What Orange is about to decide

The Orange City Council meets Tuesday, October 13, 2026 in the Council Chamber, 300 E. Chapman Avenue — closed session at 5:00 p.m., regular session at 6:00 p.m. One continued item on the Mills Act program, a nine-item consent calendar and a strategic-plan progress report. These are pending decisions from the posted agenda — nothing below has been approved yet. Every item links to the official record.

Source: official agenda (PDF) · meeting page with staff reports · Written comments: eComment on the city’s Meeting Calendar page, encouraged by 3:00 p.m. the day of the meeting · Speak in person or remotely: register at publiccomment.cityoforange.org

🏛️ Continued business: the Mills Act program

• What the council is asked to do: (1) “Continue consideration of the Mills Act Program to the April 13, 2027, City Council meeting”; (2) direct staff to conduct the comprehensive review in the work plan, “including a contract-by-contract review of all existing Mills Act agreements”; and (3) adopt Resolution No. 11724, “amending Resolution No. 11665 to defer implementation of the Mills Act Program fee increases in the Master Schedule of Fees and Charges.” The item was continued from September 22. Item 3.1
• Why, per the staff report: after the September 22 discussion, more review and stakeholder outreach, staff “concluded that the issues affecting the Mills Act Program are broader than can reasonably be addressed through limited revisions to the proposed guidelines.” The report says the program “has grown significantly over time while dedicated historic preservation staffing, administrative systems, and resources have not kept pace,” and that “improvements are needed in contract tracking, annual reporting, required inspections, compliance monitoring, recordkeeping, enforcement procedures, staffing, technology, and overall program management.” Staff “accepts responsibility for correcting those deficiencies.” According to the September 22 report attached to this item, the council “temporarily suspended acceptance of new Mills Act applications” in November 2024 while the program was under review. Item 3.1
• The fees: Resolution No. 11724 would defer the “Mills Act Program Original Application Fee and Inspection / Annual Report Fee increases” set in Resolution No. 11665. The fees in effect before that resolution “shall remain in effect until further action by the City Council.” The packet does not list the fee amounts. Fiscal impact, per the staff report: “no immediate General Fund appropriation,” but keeping the current fees “may result in less fee revenue than would otherwise be generated by the previously adopted fee increases during the review period.” Staff would come back with “a cost-of-service analysis and recommended fee structure.” Item 3.1
• What staff would bring back in April 2027: a verified inventory and contract-by-contract review; the status of required five-year inspections and a plan for overdue ones; a transition plan for existing contracts; and options on annual new-contract limits, a maximum number of active contracts, and limits per owner or ownership entity. Also on the list: policy options on owner occupancy, rental and investor ownership, commercial properties and application scoring. On contract length, the report says “approximately 15- or 20-year models, may be evaluated as examples,” and adds: “These examples are not proposed program requirements.” The work plan names comparison cities including Anaheim, Brea, Fullerton, Huntington Beach, Santa Ana and Tustin. Item 3.1
• Contract count: the October 13 staff report counts “approximately 414 active contracts,” while the September 22 report attached to the same item said “there are presently 419 properties with active Mills Act contracts in Orange.” Both appear in the posted packet; Council Brief does not resolve the discrepancy. Item 3.1
• How this item got here: the draft September 22 minutes on this agenda record that Mayor Slater “recused himself from Item 9.1 due to a potential conflict related to a property interest,” with Mayor pro tem Bilodeau presiding. The council then voted to adjourn and continue the item to October 13 (Ayes: Bilodeau, Barrios, Gutierrez, Tavoularis and Gyllenhammer; No: Dumitru; Slater recused). Earlier that night, during the fee hearing, the minutes say “staff also confirmed that the revised Mills Act fees were included in the previous fee revisions adopted by the City Council in April 2026.” City representatives met with representatives of the Old Towne Preservation Association on October 6, per the staff report. Items 3.1, 4.3

💰 Money and jobs on the consent calendar

• Part-time pay raise and pool jobs cut: Resolution No. 11722 would set pay and terms for part-time and limited-duration employees from January 1 through December 31, 2027. Per the staff report, “the pay rate for Part-Time and Limited Duration employees will increase by 3%,” covering 67 active employees. The state minimum wage goes “from $16.90 to $17.40 per hour” on January 1, 2027, and the city’s monthly PEMHCA medical contribution would rise “from $162.00 to $167.00.” Also, “in response to ongoing budgetary and fiscal challenges,” the resolution would eliminate the aquatics classifications: Swimming Attendant, Lifeguard/Swim Instructor, Assistant Pool Manager and Pool Manager. Funding for the increase was “included in the FY27 adopted budget; therefore, no additional appropriation is required.” The resolution says it takes effect January 1, 2027, but its new salary table is headed as effective December 27, 2026. Both appear in the posted resolution; Council Brief does not resolve the discrepancy. Item 4.9
• Opioid settlement money for training: appropriate $15,000 from the Opioid Settlement Fund (226) — $10,500 for “Overtime - Safety” and $4,500 for “Training/Conference/Meetings” — for three Community Emergency Response Team courses that include opioid awareness, Narcan administration and CPR, taught by the Orange City Fire Department. Per the staff report, the fund’s estimated balance at June 30, 2027 would then be $471,894. Item 4.4
• Ratify accounts payable warrant registers dated September 3, 10, 17 and 24, 2026 and payroll registers dated September 11 and 25, 2026 (staff report); approve the September 22 minutes (marked “DRAFT”); and waive full reading of ordinances. Items 4.1–4.3

🚧 Finished projects up for acceptance

• Bridge repairs, and a bigger Ball Road Bridge job ahead: accept the Bridge Preventive Maintenance/Repair project (Bid No. 24-25.23), done by Peterson-Chase General Engineering Construction, Inc. on eight bridges, three over Santiago Creek and five over the Santa Ana River. Per the staff report, the approved budget was $2,696,416.00 with a 5% contingency and the final cost was $1,784,073.00. The project came in under budget “primarily due to the reduction in the contract’s scope of work related to the Ball Road Bridge.” Field assessments found that bridge “requires comprehensive structural rehabilitation rather than the isolated preventive maintenance originally scoped,” at a cost of “approximately $1.5 million dollars, which exceeds the allowable change order limits.” Staff say the Ball Road work will be advertised as a standalone project and that they “continue to seek grant funding.” Item 4.5
• Police Department lighting: ABM Electrical & Lighting Solutions, Inc. (through a Sourcewell contract). Approved budget $198,971 “with a $1,000 contingency for a total of $199,971”; final cost $198,971, per the staff report. Item 4.6
• Police Department flooring and paint: Interior Resources, Inc., dba Commercial Interior Resources (through an Omnia Partners contract). Approved budget $186,148.00 with a 10% contingency “for a total of $204,763.00”; completed “within budget for $188,503.72,” per the staff report. Item 4.7
• Reservoir 5 corrosion protection: Farwest Corrosion Control Company installed a new exterior cathodic protection system. Approved budget $201,491.88 including a 10% contingency; final cost $183,174.44, because “the 10% contingency was not used,” per the staff report. Item 4.8

📊 Strategic plan check-in

• First-quarter update (July 1 through September 30, 2026) on the Revised Fiscal Years 2025-2030 Citywide Strategic Plan, to receive and file; “no fiscal impact,” per the staff report. Highlights listed include a City Charter ballot measure (Measure K) placed on the November 3, 2026 ballot, funding secured for a parks master plan, and a sewer master plan update “estimated to be completed by the end of 2027.” The Q1 update also reports that “Assemblymember Valencia secured $1 million to assist the HUB Resource Center with operational costs.” Item 9.1
• Mayor’s report: “Discussion regarding a potential amendment to the Orange Municipal Code to expand residential permit parking eligibility.” Councilmember Gutierrez is listed to highlight a local business. Items 5.1, 6.1

🔒 Closed session (5:00 p.m.)

• Three city real-estate negotiations over “price and terms of payment,” with City Manager Jarad Hildenbrand or designee negotiating: 124-142, 148, 154 and 176 S. Grand Street, 230 E. Chapman Avenue and an adjacent S. Grand Street parcel, with Samuelian Group and Brandywine Acquisition Group; 171 and 177 N. Cypress Street, with Orange Home Grown Foundation, Inc.; and 307 E. Chapman Avenue, with C&C Development and Charis Capital, per the agenda. A closed-session report is scheduled.

Also on the agenda: introduction of the 2026/2027 high school student liaisons from El Modena and Orange high schools. The next regular meeting is Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 6:00 p.m., with closed session at 5:00 p.m. if necessary.

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.