Listen to the podcast episode: https://chulavistalivedata.substack.com/p/chula-vista-city-council-regular
Read the article on Substack: https://chulavistalivedata.substack.com/p/2026-01-06-chula-vista-city-council
By Chula Vista Live Data (CVLD)
Independent coverage by Chula Vista Live Data. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the City of Chula Vista.
AI & Transcription Disclaimer: This article was produced from the Chula Vista Live Data (CVLD) Plaud Note Pro in-person meeting audio recording (4:13:30), AI-assisted transcription, and official City of Chula Vista eScribe agenda packets and staff reports (26-0015, 26-0003, 25-0299). Vote tallies and procedural records are cross-checked against the meeting audio and staff reports and remain subject to human verification against official approved minutes.
Meeting Overview
- Body: City of Chula Vista — City Council Regular Meeting
- Date & Time: January 6, 2026, 5:00 p.m. PT (adjourned ~9:12 p.m. PT)
- Location: Council Chambers, City Hall Building A, 276 Fourth Avenue, Chula Vista, CA 91910
- Attendance: Mayor John McCann, Councilmember Carolina Chavez (District 1), Councilmember Jose Preciado (District 2), Councilmember Michael Inzunza (District 3), and Councilmember Cesar Fernandez (District 4) — all five councilmembers present.
- Official Agenda: eScribe Meeting Page (Jan. 6, 2026)
Full Meeting Agenda (from Posted Official Agenda)
- 1. Call to Order
- 2. Roll Call
- 3. Pledge of Allegiance
- 4. Special Orders of the Day
- 4.1 Presentation of 2025 Human Relations Commission Awards recognizing individuals and organizations for outstanding service in Chula Vista
- 4.2 Presentation of 2025 Starlight Parade & Festival Awards
- 5. Consent Calendar (Items 5.1–5.8)
- Includes Item 5.6 (Report 26-0015): Resolutions Calling a Primary Municipal Election for June 2, 2026 (Mayor, City Council Districts 1 and 2, and City Attorney), Requesting Consolidation with the Statewide Primary Election ($656,950 estimated cost), and Regulations for Candidate Statements (200-word limit).
- 6. Public Comments (Non-Agenda Items)
- 7. Public Hearings
- 7.1 (Report 26-0003): Public Hearing to Obtain Input Regarding Community Needs and Direct Staff to Utilize Specific Priorities in the Annual Allocation Process for Federal Grant Programs (CDBG, HOME, and ESG) for Fiscal Year 2026/2027.
- 8. Action Items
- 8.1: Item removed/continued per agenda.
- 8.2 (Report 25-0299): Resolution Approving a Five-Year Master Services and Purchasing Agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc. for Axon Fusus Software for the Police Department's Real Time Crime Center ($135,538.40/year; $677,692 five-year total from Asset Seizure Fund), Authorizing a One-Year Transition Extension with Motorola Solutions for Command Central Aware ($3,750/month), and Approving the Real Time Crime Center Use Policy under Council Policy 112-04.
- 9. City Manager's Reports
- 10. Mayor's Reports
- 11. Councilmembers' Comments
- 11.1 Councilmember Preciado: Request for consensus referral on updating the City's 2012 Urban Forestry / Tree Master Plan.
- 12. City Attorney's Reports
- 13. Appointment of Deputy Mayor & 2026 Council Committee Assignments
- 14. Public Comments (Continued)
- 15. Closed Session (
15.1Conference with Legal Counsel — withdrawn prior to Closed Session)
Coverage & Key Actions
1. Special Orders of the Day: Human Relations Commission & Starlight Parade Awards (Items 4.1–4.2)
The first regular meeting of 2026 opened with two community recognition ceremonies:
- Human Relations Commission Awards (Item 4.1): Human Relations Commission Chair Janice Luna Reynoso presented the Commission's annual awards recognizing service and inclusion in Chula Vista:
- Youth Award: Kensington Duran (accepted by her mother) for organizing inclusive military child and student welcome initiatives at Wolf Canyon Elementary and Olympian High School.
- Individual Award: Lucia Napolitano for organizing neighborhood outreach and food and toy distributions.
- Organization Award: Let's Go South Bay for promoting inclusive mobility, cycling, and public transit access.
- Lifetime Contributor Award: Former Commissioner Ed Sumcad for decades of civic leadership and advocacy.
- Starlight Parade & Festival Awards (Item 4.2): Staff reported that the December 2025 Starlight Parade & Festival drew more than 60,000 attendees to Third Avenue and presented first-place division awards to:
- School Float: St. Rose of Lima School
- Commercial Float: Republic Services
- Specialty Unit: Off-Road HERS
- Drill Team / Marching Unit: Notre Dame Academy / Mater Dei Catholic Cheerleaders & Dancers
- Dance / Performing Group: Grupo de Danza Folklórico Mexicano
- Military / Veterans Unit: Sonny Jones Chapter 49 & Unit 49, Military Order of the Purple Heart
- High School Marching Bands: Bonita Vista High School Marching Band (2nd Place) and Eastlake High School Titan Marching Band (1st Place, 210 members)
- Holiday Storefront Contest: Balboa South
2. Consent Calendar & Calling the June 2, 2026 Primary Municipal Election (Items 5.1–5.8)
The City Council approved the Consent Calendar (5–0, pending human verification against official minutes).
Most notably, Item 5.6 (Staff Report 26-0015) adopted two resolutions submitted by City Clerk Kerry Bigelow:
- Calling the June 2, 2026 Primary Municipal Election for the offices of Mayor, City Council District 1, City Council District 2, and City Attorney (and a November 3, 2026 run-off election if required under the City Charter), and requesting that the San Diego County Board of Supervisors consolidate the municipal election with the Statewide Primary Election and allow the Registrar of Voters to canvass the returns.
- Establishing Candidate Statement Regulations, setting a 200-word limit for candidate statements of qualifications printed in the voter information pamphlet and requiring candidates who opt to file a statement to pay the estimated pro-rata printing, translation, and mailing fee determined by the Registrar of Voters upon filing nomination papers.
- Fiscal Impact: Per Staff Report
26-0015, the Registrar of Voters estimated the City's consolidated share of the June 2026 election at $656,950, which is budgeted in the City Clerk's FY 2025/26 Operating Budget.
3. Public Comments: Equestrians Rally to Preserve Rohr Park Horse Arena (Item 6)
During general public comment, a large contingent of equestrians, youth riders, trainers, and Bonita and Chula Vista residents addressed the Council to urge preservation and reopening of the horse arena at Rohr Park following the end of the Sweetwater Valley Civic Association's lease for the neighboring horse rings. Speakers emphasized the long history of equestrian culture in the Sweetwater Valley and Chula Vista, youth character development, therapeutic riding benefits, and keeping public equestrian space accessible for families who cannot afford private boarding facilities.
Mayor John McCann thanked the speakers and announced a community rally at Rohr Park on January 10, 2026, at 8:00 a.m. to support preserving equestrian access in the Sweetwater Valley.
Additional non-agenda speakers addressed e-bike and pedestrian safety near schools, community safety and federal immigration enforcement concerns, utility outages, homelessness services, and Council rules for placing resident-requested items on future agendas.
4. Public Hearing: FY 2026/27 Federal Grant Priorities — CDBG, HOME & ESG (Item 7.1, Report 26-0003)
Principal Management Analyst Dania Gonzalez and Director of Housing and Homeless Services Stacey Kurz presented the annual public hearing on funding priorities for the City's three U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) entitlement programs for Fiscal Year 2026/2027:
- Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) (administered since 1975)
- HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) (participating jurisdiction since 1996)
- Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) (received since 2012)
Staff recommended continuing the five overarching priorities established in the City's adopted 2025–2029 Consolidated Plan:
- Enhance community infrastructure and facilities;
- Increase access to decent, stable, and affordable housing;
- Support services for low- and moderate-income youth, seniors, and special-needs populations;
- Assist individuals and families experiencing or at risk of homelessness; and
- Foster economic opportunities and self-sufficiency.
Staff outlined the FY 2026/27 grant calendar: Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) on February 1, 2026, online applications via Neighborly open February 2 through March 2, 2026, public review of the draft FY 2026/27 Annual Action Plan in March–April 2026, and final City Council adoption prior to HUD's May 15, 2026 statutory submission deadline.
During Council discussion:
- Councilmember Cesar Fernandez highlighted severe sidewalk gaps and ADA accessibility needs in the Montgomery / Castle Park annexation area and southwest Chula Vista, noting that his district walks revealed unimproved streets lacking continuous sidewalks and lighting.
- Councilmember Carolina Chavez, Councilmember Jose Preciado, and Councilmember Michael Inzunza supported prioritizing capital improvements, street lighting, ADA curb ramps, and neighborhood infrastructure alongside public services and housing programs.
- Vote: On a motion by Mayor McCann, seconded by Councilmember Fernandez, the Council voted 5–0 (pending human verification) to affirm the five Consolidated Plan priorities for the FY 2026/27 CDBG, HOME, and ESG allocation process.
5. Action Item: CVPD Real Time Crime Center Migration to Axon Fusus (Item 8.2, Report 25-0299)
Assistant Police Chief Phil Collum and Public Safety Analyst Tonya Dunneback presented Staff Report 25-0299, requesting authorization to migrate the Chula Vista Police Department's Real Time Crime Center (RTCC) platform from Motorola Solutions' Command Central Aware (used since 2021) to Axon Fusus under a five-year Master Services and Purchasing Agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc.
Key details from the staff report and presentation (DocumentId=58026 and DocumentId=58032):
- Scope & Capabilities: Axon Fusus aggregates existing CVPD feeds—including Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD), Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR), Drone as First Responder (DFR) video, officer body-worn cameras, and GPS—and introduces a voluntary Community Camera Sharing Program allowing residents and businesses to register external security cameras or grant conditional live-feed access during active emergencies.
- Council Policy 112-04 Compliance: Because Axon Fusus is a new surveillance technology vendor under Chula Vista's Surveillance Technology Ordinance (Council Policy 112-04), CVPD submitted a Technology Impact Statement, presented the proposal to the Privacy and Technology Advisory Commission (PTAC) on September 29, 2025 (where PTAC voted unanimously to recommend Council approval), and hosted a community forum on November 12, 2025.
- Contract Cost & Funding Source:
- Axon Fusus 5-Year Agreement: $135,538.40 per year ($677,692.00 total over five years), funded entirely from the Asset Seizure Fund (no General Fund impact).
- Motorola Command Central Aware Transition Extension: Up to one year at $3,750/month (reduced from $62,844/year) to prevent any operational gap during migration, also funded by Asset Seizure funds.
- Cooperative Purchasing Waiver: Competitive bidding waived pursuant to Chula Vista Municipal Code Sections
2.56.070(B)(3),2.56.070(B)(4), and2.56.140via Sourcewell Cooperative Contract#101223-AXN. - Public Comment: Robert Johnson, founder of Chula Vista Live Data, spoke during public comment on Item 8.2, noting that five of eight scheduled PTAC meetings had been canceled over the past year and asking how API integrations, cloud storage security, and voluntary community camera permissions would be audited.
- Council Questions & Vote: Assistant Chief Collum confirmed to Council that community camera participation is strictly opt-in, businesses/residents control when CVPD can view live feeds, and all data access is logged under the RTCC Use Policy (
Policy 443). The Council voted 5–0 (pending human verification) to adopt the resolution approving the five-year Axon Fusus agreement, the one-year Motorola transition extension, and the RTCC Use Policy.
6. Urban Forestry Master Plan Referral, 2026 Committee Assignments & Deputy Mayor Appointment (Items 11–13)
- Urban Forestry / Tree Master Plan Referral (Item 11.1): Councilmember Jose Preciado requested Council consensus to refer a review and update of Chula Vista's 2012 Shade Tree Policy / Urban Forestry Master Plan to staff, citing canopy equity, urban heat mitigation, and alignment with the Climate Action Plan. The Council concurred unanimously (5–0 consensus).
- 2026 Council Committee Assignments: The Council approved its 2026 regional and local board and committee assignments (5–0, moved by Preciado, seconded by Chavez).
- Appointment of Deputy Mayor (Item 13): On a nomination by Councilmember Preciado, the Council voted 5–0 to appoint District 4 Councilmember Cesar Fernandez as Deputy Mayor for 2026, succeeding Councilmember Carolina Chavez.
- Closed Session (Item 15.1): City Attorney Marco Verdugo announced that Closed Session Item 15.1 (existing litigation) was withdrawn with no need for a closed session. The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:12 p.m. PT.
Vote Summary Table (AI-Derived from Audio & Staff Reports — Pending Human Verification)
| Agenda Item | Description | Motion / Second | Outcome / Tally |
|---|---|---|---|
| Item 5 (5.1–5.8) | Consent Calendar (incl. Item 5.6 calling June 2, 2026 Primary Municipal Election, Report 26-0015) | Voice / Roll Call | Approved 5–0 (pending human verification) |
| Item 7.1 | FY 2026/27 Federal Grant Priorities (CDBG, HOME, ESG — Report 26-0003) | Moved: McCann / Seconded: Fernandez | Approved 5–0 (pending human verification) |
| Item 8.2 | 5-Year Axon Fusus RTCC Agreement ($677,692), Motorola Transition Extension & RTCC Use Policy (Report 25-0299) | Council Motion | Approved 5–0 (pending human verification) |
| Item 11.1 | Consensus Referral: Review & Update of 2012 Urban Forestry / Tree Master Plan | Requested: Preciado | Consensus 5–0 (pending human verification) |
| Item 13 (a) | 2026 City Council Committee Assignments | Moved: Preciado / Seconded: Chavez | Approved 5–0 (pending human verification) |
| Item 13 (b) | Appointment of Councilmember Cesar Fernandez as Deputy Mayor for 2026 | Moved: Preciado | Approved 5–0 (pending human verification) |
Public Fact-Check & Corrections Log
- Plaud ASR Corrections Verified Against Official eScribe Records:
- Corrected Plaud ASR transcription of "Aurora Park" to Rohr Park (the Chula Vista park in the Sweetwater Valley discussed by equestrians during Item 6 public comment).
- Corrected Plaud ASR transcription of "Fuses" to Axon Fusus (verified against Staff Report
25-0299,DocumentId=58026). - Corrected Plaud ASR transcription of pre-meeting ambient conversation between Robert Johnson (founder of Chula Vista Live Data) and a resident named Peter so it is not misattributed as official Council proceedings.
- Verified exact contract figures from Staff Report
25-0299: $135,538.40/year ($677,692.00 over 5 years) from the Asset Seizure Fund for Axon Fusus, plus $3,750/month for up to one year for Motorola Command Central Aware during transition. - Verified exact election cost estimate from Staff Report
26-0015: $656,950 for consolidating the June 2, 2026 Primary Municipal Election with the Statewide Primary Election, and a 200-word limit for candidate statements.
Sources & Links
- LIVESTREAM / VIDEO CHANNEL: https://rumble.com/c/CHULAVISTALIVEDATA (Note: Jan. 6, 2026 was recorded locally by CVLD via in-person Plaud Note Pro audio
of_dea33966b3e87f646df600a2c9204841and local camera recordingCCM_2026-01-06-07-58.mp4prior to automated Rumble stream archiving.) - CVLD Website: https://www.chulavistalivedata.com
- Official eScribe Agenda (Jan. 6, 2026): https://pub-chulavista.escribemeetings.com/Meeting.aspx?Id=f90bf388-fa9e-4eb7-be90-76bfbd46722d&Agenda=Agenda&lang=English
- Item 5.6 Staff Report 26-0015 (June 2, 2026 Primary Municipal Election): https://pub-chulavista.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=57996
- Item 7.1 Staff Report 26-0003 (FY 2026/27 CDBG, HOME & ESG Priorities): https://pub-chulavista.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=57386
- Item 8.2 Staff Report 25-0299 (Axon Fusus RTCC Agreement & Use Policy): https://pub-chulavista.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=58026
- Item 8.2 CVPD Presentation Slides: https://pub-chulavista.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ashx?DocumentId=58032