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Votes at a glance: Grand Terrace council adopts budget, assessment levy, public-works ordinance; tables targeted bike and billboard measures
Summary
Council unanimously adopted the FY 2026–27 budget, the Landscape & Lighting Assessment levy, and a public-works ordinance; it received and filed a draft vacant-commercial-property registration report, continued billboard regulation research, and directed staff to return on e-bike/bicycle rules. A council-initiated general tax was authorized to proceed to ballot preparation.
The Grand Terrace City Council approved a set of routine and substantive actions during its June 9 meeting, including adoption of the city’s FY 2026–27 budget and several ordinances and resolutions, while tabling or continuing proposals on e-bikes and billboard business-activity ordinances.
Key votes and outcomes
- Consent calendar (items 1–3, 5–6): Motion to approve passed unanimously (consent calendar item 4 was pulled for discussion).
- Item 4 (fire protection/code enforcement transfer): Councilmember Wilson moved to approve with the proviso that the City act as a first arbitrator to protect local interests; after staff counsel advised that negotiations may be required, the council approved the motion (unanimous).
- Item 7 (Landscape & Lighting Assessment District No. 89-1): Staff recommended adopting the engineer’s annual levy report for FY 2026–27 (total proposed assessment $28,571.55) and the council adopted the resolution (unanimous).
- Public-works standards ordinance (second reading and adoption): Council adopted an ordinance adopting San Bernardino County public-works standard plans and the City of Ontario streetlight standards by reference (unanimous).
- Item 9 (FY 2026–27 proposed budget): Finance Director Christine Clayton presented a balanced $10.1M budget (projected revenues/expenditures $10.1M) noting sales tax projections of $1.3M and property tax $4.1M; council adopted the budget (unanimous).
- Item 10 (vacant commercial property registration draft): Staff introduced a preliminary draft ordinance proposing registration and minimum maintenance standards for long-term vacant commercial properties. Council discussed existing code enforcement, notable problem parcels (Greens Group site; a foreclosed former TV/video building), and practical limits; the council voted to receive and file the staff report (motion passed unanimously).
- Item 11 (billboards/business-activity regulation): Staff advised there is no clear statutory authority to require a minimum level of business activity inside a lawful commercial use and warned of legal challenges. Councilmember Wilson moved to continue research to a date uncertain for additional study; motion passed (three yes, two no — Councilmember Brown and Mayor Pro Tem Sabino voted no).
- Item 12 (operation of bicycles/e-bikes): Staff reviewed state classifications and proposed local constraints for sidewalks, parks and parking lots; law enforcement described serious incidents involving high-powered off-road-style e-bikes reaching 40–50 mph. Council voted to table the item for staff follow-up and return in a few months (motion passed unanimously).
- Polling and tax measure direction: After a presentation on polling results, the council directed staff to prepare ballot resolutions and ordinance language to place a council-initiated general tax on the ballot; motion passed with four votes and one abstention (Mayor Pro Tem Sabino).
Votes with recorded tallies
- Item 4 (fire protection transfer): approved (unanimous). - Item 7 (assessment levy): approved (unanimous). - Public works standards ordinance (2nd reading/adoption): approved (unanimous). - Budget adoption (FY 2026–27): approved (unanimous). - Receive and file vacant commercial property report: approved (unanimous). - Continue billboard/business-activity regulation research: approved (yes: 3; no: 2). - Table bicycle/e-bike ordinance work for return: approved (unanimous). - Direction to prepare ballot documents for a general tax: approved (yes: 4; abstain: 1).
Why it matters: The adopted budget and levy set the city’s fiscal course for the year. The council’s direction to prepare a general tax measure initiates a process that could raise material revenues for public safety and other city services; the decisions to continue or to receive-and-file several regulatory items reflect legal, enforcement and resource constraints staff identified.
Next procedural steps: Staff will return with required resolutions and draft ordinance language for the tax measure and with follow-up reports for bicycle/e-bike policy and billboard research as directed.
