HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025_06_02 - SpecialMINUTES
Special meeting of the City Council of the City of Redlands held in the Orton Center Room, University of
Redlands, 1200 E. Colton Avenue, Redlands on June 2, 2025 at 12:00 P.M.
Present: Mario Saucedo, Mayor
Marc Shaw, Mayor Pro Tempore
Paul Barich, Council Member
Eddie Tejeda, Council Member
Denise Davis, Council Member
Staff:Charles M. Duggan, Jr., City Manager; Yvette M. Abich Garcia, City Attorney; Jeanne
Donaldson, City Clerk; Janice McConnell, Assistant City Manager; Chris Boatman,
Assistant City Manager; Carl Baker, Public Information Officer; James Garland, Assistant
Finance Director; Brian Desatnik, Development Services Director; John Harris, Municipal
Utilities and Engineering Director; Rich Sessler, Fire Chief; Rachel Tolber, Police Chief;
Tabitha Crocker, Facilities and Community Services Director; Robert Meteau, HR/Risk
Management Director
Redlands Chamber Board President Jan Hudson welcomed and acknowledged several dignitaries and
expressed her appreciation of all the event sponsors making this day possible. Sponsors included
Kaiser Permanente, University of Redlands, Engineering Resources of Southern California, Redlands
Public Market, Redland Community Hospital, ServPro, Darrel Olson Insurance Solutions, Welsh
Insurance Services, SBD International Airport, Boys and Girls Club, SoCalGas, Southern California
Edison, HUB, Barich & Associates, Teamsters Local 1932, Crafton Hills College and Yellow Lab
Entertainment. Presentations were made by Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Evan Sanford
and Redlands Unified School District Superintendent Juan Cabral. Board President Hudson
introduced Mayor Mario Saucedo to provide the State of the City presentation.
To address Brown Act considerations, Mayor Saucedo called the special meeting to order at
12:15 P.M. to provide the opportunity for Council Members to attend the State of the City luncheon.
On behalf of the City, he thanked the University of Redlands and the Redlands Chamber of
Commerce for hosting and organizing today’s event, and finally he thanked the staff.
PUBLIC COMMENT
None forthcoming
STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS
Mayor Saucedo provided an overview of the City's accomplishments of last year and pointed out
there are exciting things continuing to happen.
New City Hall - He offered an update on the State Street City Hall, Citrus Center. The new location
will provide a more efficient space for City employees and improve service to residents and local
businesses. In March 2023, the City Manager’s Office, City Attorney and City Council offices were
the first to occupy the Citrus Center, in refurbished sixth-floor offices. The City Treasurer’s Office
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was later added. Among the many upgrades, the new Council Chambers will feature modern
technology, including electronic voting, electronic speaker sign-ups and modern audio-visual
capability, as well as increased seating capacity. Current plans call for construction to go to bid in
August with project completion expected by the end of next year. The City is still exploring options
for the current property at Cajon and Citrus, including options for re-use and expanded public parking.
Financial Status - For many years, the City has managed its finances with balanced budgets,
responsible reserves and prudent financial management. As a result, the city is better positioned than
many to weather economic uncertainty. With a deliberate approach focused not just on solvency but
sustainability, prior City Councils adopted fiscal policies that have allowed the city to grow the
General Fund reserves, setting aside funds to manage potential economic downturns. The city does
not rely on borrowing for any operational costs and has stayed ahead of the curve by modernizing
the financial systems and improving long-range forecasting. Much credit belongs to the City’s
financial management team, the directors and to City Manager Duggan, who implemented two-year
budget cycles and six-year strategic planning that helps to maintain and expand essential City
services, provide excellent customer service, envision and implement long-term goals and strategies,
and remain nimble to address inevitable changes that may come from regional, statewide and
national policies.
Community Engagement - Community engagement and feedback from residents and local
businesses are essential as the City navigates this environment. Tools, such as the upcoming annual
City survey that measures resident satisfaction with local services, are important in evaluating the
job the City is doing, and will allow for ways to adjust and improve communication as necessary.
He emphasized that he and his council colleagues were always available to talk and, more
importantly, to listen to the public's questions, concerns and ideas. Mayor Saucedo added that
Redlands is resilient, embracing challenges and opportunities, and he is excited about the future.
City of Redlands Staff Presentations
In the City's commitment to openness and transparency, Mayor Saucedo was pleased to introduce
Director Brian Desatnik, Police Chief Rachel Tolber, Fire Chief Rich Sessler and Assistant City
Manager Chris Boatman to make presentations and report on some of the pressing issues of interest
to the community. They each utilized a variety of maps and photos and data to tell the story of their
department's achievements.
Development Services Director Desatnik highlighted current development projects. Police Chief
Tolber followed by Fire Chief Sessler discussed the Police and Fire Departments’ ongoing efforts to
address and improve public safety in the community. Assistant City Manager Chris Boatman shared
the challenges and tremendous successes of the City's homeless outreach programs. He presented a
brief video highlighting the many people who play a role in the day-to-day efforts to assist the
homeless population. He pointed out the program has flourished under the leadership of Homeless
Solutions Manager David Rabindranath and his team.
ADJOURNMENT
There being no further discussion, Mayor Saucedo thanked the Redlands Chamber of Commerce and
all the event sponsors. The special meeting was adjourned at 1:05 P.M. Chamber President Jan
Hudson closed out the meeting with additional thanks to everyone who made this event a success.
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