What Cypress is about to decide

A special 5:00 PM workshop on the General Plan update precedes the regular meeting, which opens with a 5:30 PM closed session and reconvenes at 6:00 PM. Both are in the City Council Chambers, 5275 Orange Avenue, Cypress. No public hearings are scheduled. The council also sits as the Ex-Officio Governing Board of Directors of the Cypress Recreation and Park District. These are pending decisions from the posted agendas — not outcomes. Every item links to the official record.

Source: official regular meeting agenda · official workshop agenda · city meetings page

✅ What actually passed (from the city’s posted minutes, not yet approved by the council): Per the posted minutes of the September 8 meeting, the $29,402,271.42 City–Park District loan item (Item 5) was pulled from consent and approved 3-2 “with the modification to forgive interest for the duration of the loan” — motion by Burke, seconded by Strong Carnahan; Chang, Burke and Strong Carnahan in favor, Peat and Medrano opposed. Ordinance No. 1235, the Los Alamitos Race Course development agreement (Item 6), was adopted at second reading 3-1 — Chang, Burke and Peat in favor, Strong Carnahan opposed, and Mayor Medrano recused; the City Attorney announced the recusal was because the Mayor “lives within 500 feet of the subject location.” The rest of the consent calendar (Items 1–4, 7 and 8) passed 5-0, including the two police motorcycles (not to exceed $72,886), the two police vehicles (not to exceed $117,775, plus a 5% contingency), the $816,653.38 City Hall East Wing HVAC acceptance and the management benefits resolutions. The playground design standards (Item 9) were continued 5-0, with instructions that the Recreation and Parks Commission and staff address issues raised by Chang and Burke. From closed session, the City Attorney reported that the council unanimously authorized staff to respond to a proposal from one of the employee associations, and “authorized bringing forward two formal public actions at a future City Council meeting” on the two anticipated-litigation matters. The posted minutes record no vote on the Baroldi Sycamore Park outreach item.

The headline: on the consent calendar, the council is asked to approve an amended Repayment Agreement and Promissory Note between the City and the Recreation and Park District for $29,402,271.42, effective July 1, 2026, tied to Arnold Cypress Park and Lexington Park — and, in the same motion, to authorize the annual payments due under the existing agreements as of June 30, 2026 and future annual payments. Also on consent: the second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 1235, approving a Development Agreement between the City of Cypress and the Los Alamitos Race Course.

💰 Park loan, contracts & purchases

City–District park loan: staff asks the council to (1) authorize the annual payments "in accordance with the existing Repayment Agreement and Promissory Notes for Arnold Cypress Park and Lexington Park as of June 30, 2026," (2) approve an amended Repayment Agreement and Promissory Note between the City and District for $29,402,271.42 effective July 1, 2026, and (3) authorize future annual payments under those agreements. Prepared by Stephanie Sikkema, Director of Finance and Administrative Services. The agenda does not describe the payment schedule or interest terms. Item 5
City Hall East Wing HVAC: accept the City Hall East Wing HVAC Replacement, Project 379, in the amount of $816,653.38, approve the final payment of $40,832.67 to AireMasters Air Conditioning, and authorize the City Clerk to file a Notice of Completion with the County Recorder. Item 7
Two replacement police vehicles for an amount not to exceed $117,775, plus a 5% contingency, from National Auto Fleet Group through Sourcewell cooperative contract 081325-NAF. Item 8
Two replacement police motorcycles for an amount not to exceed $72,886, using the City of Santa Ana's Invitation for Bids No. 26-050, plus a resolution approving a budget amendment for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2027. Prepared by Chief of Police Mark Lauderback. Item 3
Management benefits: two resolutions establishing the Schedule of Benefits for Executive Management employees and for Mid-Management employees, and authorization for the City Manager "to update, modify, and add ancillary employee benefits, provided that any associated costs remain within the City Manager's established purchasing authority and budget." The agenda lists no dollar figure. Item 4

🏗️ Los Alamitos Race Course development agreement

Second reading and adoption of Ordinance No. 1235, "by title only and waive further reading, approving a Development Agreement between the City of Cypress and the Los Alamitos Race Course." Prepared by Alicia Velasco, Director of Community Development. The consent agenda gives no further description of the agreement's terms; a second reading means the ordinance was introduced at an earlier meeting and adoption is the final council step. Item 6

🗺️ General Plan workshop, playgrounds & Baroldi Sycamore Park

5:00 PM special workshop: "General Plan Update of the Conservation, Open Space and Recreation and Safety Elements." The only recommendation is to hold the workshop; because it is a special meeting, public comment is limited to the agenda item. Workshop Item 1
Playground design standards: under New Business, approval of standards "for the design, construction, accessibility, safety, and durability of all new outdoor publicly accessible playgrounds within the City of Cypress." Prepared by Jeff Draper, Director of Recreation and Community Services. Item 9
Baroldi Sycamore Park: the council is asked to receive and file the results of the park's community outreach efforts. Item 10

🔒 Closed session: labor talks and two litigation threats

Labor negotiations under Government Code § 54957.6 with the Cypress Employees' Association, Maintenance Employees' Association, Police Officers' Association, Police Management Association and Unrepresented Employees. The city's negotiators are City Manager Shannon DeLong and Director of Finance and Administrative Services Stephanie Sikkema.
Anticipated litigation under Government Code § 54956.9(d)(2): the agenda states there is "a significant exposure to litigation in two cases." The City Attorney is scheduled to announce any reportable actions when the meeting reconvenes at 6:00 PM.

🪑 Also on the agenda

A resolution amending the Conflict of Interest Code for the City and the Recreation and Park District, superseding all prior codes and amendments. Prepared by City Clerk Lisa Berglund. Item 1
Receive and file a report of the August 26, 2026 Strategic Plan Workshop. Prepared by Jason Machado, Assistant to the City Manager. Item 2
A proclamation recognizing Hunger Action Month, presented to Mark Lowry, Director of the Orange County Food Bank. The invocation is by Deacon Vernon Atwood of St. Irenaeus.
Council members listed on the agenda: Mayor Leo Medrano, Mayor Pro Tem Kyle Chang, and Council Members Bonnie Peat, David Burke, and Rachel Strong Carnahan.
Written comments can be emailed to cityclerk@cypressca.org; those received by 3:00 PM on meeting day are added to the record. The meeting airs on Spectrum Channel 36 and at cypressca.org/watchlive. The next meeting is an adjourned regular meeting on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, at 5:30 PM. The agenda was posted September 2, 2026.