San Juan Capistrano council adopts FY 2026–27 budget, appoints new city manager and advances housing and parks funding

Mayor Campbell opened the June 16 City Council meeting by reporting the council had met in executive session and accepted City Manager Ben Siegel’s resignation, effective at the end of the year, and then appointed Assistant City Manager Matisse Reischl as the city’s next city manager effective Jan. 1, 2027, subject to a negotiated employment agreement. The appointment passed 5–0 on a motion by Council member Born and a second by Council member Taylor.

Why it matters: Ben Siegel’s departure and the council’s selection of Reischl mark a planned leadership transition for the city. In presenting the appointment, Mayor Campbell credited Siegel with steadying governance and described Reischl as a long‑time city employee prepared to assume top responsibilities. Staff and council said the appointment proceeds pending final contract terms.

The council then adopted the FY 2026–27 operating budget and the seven‑year capital improvement program as presented by Chief Financial Officer Ken Aleman. Staff said the general fund is projected to end 2026–27 with roughly $3.5 million above the reserve target; the council directed the use of $1.8 million of that excess toward capital projects, and staff presented a package of proposed projects totaling about $3.0 million when combined with other funds. Aleman summarized the larger items the council included: a $1,000,000 supplemental contingency for arterial streets, $700,000 for Cook Park restrooms and accessibility, $400,000 for storm‑drain infrastructure, $270,000 for community‑center EV charging, $250,000 for Montanez Adobe repairs, $200,000 for pickleball and basketball court rehabilitation, $200,000 for West Trabuco Creek drainage and $30,000 for downtown bike racks. The council approved the budget by roll call vote.

Sports fields and a $300,000 allocation: Debate over field fees and repairs took up a significant portion of the meeting. Staff described an updated fee schedule based on a consultant’s market review that recommends a $55/hour tournament rate for certain field classifications; nonprofit user groups and speakers urged the council to preserve affordable access for local youth programs. Tim Bussey of NextGen NFL Flag and Steve Getty, a longtime resident who supported local‑group tournaments, told the council the events bring substantial community benefits and visitor spending. Getty said one tournament could bring hundreds of teams and thousands of visitors to local businesses.

Council members split on process and finances: some members urged consistent use of the Parks & Recreation commission process for fee‑waiver requests; others pressed for a council‑level, multi‑year subsidy or an alternative that would reduce annual appeals. Citing a BrightView estimate for renovation costs, the mayor moved to allocate $300,000 toward Marco Forrester field improvements and asked staff to pursue a field‑improvement program and tactical repairs this summer. That allocation passed 3–2 after council discussion that included concerns about drawing on reserve funds and the timing of larger renovations. Staff said the $300,000 figure was informed by vendor estimates and that a phased, smaller summer scope (pest remediation, aeration, leveling and targeted repairs) was likely; council directed staff to return with a formal field improvement plan.

Affordable housing: the council advanced a staff recommendation to declare the city’s intent to sell a 1.8‑acre parcel at the Don Juan Avenue terminus to C and C Development and set a public hearing for July 21 to consider an affordable housing disposition and development agreement. Staff said the city purchased the parcel in December 2024 for $2,350,000 using housing‑in‑lieu fee funds to gain control of future development and to seek a compatible affordable project. C and C presented a proposed 100% senior (age 62+) affordable community with 50 units and 50 parking spaces, a mission‑style design, on‑site management and social services, and a leasing preference for those who live or work in San Juan Capistrano. Todd Caudill of C and C said the project will remain affordable in perpetuity, include on‑site social services, and tuck most parking under the building; the council voted unanimously to set the public hearing and move the project forward.

Infrastructure and other actions: the council awarded a construction contract for the Country Hills storm‑drain replacement project to Oppenheimer National as the low bidder and authorized related easement and quitclaim deeds; staff described a value‑engineered realignment and the use of HDPE pipe to eliminate ongoing sinkhole issues. The council also approved purchasing five ChargePoint fast chargers for the community center sports‑park area (staff reported grants and AQMD funds cover the project) and adopted a finding that the public convenience or necessity would be served for a Type 40 ABC license allowing ancillary on‑site beer service at a boot retailer in River Street Marketplace under a limited, supervised model. Finally, the council initiated a study to amend the code to make new bars subject to conditional‑use permits rather than by‑right approvals so new bars will receive noticed public review.

What’s next: The council set a July 21 public hearing for the Don Juan disposition and development agreement and instructed staff to return with a sports‑field improvement plan and options for multi‑year fee waivers or subsidized rates for local nonprofits. The city will complete contract negotiations for the incoming city manager before Reischl’s Jan. 1, 2027 start date.

Attributions: Direct quotes and attributions in this report are drawn from the official meeting transcript and map to speakers recorded there, including Mayor Campbell, Ken Aleman (CFO), Jeremy Hoenbaum (Director of Engineering), Tim Bussey (NextGen NFL Flag / Victory Athletic Center), Steve Getty (resident), Todd Caudill (C and C Development) and Chief Shane Mall (Orange County Fire Authority).