What Garden Grove is about to decide

The Garden Grove City Council convenes Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 6:00 PM in the Community Meeting Center, 11300 Stanford Avenue, for a closed session on one legal matter; the regular meeting follows at 6:30 PM in the same room. These are pending decisions from the posted agendas — nothing below has been decided yet. Every item links to the official record.

Source: closed session agenda (PDF) · regular meeting agenda (PDF) · Meeting pages: regular, closed session · Next regular meeting: October 27, 2026, 5:30 p.m.

The headline: the council is asked to adopt a Resolution of Commendation marking City Manager Lisa Kim’s retirement after 10 years with the city, and, on the same consent calendar, a resolution appointing a City Treasurer — the agenda does not name the appointee. A public hearing opens the first reading of four ordinances rewriting parts of the zoning code (Title 9), and a separate first reading would put Assembly Bill 1572 water-conservation rules into the municipal code. Three contracts sit on consent: $100,000 for fencing repair under the city’s Caltrans maintenance agreement, $45,959 for two Ford Transit Connect wagons for the Mobile Crisis Response Team, and $34,669 for cubicle relocation at City Hall. Before the regular meeting, the council meets in closed session to consider initiating litigation in “one potential case.”

🏢 A retiring city manager, a new treasurer, a committee vacancy

City Manager Lisa Kim’s retirement: the evening opens with a “Community Spotlight in recognition of City Manager Lisa Kim’s retirement after 10 Years of dedicated service to the City,” and the consent calendar carries the formal “Adoption of a Resolution of Commendation” for the same occasion. The agenda does not give a retirement date or name a successor or interim city manager. Items 1, 10
City Treasurer: “Adoption of a Resolution to appoint a City Treasurer.” That is the entire agenda description; no name, term or compensation is printed, and the staff report is not part of the posted agenda PDF. Item 11
Measure O oversight committee: “Acceptance of Member Mark Mackanic’s resignation from the Measure O Citizens’ Overtsight Committee” (spelling as printed). The agenda does not say how or when the seat would be filled. Item 19

📜 Two ordinances get a first reading

Public hearing — zoning code rewrite: “Introduction and First Reading of Ordinances approving Zoning Text Amendment Nos. A-047-2026(A), A-047-2026(B), A-047-2026(C), and A-047-2026(D) for City-initiated Zoning Text Amendments to various provisions of Title 9 (Land Use) of the Garden Grove Municipal Code.” The agenda does not list which provisions change; the four amendments are city-initiated, and anyone wishing to speak on them can do so when the hearing is called. The agenda notes that a motion to approve a public hearing item “will include adoption of each resolution unless otherwise stated.” As a first reading, the ordinances would come back for a second reading before adoption. Item 18
Water conservation (AB 1572): “Introduction and First Reading of an Ordinance amending Title 14 of the Garden Grove Municipal Code to implement new State-mandated water conservation requirements and regulations related to Assembly Bill 1572.” The agenda describes the requirements only as “State-mandated” and does not spell out what the local ordinance would require of Garden Grove property owners; the staff report is not in the posted agenda. Item 20
A consent item would “waive full reading of ordinances listed.” Item 17

💰 Contracts and spending

Caltrans fencing, $100,000: “Approval of Amendment No. 1 to the agreement with HRF Construction Inc. for fencing maintenance and repair services under the Caltrans Delegated Maintenance Agreement. (Cost: $100,000).” Item 13
Crisis-team vehicles, $45,959: “Authorization for the issuance of purchase order to Mind OC for the acquisition of two Ford Transit Connect Wagons for the Mobile Crisis Response Team. (Cost: $45,959).” Item 15
City Hall cubicles, $34,669: “Approval of Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement with Chipman Relocation & Logistics for cubicle relocation and removal at City Hall. (Cost: $34,669).” Item 12
Senior Mobility Program grant: “Approval of Amendment No. 1 to the Agreement with the Orange County Transportation Authority for grant funding for the Senior Mobility Program at the H. Louis Lake Senior Center.” The agenda prints no dollar amount for this item. Item 14
Warrants to receive and file. Item 16

🎉 Event requests: New Year’s Eve at the Garden Amp, a toy drive, a festival

New Year’s Eve noise exemption: “Consideration of a request from LFA Group, LLC to extend the operating hours and make an exemption to the City’s Noise Ordinance on Thursday, December 31, 2026, at the Garden Amp.” The agenda does not state the requested hours. Item 4
Street closures for a toy drive: “Consideration of a written request from King Shocks Technology, Inc., for temporary street closures to host the 4th annual Christmas Toy Drive on Saturday, December 19, 2026.” The streets are not named on the agenda. Item 5
Buddha’s Birthday Festival: “Consideration of a written request from the Buddhist Social Services Center and Vietnamese American United Buddhist Congregation to host a two-day Buddha’s Birthday Festival at Garden Grove Park on Saturday, April 24 and Sunday, April 25, 2027.” Item 6

⚖️ Closed session, 6:00 PM

One potential lawsuit the city may file: “CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED LITIGATION. Initiation of litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(4): One potential case.” Subsection (d)(4) is the Brown Act provision for a closed session on whether to initiate litigation; the agenda gives no further detail, and Council Brief does not speculate on the subject. The closed session agenda also lists oral communications before the item. Closed session Item 2.a

🪑 Also on the agenda

Presentations: a Community Spotlight “recognizing Interval House for its longstanding partnership with the City and for going above and beyond to support Garden Grove residents,” and a “Presentation to the Republic Services Sustainability Award recipients.” Items 2–3
Three proclamations on consent: Red Ribbon Week (October 23–31, 2026), National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week (October 25–31, 2026) and November as Native American Heritage Month. Items 7–9
Oral communications are “to be held simultaneously with other legislative bodies”; the council recesses to conduct other legislative bodies’ business before reconvening for consent items. Participation instructions are on the agenda and at ggcity.org/city-council/meetings-participation.
Roll call as printed on the agenda: Council Members Nguyen, Tran, DoVinh, Muñeton and Arestegui, Mayor Pro Tem Brietigam and Mayor Klopfenstein.

Council Brief summaries are produced from official public records by our automated newsroom and reviewed before publication. Items are described as posted; the council may amend, continue, or remove items at the meeting. Spot an error? hello@councilbrief.com — we publish corrections.