Yucaipa council summarizes major votes: referendum, flood ordinance, procurement and oversight moves

The Yucaipa City Council reached several formal outcomes at its Oct. 27 meeting, including moving a referendum to a June election, adopting an urgency floodplain ordinance, directing rebidding for a park tree-trimming contract and creating a short-term payments oversight process.

The council accepted the county Registrar of Voters’ certificate of sufficiency for a referendum on Resolution No. 2025‑54 (the freeway corridor specific plan update) and voted to submit the measure to the voters on June 2, 2026, consolidating it with the June ballot. City staff told the council the Registrar had verified signatures and formally transmitted the certificate on Oct. 14, 2025; the clerk’s office reported 5,666 signatures were filed (the threshold required was 3,617). City Clerk Anna (City Clerk) reported the county’s current cost estimate for a June consolidated election at about $124,000.

On an urgency item the council approved updated floodplain-management code language that staff and the city attorney said is required to keep the city in compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program and state partners. City officials warned that failure to adopt the ordinance by the federal deadline could suspend residents’ ability to purchase or renew flood insurance backed by the program and could affect eligibility for some federal disaster grants.

On procurement and parks matters the council voted not to approve a proposed $118,000 amendment to the city’s contract with West Coast Arborist for large-scale trimming at Yucaipa Community Park. After public comment and questions about prior bidding, a motion to send the scope back out to bid carried. Separately the council authorized the purchase of 60 concrete picnic tables for the Community Center Park and related shelters; staff said dedicated donors and rental revenue will offset some replacement costs.

Council members also discussed finance and oversight after public comments about conflicts of interest and recent spending. Staff described the city’s automated “three‑way match” purchase/workflow and the internal controls that must be satisfied before payments are issued. In response to concerns, the council directed staff to place a short-term item on the agenda and agreed by consensus to add a special meeting (Thursday, 7 a.m.) to consider an ad hoc payments/contract oversight approach while staff prepares recommended longer-term changes. Staff said regular weekly check runs and certain recurring monthly obligations (utilities, contracts) would be affected if council chose to halt payments pending review.

Other recorded outcomes at the meeting: the council approved a package of land‑use code updates to add formal revocation procedures and streamline renewals and compliance reviews; it approved a zoning‑compliance process for new brick‑and‑mortar businesses so public‑safety inspections and NPDES reporting are tracked; and it directed staff to prepare a separation‑buffer style approach for new car‑wash approvals (the council favored a development‑standard approach that would limit proliferation, then referred the draft approach to the planning commission).

Votes at a glance (formal actions recorded in the meeting record):
- Referendum certificate accepted and council voted to place Resolution No. 2025‑54 (Freeway Corridor Specific Plan update) on the June 2, 2026 consolidated ballot. (Motion carried; clerk: certificate received from Registrar 2025‑10‑14; signatures filed 5,666; required 3,617.)
- Urgency adoption of updated floodplain management ordinance approved (to meet FEMA/DWR/NFIP requirements; one abstention recorded on the motion).
- West Coast Arborist contract amendment for $118,000: council took no final approval; motion carried to re‑bid the work (staff to return with RFP).
- Purchase of 60 concrete picnic tables (Community Center Park) — authorized.
- Creation of short‑term payments oversight direction; council set a special meeting for Thursday morning to name a short‑term ad hoc payments group and consider immediate steps for check runs and controls.
- Land‑use/code cleanup ordinances (revocation procedure; land‑use compliance updates; zoning‑compliance for businesses; withdrawal of inactive applications) — council approved and forwarded changes as drafted; planning commission previously reviewed the package.
- Car wash approach: council endorsed a development‑standards (separation/buffer) approach (staff to prepare draft ordinance and send to planning commission).
- Council compensation: council voted to set new monthly council pay at $1,400 (effective for the term beginning the first meeting after the next election) and to set the mayor’s compensation at the statutory maximum; members debated timing and the ability to rescind before the effective date if budget circumstances required it.

Minutes, resolutions and staff reports associated with each item will be posted with the official meeting packet; the clerk’s office said follow‑up items (election calling resolutions, revised RFP, and the payments‑committee agenda) will appear on the next meeting agendas.