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Soledad renews military-equipment ordinance; council asks for clearer complaint and cost reporting
Summary
Council renewed Ordinance No. 743 and accepted the Salinas/Soledad Police Department’s annual military equipment report under AB 481, noting no change in listed equipment (13 M16 rifles and ammunition). Members asked staff to clarify whether audits occurred, to provide a detailed cost breakdown, and to add a clear complaint/inquiry process to the policy.
The Soledad City Council held a public hearing July 17 and voted to renew its 2022 ordinance approving the police department’s military equipment-use policy, receiving the department’s AB 481 annual report in the process.
City Attorney and staff explained AB 481 requires the council to review and renew the ordinance annually and to post a public report describing the types of military equipment possessed and how that equipment is used. The staff report stated there is no change from 2022: the police department continues to list 13 M16 rifles and associated ammunition and reported no complaints or additional equipment acquisitions in the past year.
Council members pressed for more transparency. One member asked whether the section labeled "none" under internal-audit results meant the department conducted an audit and found nothing, or that no audit was performed; another asked for a more detailed annual-cost breakdown that would include acquisition, personnel, training, transportation, maintenance, storage and funding sources. Multiple members requested explicit language in the policy or an accompanying guidance document describing how residents can file complaints or inquiries regarding military equipment use. City Attorney said staff would draft language to add a complaints/inquiry mechanism and provide greater specificity on costs and audits in the next annual report.
Council moved to renew the ordinance while directing staff to include a clear complaint process and more detailed cost reporting in future annual materials. The motion carried unanimously.
