Council considers oversight options for Royal Theater project; staff asked to report back

Members of the Capital Campaign Committee (CCC) and the Guadalupe Community Action Coalition (GCAC) requested that the council form an oversight committee for the Royal Theater Innovation Project at the July 22 meeting, citing a desire for transparency and stronger community involvement in project timelines, budgets and donor-aligned uses.

Phil (city staff filling in for the absent city administrator) summarized the request and the proposed scope: an advisory monitoring body that would review timelines, budgets and scope changes; advise on design, construction and operational milestones; and facilitate communication among the campaign, GCAC, the project manager and the city. He noted staff and the city administrator had recused themselves from a recent GCAC meeting and that, depending on composition, an oversight body could be subject to the Brown Act’s open-meeting requirements.

Speakers from the capital campaign and GCAC described concerns about the project’s feasibility and the need for clearer, timely financial information to support fundraising. Mira Ramirez, a member of the capital campaign committee, said the committee has been "diligently studying both the financial numbers and the current project requirements" and reported that the city has spent roughly $3,000,000 on the project and has about $6,700,000 available, though she said those numbers "require some additional information". Robert Diaz of GCAC said the coalition supports an oversight mechanism but recommended simplification and clearer outreach to the community so residents can understand progress and fundraising needs.

Council members raised questions about scope, composition and potential staff workload. Some council members favored a narrow, informal oversight mechanism (an ad hoc committee that could avoid full Brown Act coverage), while others wanted a formal structure to ensure accountability. City legal staff said there is an exception in government code for certain ad hoc groups but that the city would need time to confirm whether that option would meet the objectives and compliance obligations.

Practical next steps agreed at the meeting: council asked staff to research options (ad hoc vs. Brown Act body) and report back; meanwhile, stakeholders from the CCC and GCAC were asked to meet with city staff and the project manager to begin information-sharing. Staff noted a pre-bid meeting for potential contractors was scheduled for the Royal Theater the following day; the attendee list from that meeting will be posted to the city website.

No formal motion to create an oversight committee was made; instead the council directed staff to explore legal frameworks and return with recommendations on how oversight could be structured with minimal disruption to project delivery.