Speaker objects to mediation offer; council lists three pending lawsuits in closed session agenda

A public commenter told the National City Council during a special meeting that the city rejected a mediation officer’s offer and that any development agreement the city signs should match terms other parties already accepted.

Dukey Valderrama told the council that after recent mediation the city’s negotiating team rejected the mediator’s offer and that he and his clients would not accept development‑agreement terms more stringent than those accepted by other signatories. Valderrama said the mediation response and negotiations are confidential; he said his clients felt asking them to accept stricter parameters would be “unfair.”

The city attorney then outlined the closed‑session legal agenda. The cases listed for conferences with legal counsel were BCD v. City of National City, CaliMota v. City of National City and Cummins v. City of National City. The city attorney also said the council would hold a conference with labor negotiators involving employee organizations; staff named MEA, the National City Firefighters Association and the Police Officers Association, and the record lists an additional employee organization that was not specified in the excerpt.

No public votes or public actions on the lawsuits were taken in the portion of the record provided; the council recessed into closed session and the city attorney said any reportable actions would be reported at the end of the regular council meeting.

Ending: The listed litigation matters and the negotiation concerns raised by a public commenter will be discussed in closed session; the council indicated it would report any required disclosures later in the meeting.