City Manager Aaron Laurel explains that “agenda material” needed for consideration was unavailable at the Aug. 21 meeting. Photo courtesy of West Sacramento Ledger

WEST SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - At every regularly scheduled City Council meeting, elected officials must give an overall blessing on the consent agenda.

If any official feels to pull a matter for discussion or clarification, the mayor and City Council halt. That was the case at the Aug. 21 meeting when Vice-Mayor Dawnte Early governed the dais with Mayor Martha Guerrero absent that evening.

Early pulled Item 8: Lyons Security Services, Inc. provides guard services for West Sacramento’s emergency homeless housing programs for nearly $672,000.

A staff report attached to the matter offers a brief history, beginning with the city’s acquisition of the 40-unit Rodeway Inn to house homeless individuals vulnerable to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

Three years later, West Sacramento bought the 21-unit Flamingo Motel to expand homeless emergency housing again. This year, officials acquired two more motel properties: the Pick Wick Motel at 1809 West Capitol Avenue and the El Tejon Motel at 1812 Merkley Avenue.

“These acquisitions support the initial expansion and longer-term operation of the homeless emergency housing programs,” according to the staff report, adding, “The programs at the former Rodeway Inn and Flamingo Motel are expected to conclude in December 2025 and June 2026, respectively.”

Early asked City Manager Aaron Laurel to explain why she had to pull.

According to Laurel, paperwork problems moved the matter to a later date.

“The request from staff on item eight, there was a mix-up with the distribution of agenda materials for that item, and we are requesting this to continue it over to the September 18 Council meeting,” Laurel said of all the facilities, which offer temporary housing for persons experiencing homelessness and transitional programs to permanent housing.

However, the staff report reads that ensuring staff and physical safety is critical for municipal facilities as they deliver various services.

“Security guards play a key role in this by acting as a liaison between staff and program participants, enforcing city rules and regulations to protect both staff and property,” the staff report reads, noting the existing contract with another security service established in 2020 is ending at the end of September.

Officials did not have to vote for the matter to be delayed to September, and the matter was approved with all other consent agenda matters, including Item 10: approving a professional services contract with Lyons Security Service for city-wide mobile patrol services.

Speaking of city-wide, consent agenda item six approved a federal contract for Nomad Transit LLC to service Downtown Sacramento On-Demand Rideshare Program for a one-year pilot.

If successful, the “City Council may need to consider and approve additional funding for an expansion,” according to the staff report, noting in June, officials approved the On-Demand Rideshare Program contract, totaling $10,216,950 for Fiscal Year 2024-25 through Fiscal Year 2026-27.

The staff report states, “an estimated shortfall of $1.05 million will likely affect the Program in FY26-27.”

Another notable consent agenda item included approving a 13-month Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the city and the West Sacramento Firefighters’ Association and a three-year MOU with the West Sacramento Stationary Engineers’, Local 39.