Lincoln council honors late member, hears election-resolution plea and approves package of ordinances, transfers and a fire engine purchase

The Lincoln City Council convened Nov. 12 in a hybrid session and opened with an invocation and a remembrance for recently deceased public servants. Council members and family accepted a flag, flowers and a plaque honoring the late council member Bill Lawrence.

Public comment centered on a presentation by members of a group calling itself United Sovereign Americans, who read a multi-part "resolution for a legally valid 2024 general election." Presenters — including Brian Faircloth, Brian Brubaker and Laura Burns — delivered numerical findings they said showed large numbers of ineligible or uncertain registrations in California's 2022 voter-roll database and urged the council to add the group's resolution to a future agenda. "The certification of the 2022 election appears to have been fraudulent and illegal," one presenter read aloud during the group's prepared remarks. Council members acknowledged the presentation and repeatedly said validating the group's claims and any next steps would be more appropriate in a workshop setting and likely require county or state involvement.

On routine business the council approved the remainder of the consent agenda and a grouped package of memoranda of understanding obligating federal COVID-relief (ARPA) funds for local projects. A council member asked for clarification about a $50,000 line item listed for McBean Park; staff said the amount was intended as a seed contribution toward a new electronic scoreboard proposed by Friends of McBean and described a possible clawback if fundraising milestones are not met. Staff also told the council that smaller ADA repairs at the park were budgeted in operations and that ARPA funds must be obligated by the end of the calendar year to meet federal rules.

Council approved an amendment to the municipal code to allow the council to delegate grant-signing authority to the city manager for administrative grant documents. Staff described the change as a cleanup to align local code with state law and said grant applications would still come before council when delegation is requested.

On fees, the council adopted modest master-fee-schedule updates, increasing deposit fees for some planning processes and lowering the golf-cart registration fee from $50 to $30. The council then enacted a new golf-cart ordinance (Lincoln Municipal Code chapter 10.8) establishing a $30 permit and inspection process, operator safety requirements and administrative enforcement for unpermitted vehicles. One public commenter raised a safety question about right turns on red; staff clarified that right-turn rules are governed separately from the golf-cart ordinance.

Related to the golf-cart program, the council adopted a separate ordinance updating posted speed limits across 45 surveyed road segments, adjusting several corridors downward and one segment upward in line with the California Vehicle Code's 85th-percentile methodology. Staff said reducing speeds on certain stretches was a prerequisite to allowing golf carts to travel between specified communities under the city's master plan.

In general business, the council authorized a single college intern position in Public Works' Solid Waste Division funded by a $20,000 grant under Senate Bill 1383 to help monitor and report reductions of short-lived climate pollutants. The council also approved a resolution to transfer bond-related funds to reconcile prior project spending after a multi-year JLAC audit cleanup effort; staff said the work closed out the outstanding bond accounting issues for Lincoln Crossing special-tax refunding bonds.

Deputy Fire Chief Anthony Mejia recommended purchase of a Pierce Enforcer Type 1 fire engine to replace a 2018 apparatus, citing fleet grading standards and a four-year build timeline. The council authorized a prepayment purchase order of approximately $1.1 million, which staff said yields an estimated $171,000 discount compared with installment payments.

Council members and staff noted two follow-ups: assigning a council member to continue work on the Titan missile-site committee previously managed by the late council member, and scheduling a workshop to vet the election-resolution petition’s numbers and to invite county elections staff if appropriate. No formal council action was taken on the outside group's resolution at this meeting.

The meeting concluded after committee reports and community updates; the mayor closed by encouraging blood donations following personal remarks about his leukemia diagnosis.

Votes at a glance: consent agenda remainder — approved (unanimous); ARPA/MOU package (grouped) — approved (unanimous); ordinance to delegate grant-signing authority — first reading waived/approved; master fee schedule adjustments — approved; golf-cart ordinance (10.83b) — adopted; speed-limit ordinance (10.84b) — adopted; resolution establishing a solid-waste intern — adopted; resolution transferring bond funds (JLAC cleanup) — adopted; resolution authorizing fire engine purchase — adopted.