298) appears to show some opposed parcels still inside the boundary.
Staff held a community meeting on March 31, 2026. The Planning Commission recommended approval 5-0 on August 12, with one vacancy and one absence (Res. 26-08); speakers raised a private easement dispute and nearby owners’ interest in future annexation. A September 16 neighborhood meeting at an owner’s home covered property taxes, the development process and growth.
Williamson Act Contracts
Three parcels totaling about 40 acres are under Williamson Act contracts. Staff writes that “the contracts will remain in effect following annexation,” which means the City would take them over. The contracts must be nonrenewed or cancelled before those parcels can be developed.
FIGURE 5. Acreage by zoning district in three parts of the packet. Sources: F.2 staff report (p. 288); Attachment 4 pre-zoning exhibit (p. 297); Attachment 9 ordinance parcel table (p. 311).
Values: Staff report RLD 49.8, MCO 19.91, PF 10.0, GC 9.2, RMD 7.2 (96.1 total). Exhibit RLD 50.2, MCO 19.1, PF 9.6, GC 9.2, RMD 7.2 (95.3 total). Parcel table RLD 49.22, MCO 19.91, PF 0, GC 9.14, RMD 7.25, no zone listed (“None”) 10.0.
Open Issues to Watch
- Hearing that did not happen: The proposed resolution recites that “the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing on October 7, 2026.” The item was pulled that night. Unless corrected, the resolution would put an inaccurate finding in the record.
- Exhibit not corrected: Staff calls the 95.3-acre figure a clerical error and says the correct total is 96.1 acres “as reflected in the corrected prezone exhibit.” The exhibit in the packet still shows MCO 19.1, PF 9.6 and RLD 50.2, totaling 95.3 acres.
- No parcel zoned PF: The ordinance parcel table leaves parcel 027-050-03 (10 acres, 345 E. Taylor Road) without a zone. No parcel is assigned PF.
- Missing parcel: The ordinance title lists 19 of the 20 parcels. It omits 027-050-01, the 20-acre RLD parcel at 179 E. Taylor Road.
- Outdated ordinance text: The ordinance still says “95.3-acre” and “West Kettleman Road.” Its electronic signature record is dated August 7, 2026, before the Planning Commission hearing.
- County zoning given three ways: AG-20 (staff report), AG-40 (ordinance), AU-20 (map).
- No Williamson Act decision: The resolution does not choose a Williamson Act path, as F.1’s proposed Section 17.78.050 would require. It also does not state whether the City will succeed to the contracts, which Government Code 56738 requires an annexation proposal to state.
- No master plan or fiscal analysis: F.1’s proposed Sections 17.77.070 and 17.77.100 call for both. The packet includes neither. The fiscal section says only that applicant deposits cover processing costs.
- Map conflicts: The General Plan map shows the 10-acre site as Open Space while the pre-zone is PF. The resolution’s parcel table says “Taylor Rd Right-of-Way West of West Dr”; elsewhere the packet says Westgate Drive.
- Farmland fee not set: The staff report cites the City’s agricultural mitigation program, but F.1 leaves the fee amount for a later resolution.
Regular Calendar
G.1 Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore Rotation; Mentorship of New Members
Presenter: City Attorney Taryn Jones.
Lodi Municipal Code 2.04.070 requires the Council to choose a Mayor and Mayor Pro Tempore from among its members each year. On January 28, 2026, the Council directed staff to write a rotation by district. Members did not want a Mayor with less than a year on the Council. Mayor Yepez asked that the Mayor Pro Tempore mentor new members. Staff plans a broader clean-up of the Protocol Manual near the end of 2026.
The Rules
- 3.3a: The Mayor Pro Tempore’s district becomes Mayor if that member has served at least 12 consecutive months.
- 3.3b: If not, the next district in order (1 through 5) whose member has served 12 months takes the mayoralty.
- 3.3c: The next district in order becomes Mayor Pro Tempore.
- 3.3d: If that district holds the mayoralty or is vacant, the following district becomes Mayor Pro Tempore.
- Override: The Council can set the rotation aside by a 4/5 vote.
- Start: “Starting in the 2027 calendar year.”
- 3.1: “The Mayor Pro Tempore shall act as a mentor to any newly-elected members.”
| Year | Mayor | Mayor Pro Tempore |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | District 4 (Yepez) | District 5 (Hothi) |
| 2027 | District 5 | District 1 |
| 2028 | District 1 | District 2 |
TABLE 5. Standard rotation as presented by staff. Source: G.1 staff report.
Districts 1, 2 and 3 are on the November 3 ballot, according to the City’s candidate filing status page:
- District 1 (open seat; Nakanishi is not running): Carouba, Hayre and Sywassink.
- District 2: incumbent Craig-Hensley and Duncan.
- District 3: Anderson, Barth and incumbent Bregman.
Yepez (District 4) and Hothi (District 5) serve through 2028 (City of Lodi council districts).
Open Issues to Watch
- Under the standard rotation, whoever wins the open District 1 seat would become Mayor Pro Tempore for 2027, weeks after taking office. The 12-month rule applies only to the Mayor. Under Section 3.1, that new member would also mentor any other newcomers.
- When 3.3b applies, “next District in the numerical sequence” does not say whether to count from the Mayor Pro Tempore’s district or the new Mayor’s.
- A member skipped under 3.3b does not get a later turn.
- Lodi usually picks officers in December. The text does not say whether a December 2026 selection counts as “2027.”
- The resolution still has a “[CITY CLERK’S NAME]” placeholder. It also includes contract boilerplate letting the City Attorney make revisions that “do not alter the compensation or term.” Attachment 1, labeled a redline, shows no markup.
References
- City of Lodi, City Council agenda packet, October 21, 2026
- City of Lodi, Spanish-language agenda, October 21, 2026
- City of Lodi, Agenda Center
- City of Lodi, City Council meeting video, October 7, 2026
- City of Lodi, Public meetings video channel
- City of Lodi, Security Services RFP bid posting
- City of Lodi, Security Services RFP, Addendum No. 1
- City of Lodi, Security Services RFP, Addendum No. 2 (July 27, 2026)
- City of Lodi, Plan Lodi city expansion and annexation
- City of Lodi, Council districts
- City of Lodi, Filing status of 2026 general election candidates
- San Joaquin LAFCO, Local Agency Formation Commission
- California State Parks, Statewide Park Development and Community Revitalization Program
- California Grants Portal, Parks and recreation grants
- California Department of Water Resources, Urban Water Management Plans
- California Legislative Information, Government Code, Williamson Act contracts (§51243)
- California Legislative Information, Government Code §56738, annexation and Williamson Act contracts
- FindLaw, Government Code §51283.4, tentative cancellation certificates
- California Department of Conservation, Williamson Act program