[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6584341,"mediaKeyId","5778811-8a1656c0fb7a6f393d81d52de07e2fbe","parentId",5778811,"title","Council opens wide-ranging discussion on vacant and abandoned properties; staff to return with draft ordinance","audioSeconds",2032,"startMs",2114000,"endMs",4146000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5778811-8a1656c0fb7a6f393d81d52de07e2fbe&start=2114&end=4146","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5778811-8a1656c0fb7a6f393d81d52de07e2fbe/thumbnail_2114000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6584341/Brawley/Imperial-County/California/Council-opens-wide-ranging-discussion-on-vacant-and-abandoned-properties-staff-to-return-with-draft-ordinance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6584341-5a6f786b9c4a4f0c67f1451820acd180/orig.mp4?Expires=1775696400&Signature=bdLjOtmSTzuPszHGJDigBERqK96IZdFB-7nxjTcUJ1lYWEr6g1Lz3jB-v~1RWXYICu99QWOOF2W7ZEmshhm4Jh3F3t-x-wk8Rs-14et5-YapzyFh8UA7EgIM~K-hz~3UkHlHaaVC0XQZVT14Wbrpt2uNpXtb76231qb99T6ln0QV1Y0gPqXfE189ol09mNELRhogtAXD21RqHelZ~D696cO6uCbjkRpwooOgVrBWhMUDXVnNRlEkcflMTLqDZcaU44kH~QUZwd83VxE~ZXLdkst~fE10veLq8M0QFnx3EUfTjNBGntW1yi7eJhmSUN7v1mBKEAsNm-jF-EvB7tTYnw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Brawley","date","2025-09-16T16:59:00Z","article","The Brawley City Council held an extended discussion on options for strengthening municipal code provisions that address vacant and abandoned buildings, nuisance abatement and related public-safety risks. Staff said the current local ordinance is outdated and that a comprehensive draft will be returned to council for further review.

Denise Garcia, special projects manager, opened the discussion by describing the public-safety, health and aesthetic threats posed by abandoned or neglected properties, including overgrown vegetation, accumulation of trash, boarded windows, discontinued water service and unpaid taxes. She asked the council for input on updates to the municipal code to give staff clearer authority to require remediation, abatement or demolition where warranted.

Residents and business representatives spoke to specific concerns. Eric Reyes and other residents described abandoned homes and burned-out apartment shells that have posed fire and criminal-safety risks in neighborhoods. Maria Pinedo identified herself as a property owner and thanked staff for pursuing stronger enforcement. Tim Fallon and representatives from the Imperial Valley Economic Development Corporation urged the council to combine a vacant-building ordinance with tools such as EPA brownfields assessments and financial incentives, and noted grants and assessments can make redevelopment feasible.

Code enforcement officer Rodolfo Moreno said he currently monitors properties and estimated \"at least seven buildings and two lots\" of concern from his patrols; he also said the department has no mandatory registration system to maintain an ongoing public list but that staff plan to propose registration as part of the ordinance draft. Staff and council members discussed separating residential and commercial rules, adding financial penalties or registration fees, creating tighter abatement timelines and exploring mechanisms for demolition or receivership when owners do not act.

Council members and staff described precedents from other California cities (Sonoma, Oceanside, Coronado, El Centro and San Jose were named in discussion) and said the city's existing code had last been substantially updated in 1996. Legal staff explained available tools such as appointment of a receiver and a \"super priority\" lien under health-and-safety enforcement, and council members urged that the draft bring \"teeth\" to enforcement while complying with property-rights limits.

The council asked staff to prepare a draft ordinance based on examples and staff research and to return for formal readings. No ordinance was adopted at the meeting; staff said a draft will be provided for council review and that three readings will still be required for adoption.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City of Brawley - City Council Regular Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Councilmembers and residents urged stronger timelines, registration and enforcement for vacant and abandoned residential and commercial properties; staff said a draft ordinance incorporating best-practice templates will be brought back for formal readings.","taxTitle","Brawley, Imperial County, California","taxId",53922,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6584345,"Council authorizes alcohol sales, waives street-closure and related fees for Cattle Call festivities",485,1625000,2110000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5778811-8a1656c0fb7a6f393d81d52de07e2fbe&start=1625&end=2110","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5778811-8a1656c0fb7a6f393d81d52de07e2fbe/thumbnail_1625000.jpg","/articles/6584345/Brawley/Imperial-County/California/Council-authorizes-alcohol-sales-waives-street-closure-and-related-fees-for-Cattle-Call-festivities","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6584345-3213b2d14c8916696ab4a0323ff86d2b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775696400&Signature=FaRjoG9l0GjcWphW8gG2HarkUJUgHYXYw~uQTYN~IE5l3Leq4ACxZK9KYzdbjyMQx8lz7NAmEVnCQE0chR40WYRoXWnlvMDEh7VF8LvacQYjOmUXjWueV5~R0SQTyKrU9h5LtDSAM3QLAUPbXgdXONrXY8cfE4RbVZAixvhiGO-3eMhSBTM6Zqth3Or5pfb6SLzrSEMhqoJx08uArHInRl7gEbg1LdSFFiatMpu0ko~8aI8qex1Pi4iupu6qLcpHgTxvSwJDsRkCba~ib52FW9GIkpe0kgYwS8Wclm0b94QrAsafv9E03uP8HWeKpyswTa8Jb8U05IlZlTIHJu9bqQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Brawley City Council voted to authorize sale of alcohol and to waive the street-closure fee and all associated city fees for the Cattle Call festivities, including a chili cook-off and mariachi night. Staff presented maps of proposed closures and said the parade route will remain unchanged from last year.

April Hodgson, recreation coordinator presenting on behalf of parks and recreation, said organizers provided maps of the chili cook-off and mariachi night street closures and that the parade map was unchanged. Staff also asked the council to waive closure and event fees and to authorize alcohol sales for the events.

Council members discussed the fiscal impact of waiving fees and asked the chamber to provide records of sales-tax and transient-occupancy-tax revenue generated by the events over the past five years. Karen, an administrative assistant for the chamber, said event revenue is recorded and typically reinvested into the event for items such as insurance, security, light towers and generators.

Sergeant Magona and other staff described security planning: the event organizers are required to contract bonded private security for each event and coordinate with police and fire departments; police provide on-site presence in addition to private roving security. Staff said the city’s in-kind impact for waived fees had been estimated in discussion as roughly $32,000 (not a city-confirmed budget figure) and the council asked for five years of economic-impact records from the chamber.

A motion to approve the sale of alcohol and to waive street-closure and event fees carried on a voice vote. Councilman Grass made the motion and Councilman Kelly seconded; the mayor called for \"aye\" and declared the motion passed.","The council approved a request to allow alcohol sales and waive street-closure and other fees for the annual Cattle Call events; staff said the chamber organizes the events and private security plus police overtime will be used for safety.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6584350,"Council approves resolution to allow HR access to state and federal criminal-history checks for hiring",273,1332000,1605000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5778811-8a1656c0fb7a6f393d81d52de07e2fbe&start=1332&end=1605","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5778811-8a1656c0fb7a6f393d81d52de07e2fbe/thumbnail_1332000.jpg","/articles/6584350/Brawley/Imperial-County/California/Council-approves-resolution-to-allow-HR-access-to-state-and-federal-criminal-history-checks-for-hiring","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6584350-6441533f09a72609ed2042be3bd27931/orig.mp4?Expires=1775696400&Signature=kl5seYYgGE~5Kgd~eav5RbfeIgpcdamYanetCSgKooqWBmZLdMfAwbwL56nTvi~PdK4D4~pyBcJGeI7dS8U7P1XQk~LYv8w2pQYsLwcT33oxJXt~FuaOPnwgt6mzHV3pO4-lty8p46XUWfrLeifS7qXl6D9~k5AqyCbd3AXmMWXVKlGdCN-EyFIATvu05WviwlCTtIFWwUcPpo6cYmBXeAn-axhWSTiQa0QgT9pArWLjdwRjWg0JpP~h9SESMjJjmzr5~qumCz3XUdKUl2y5hiafDqNduHNLqwrhfoS47f134F32h2E9KcYq1uxcXvb6n1j3ylfxsG9Mw45lrWW6dg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Brawley City Council voted to adopt a resolution authorizing the human resources department to access state and federal summary criminal-history information for employment, volunteer and contract positions, a step staff said is required to obtain an ORI and the DOJ approval needed for a live-scan fingerprint machine.

Celia Viscata, human resources administrator, told the council that the Department of Justice requires a city council resolution with specified language as part of the application to operate a live-scan machine. She said the resolution would authorize HR to access state and federal criminal-history information for hiring purposes, prohibit sharing that information with private entities and state that anyone convicted of a violent or serious crime would not be eligible for employment with the city in employee, volunteer or contract roles. Viscata said the approved copy must be submitted to DOJ by Sept. 18.

Council members asked whether the police department already had a live-scan and how old offenses would be treated. Viscata responded that the police department operates a live-scan but HR needs its own ORI/mail code to perform and track background checks in-house and that commanders or the chief review rap sheets to assess whether a conviction disqualifies a candidate. She added that older offenses are evaluated and that in some cases an offense older than three years (for example certain DUIs) may not preclude hiring.

The resolution was recommended for approval by staff. A motion to approve was made and seconded; the council voiced \"aye\" and the mayor declared the motion passed.

The council did not specify numerical vote tallies during the meeting; no member announced opposition or abstention when the mayor called for votes.","The council approved a resolution authorizing the human resources department to access state and federal summary criminal-history information required for the city's DOJ live-scan application; the resolution includes language required by DOJ and sets hiring disqualifiers for certain convictions.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6584354,"Brawley officials say pool repair plans submitted; residents press for faster timeline",769,148000,917000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5778811-8a1656c0fb7a6f393d81d52de07e2fbe&start=148&end=917","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5778811-8a1656c0fb7a6f393d81d52de07e2fbe/thumbnail_148000.jpg","/articles/6584354/Brawley/Imperial-County/California/Brawley-officials-say-pool-repair-plans-submitted-residents-press-for-faster-timeline","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6584354-3a5d85cd3d5bee9f5127af1957c0b60a/orig.mp4?Expires=1775696400&Signature=EXtfnaXTcDQLEjX7HCjclxhvgRCEAA~E-eczYlIFCWTDOKzYvRCuBBgwmFBzKGHdjt2jbAZLdAbM7~yMwFn3haWnXWqcxpz~7BkzZIGw6IBg2S9NGGeu55oShXyaZDlOsI~TqBW1BWxR7iWvkcgTlALa5Cf7JcDW6KfhhnCQzC2a1wyWRokiETBnIZb-8hpPGBNNP1d2SmGVn2ler3ErGra4V6XMRo9JfKo4x9waZh9ntg~Ls98lSIcWJleiPkhWexblalOGdUxQLioibtZPxFRAvhRWKH9sbbg-hzFY10NjbQU72aiT1XSPNuoAnUR~kZb0Fe-1Cg2S26gZLnji7A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The city of Brawley has submitted designs and plans for repair of the municipal swimming pool to the county public health department and officials said the project remains on track for a spring 2026 opening. Residents who coach and use the pool urged the council to accelerate the schedule and to provide clearer, regular public updates.

City staff and the mayor told the council the pool repair plans are with the county for permitting and that the city anticipates the pool could reopen in spring 2026 if permitting and contract work proceed as expected. The mayor also said staff will prepare a public statement once contracts are signed.

The matter mattered to local coaches. Diane Lucky, a former coach for the Brawley Sunstrokers and a current assistant coach for B.U.H.S., told the council that the high school season begins Feb. 2 and that the team has lost training time for the last two seasons because it has had to travel to Calipatria High School. \"Every day, those athletes are losing an hour of training time,\" Lucky said, adding that swim lesson access in the valley is a public-safety concern because drowning is a leading cause of death among young children.

Resident Linda Rubin asked for more specifics about the work and said the community needs a public update when milestones are reached. A city speaker summarized the known scope: \"The bottom's gonna have to be cut out. The soil's gonna have to be removed. New gravel, new soil, all that has to be remediated. New plumbing, gunite, and plaster.\" The speaker also said negotiations remain ongoing and that some details must remain confidential while insurance and legal matters are resolved.

Council members acknowledged the public frustration over shifting timelines. The mayor said the city will prepare a public statement when contracts are finalized and reiterated that staff are asking the county to expedite review of the submitted designs.

The city did not provide a contracted start date or a final project cost in the meeting. One speaker referred to the work as involving \"millions of dollars,\" and the council said the city does not currently have full funding publicly detailed. Officials also said some negotiations remain in closed or attorney-involved processes and that insurance litigation has affected the pace. The council encouraged staff to consider a special meeting if an urgent action is needed to meet swim-season goals.

The pool repair discussion drew public comment during the meeting's public appearance period; no formal council action or binding deadline was adopted during the session.

Looking ahead, staff said they will notify the public via a press release and social media when contracts are signed or when the county sets firm permit timelines.","City officials told the council they submitted pool repair designs to the county public health department and remain on track for a spring 2026 reopening; swimmers and coaches urged faster action and clearer public updates during public comment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council opens wide-ranging discussion on vacant and abandoned properties; staff to return with draft ordinance

Council authorizes alcohol sales, waives street-closure and related fees for Cattle Call festivities

Council approves resolution to allow HR access to state and federal criminal-history checks for hiring

Brawley officials say pool repair plans submitted; residents press for faster timeline