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Public commenters urge Stockton council to address trash pickup, homelessness and wages before closed session
Summary
At a July 9 special meeting, residents urged the Stockton City Council to address missed trash pickups, homelessness and worker pay during public comment; the council then recessed to closed session to discuss labor negotiations and public employee recruitment.
A special meeting of the Stockton City Council held July 9 at 5:30 p.m. opened with public comment in which residents urged officials to take immediate action on trash collection, homelessness and labor conditions before the council recessed into closed session.
In public comment, Zoila Moreno told the council she hoped members would "do the right thing" and stop "the bickering" so they could deliver the change voters expect. Moreno said the community is watching elected officials closely and urged cooperation as closed-session matters proceed.
An unidentified resident who identified herself as homeless described families "going through so much" and alleged missing children; she said Stockton "is a little stinky" and that "the trash is not being picked up." The speaker urged the council to negotiate higher wages and better benefits for workers and to address homelessness and neighborhood conditions. A staff member or council response stated that trash would be picked up "tomorrow." The speaker also described personal health struggles and said she has worked since age 16.
Council members present at roll call included Council member Blauer, Council member Enriquez, Council member Padilla, Council member Via Padua and Vice Mayor Lee; Council member Ponce was recorded as absent. After public comment, Mayor Figuasi announced the body would recess into closed session to discuss labor negotiations and public employee recruitment pursuant to state law.
The council did not take public votes during the meeting. The council recessed to a closed session citing Government Code provisions covering negotiations with labor representatives and matters involving public employee appointment or recruitment; no formal action was reported in the public portion of the meeting.
The council is scheduled to resume open session at a later time when it will report any public actions taken during the closed session as required by law.
