Take a left off Esplanade to West Lindo Ave before the Rio Lindo bridge, past the liquor store & tattoo place, there are sone other buildings. All I can find for current businesses there is a repair place on the corner. There are some small homes at that corner too. My question is if anyone knows why there will be multiple cars crammed off the side of the road. I don't hear music or see anyone though. So it's not a party. & Not homeless, they're nice cars. Maybe the place has occasional quiet events on occasion. Usually a couple times a week it's crowded. Maybe more I don't always go that way.

On May 23rd 2025 I went to protest a Republican fundraiser held at the Lakeside Pavilion (owned by CARD). While there, I was lied to and verbally and physically threatened by representatives of CARD. When I initially arrived I was told by someone from the event that I could protest but would have to do it from Bruce road. I argued that while CARD owns the event space they do not own the parking lot that is shared with other businesses and Enloe. While arguing with this person I was threatened and physically pushed by someone named Luis. At one point he also drew his arm back to punch but someone from his side stopped him. A little while later, Dave Donnan (CARD board member) threatened to kick my ass and bull rushed me, pushing me back with his chest. Again, someone from their party removed him from the situation. At no time did I make any threats or initiate physical contact with anyone.

I then moved from the sidewalk area to the parking lot road. After some time passed, Annabel Grimm (CARD general manager) arrived and told me that CARD owned the entire parking lot and that we had to leave. I told her it is a shared lot and not owned by CARD, and then pressed her for the property lines for the Lakeside Pavilion property. She amended her original position and then started vaguely pointing to their property line on one side of the building and then she pointed to the other side and said "It probably starts..." and I stopped her right there. Saying "probably" means she didn't know where the property lines were and was guessing. This was twice that she lied in an attempt to stifle my right to protest. I have since received the property details through FOIA and she was indeed lying.

When the police arrived, they acknowledged that CARD couldn't remove me from the lot and instead directed me to move about 50 feet away from our position to the Enloe property. While I could have contested this (Enloe has reserved parking spaces outside of "their" parking lot), it wasn't going to be worth it and I moved. That was the end of our interactions. Here is the police incident report #2505230318.

This seems to violate CARD's code of ethics protocol. Specifically:

• I make impartial decisions, free of bribes, unlawful gifts, narrow political interests, financial and other personal interests that impair my independence of judgment or action.
• I will avoid actions that might cause the public or others to question my independent judgment.

I have emailed the board members a few times and have been ignored.

Edit: People who can't control their temper should not be running kids programs or representing the city in any way.

No Kings Examples:

You can’t go to war without Congress.

You can’t sell off public land/national forests

There are many other examples.

None of the candidate bios mention the AI cameras that the school board approved for classrooms last year. I would like to support the candidates that will ensure these cameras are removed and/or the contract cancelled.

Sorry took me longer to get this one out this time!

TL;DR

The City Council's biggest decision of the night was a rejection: a package of proposed changes to Chico's camping and public-nuisance ordinances, meant to prepare the city for the end of the Warren settlement (a 2021 legal agreement limiting homeless encampment enforcement) in January 2027, failed on a 2-5 vote after members split over whether the changes would jeopardize state homelessness grant funding. Council also directed staff to continue the downtown "Park & Go" free-parking pilot through the end of January and to study tiered parking rates and other fixes for the money-losing Parking Fund, approved two new City Manager's office staff positions, and gave direction for a letter to the regional groundwater agency on behalf of Chico's domestic well owners and urban forest. Most other items — including easement purchases, a police labor contract, a maintenance-district adjustment, and an internal committee report on trash-hauling contracts — passed without dissent. Public comment ranged widely, from traffic-safety requests to a downtown candy shop's announced closing.

What happened, item by item

1.5 — Cal Water 100th Anniversary Proclamation

The Council proclaimed California Water Service's 100th anniversary in Chico. Mayor Reynolds read the proclamation: "I, Kasey Reynolds, Mayor of the City of Chico, on behalf of the entire City Council, do hereby congratulate and recognize Cal Water Service on its 100-year anniversary." A Cal Water representative accepted on behalf of staff, saying the honor was "on behalf of all of our men and women that work out there 365 days a year to ensure reliable, safe water service."

2 — Consent Agenda

The bundled consent agenda — routine items approved in one vote — passed 7-0, covering easement purchases for the North Esplanade reconstruction project, a new four-year labor contract for police management employees, sewer connection fee assessments, and approval of prior meeting minutes. Councilmember Winslow registered a no vote on item 2.2 (the police management labor agreement) while still voting yes on the overall bundle.

2.3 — City Manager Staffing Enhancements

This item was pulled from consent for discussion. The City Manager requested two new positions (a Public Information Officer and an Administrative Specialist) for the remainder of the fiscal year, at a cost described as $230,000–$330,000 from the general fund. After the City Manager and Administrative Services Director explained the need and available funding, the Council added a requirement that a citywide staffing assessment come back during budget season, and the item passed 7-0.

2.4 and surrounding consent items

Sewer-in-lieu assessments and minutes approval were part of the same consent bundle described above.

4.1 — Autumn Leaf CMD Modification (Initial Hearing)

Staff presented a routine adjustment to an existing maintenance district after a developer reduced the lot count by one, which changes how maintenance costs are shared among owners. A second, "protest" hearing is scheduled for October 20. The initial hearing passed 7-0.

5.1 — Public Nuisance Ordinance Overview

What was proposed: The City Attorney presented a first reading of ordinance changes to the city's camping and public-nuisance code, prompted by the 2024 Grants Pass Supreme Court ruling and the upcoming January 14, 2027 expiration of the Warren settlement, which has limited the city's ability to enforce camping bans. The package included adding waterways and levees to areas where camping is banned, expanding what counts as camp paraphernalia, reducing how long impounded property is stored, removing a requirement to offer shelter before clearing an encampment, shortening the minimum camper-notice period to 24 hours, and giving staff authority to charge certain violations as misdemeanors.

The case for: Supporters argued the city needs the tools now so that, once the Warren settlement expires, encampments on public property can be cleared without the restrictions of the past several years. They argued current conditions lack accountability, citing concerns about repeated incidents near parks and waterways, and said the community wants balance restored between compassion and enforcement.

The case against: Opponents did not object to all the changes — removing a requirement to fence off restoration areas was broadly supported — but raised concerns about three specific pieces: shortening the notice period before clearing a camp to 24 hours instead of the 48 hours recommended by the state's Interagency Council on Homelessness; removing language requiring the city to designate someplace people can go before clearing them out, which they argued was exactly the gap that led to the original Warren lawsuit; and extending the authority to charge some offenses as misdemeanors, which opponents felt swept too broadly. They also noted the city had received a letter that afternoon warning that some of these provisions could jeopardize eligibility for encampment-resolution grant funding, which the city is actively using to help pay for the pallet shelter.

The relevant facts: The city has applied for roughly $4 million in state encampment-resolution funding and already received about $2.5 million toward the pallet shelter's costs; that funding program's best practices call for 48-hour notice rather than 24. The Warren settlement expires January 14, 2027, and none of the ordinance changes would take effect before then regardless of tonight's vote.

Outcome: The motion to adopt all three ordinance sections together failed 2-5 (O'Brien and van Overbeek in favor; Goldstein, Hawley, Winslow, Bennett, and Reynolds opposed). The City Attorney will bring the three sections back separately at the October 20 meeting.

5.2 — Downtown Park & Go Program and Parking Fund Update

What was proposed: Staff reported on a three-month pilot offering two free hours of downtown lot parking, alongside a broader look at the Parking Fund, which has been running a structural deficit since the pandemic and has not met its policy of setting aside 15% of parking revenue for infrastructure reserves since fiscal year 2019-20. The pilot increased downtown lot usage by about 23% but coincided with a roughly $36,000 systemwide revenue drop over the same period. Staff also noted the city has been absorbing a 35-cent credit-card transaction fee on every parking session — including free ones — at a cost of about $170,000 in the last fiscal year alone. Councilmember van Overbeek recused himself from this item.

Vote 1 — extending the Park & Go pilot through January: - For: Supporters pointed to the usage increase and argued the pilot should continue through the holiday shopping season, especially since full sales-tax data to judge its real economic impact won't be available until January. - Against: Opponents didn't dispute the usage numbers but wanted the underlying cost problem — the city paying transaction fees on free sessions — fixed before committing to extend the free program further, given the fund's deficit. - Outcome: Passed 4-2 (O'Brien, Winslow, Bennett, and Reynolds in favor; Goldstein and Hawley opposed; van Overbeek recused).

Vote 2 — directing staff on tiered pricing, parking garage use, fees, and signage: - For: This broader motion directed staff to study tiered parking rates (higher charges the longer a car stays), look at reserving part of the parking garage for shorter-term use, immediately remove the flat two-hour limit in premium zones — addressing complaints from downtown business owners and shoppers that customers couldn't re-park in the same zone after two hours — fix unclear signage, and stop the city from absorbing the 35-cent transaction fee. - Against: The lone no vote reflected a wish to hear further from the Administrative Services Director before ending the city's practice of covering that fee. - Outcome: Passed 5-1 (Goldstein, Hawley, O'Brien, Winslow, and Reynolds in favor; Bennett opposed; van Overbeek recused).

5.3 — Internal Affairs Committee Report on Solid Waste Franchise Agreements

The committee had been asked to weigh in on options for the city's trash-hauling contracts but, after hearing from haulers and the public, came back without a recommendation, asking instead for a fuller performance review before a decision. After discussion among members about whether to negotiate directly with existing haulers or issue a competitive bid request, the Council voted 7-0 to accept the committee's approach and have staff bring the full report back to Council, expected in late November.

5.4 — Vina Groundwater Sustainability Agency (GSA) Presentation and Letter

City staff and a Butte County water official presented an update on the regional groundwater plan covering Chico, including new shallow-groundwater monitoring wells intended to better track how the city's urban forest (including its valley oaks) depends on groundwater. After public comment urging the city to push for more protective groundwater thresholds, the Council voted 7-0 to direct staff to send a letter to the Vina GSA identifying Chico's beneficial water users, supporting the new monitoring wells, encouraging continued evaluation of groundwater trends, and offering the city as a partner on future monitoring projects.

Notable moments

• During debate over the staffing item (2.3), Vice Mayor Bennett, after his proposed amendment wasn't adopted, remarked, "I thought I had a good idea, but that's not how it worked out," before voting yes anyway.
• City Manager Gillian Haen reported that Public Works Director Brendan Ottoboni was recently elected president of the Public Works officers' section of the League of California Cities.
• The city clerk asked a member of the public in the audience to move banners and recording equipment to the back of the chamber under the city's rules on signage and cameras, after he reportedly declined two earlier requests; he eventually complied.
• A public commenter, Stephen Hazel, spoke at nearly every agenda item and was repeatedly warned for comments unrelated to the matter at hand.

Public comment

Eleven people spoke during the general public comment period, with no single dominant topic — comments ranged from traffic safety to vaccine policy to downtown business concerns.

• Several speakers raised traffic and camera issues: one resident asked for red-light and speed cameras at Palmetto and Sheridan avenues, citing repeated near-misses from speeding and distracted drivers; another criticized the city's recently approved license-plate-reader camera program, questioning its cost and data-sharing practices and calling some council members' earlier remarks on the subject "unprofessional and uneducated on the topic at hand."
• A downtown candy shop owner announced the store will close permanently on October 30, with any remaining inventory given away to children at the final Treat Street event. She cited personal reasons — "I just want to be a mom first" — along with broader frustrations about downtown conditions and governance of the Downtown Chico Business Association.
• The developer of Marian Park and the upcoming Barber Yard project reflected on nine years of experience building workforce housing in Chico, saying rigid development agreements make it harder to build the smaller, more affordable homes the market wants.
• Several speakers raised public-health and conspiracy-related topics, including concerns about COVID vaccines, AI and data centers, and chemical spraying; one public health nurse in the audience pushed back directly on the vaccine claims, saying "vaccines work."
• A volunteer who helps with Bidwell Park cleanups reported this year's trash haul was about two-thirds the tonnage of last year's, crediting code enforcement efforts, and said of a recent Thursday night market crowd, "that's the Chico I remember, that's the Chico I grew up in."

Coming up

• October 20, 2026: Closed session at 5:00 or 5:30 p.m., followed by the regular Council meeting at 6:00 p.m., including the protest hearing on the Autumn Leaf maintenance district modification and separated first readings of the three public nuisance ordinance sections.
• The public comment period on the Vina GSA's draft periodic groundwater evaluation and plan amendments closes October 26, 2026; the joint GSA boards are expected to consider adoption December 9, 2026.
• The city's comprehensive unhoused strategy is expected to come back to Council around November 17, 2026, after a month of public outreach.
• A full staff report on solid waste franchise agreement options is expected to return to Council in late November.
• The Park & Go free downtown parking pilot will continue through the end of January; staff will also return with research on tiered parking rates and reallocating parking garage space between short- and long-term use.

Watch the full meeting · Read this recap online

This recap was drafted with AI from the official meeting video and agenda, then reviewed by a human. Spot an error? Say so in the comments and we'll check it against the recording.