What Westminster considered
The council, sitting jointly as the Successor Agency to the Westminster Redevelopment Agency, met Wednesday in the Council Chambers, 8200 Westminster Boulevard: closed session first (the agenda cover lists 4:30 p.m.; the closed-session page lists 5:00 p.m.), then open session at 6:00 p.m. These are items from the posted agenda — official outcomes were not yet posted at publication, so nothing below the results box is described as decided. The signed minutes have since been posted; the results are in the box below. Every item links to the official record.
Source: official agenda (PDF) · meeting page · Next regular meeting: Wednesday, September 9, 2026, 6:00 p.m.
✅ What actually passed (per the adopted minutes): Per the signed minutes (a scanned document, approved by Mayor Chi Charlie Nguyen), the council voted 4-1, Manzo opposed, to move forward with negotiating with TLC, Inc. as the Rose Center venue operator and directed staff to negotiate an agreement “in a form approved by the City Attorney and for future Council approval” (Item 5.6). Council Member Manzo’s substitute motion to negotiate with Latin Asian Hospitality Group instead “failed due to a lack of a second.” The council also voted 4-1, Manzo opposed, to reverse the prohibition on Council Member Amy Phan West speaking at City public ceremonial events (Item 9.1). Every other recorded vote carried without opposition: Ordinance No. 2640, amending the military equipment use policy, was introduced for first reading and the 2025 Military Equipment Annual Report received, 5-0 (Item 4.1); Resolution No. 5375, authorizing an application to OCTA’s 2026 Enhanced Mobility for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities program for up to two ADA-accessible replacement buses, 5-0 (Item 4.2); a $1,168,400 refund from the West Orange County Water Board to the Water Fund, 5-0 (Item 5.2); and $106,307.79 in additional funds to Union Pacific Railroad Company for railroad crossing improvements on the Mendez Freedom Trail Project, 5-0 (Item 5.3). The parks master plan update was received and filed 5-0 (Item 5.1), and the two development-process reports 4-0-1 with Phan West absent (Items 5.4–5.5). The consent calendar passed 5-0. It included the Sun Family Foundation grant of $45,000 and the AB 109 allocation of $95,586 (Items 3.6–3.7). On the roof replacement project, the council rejected all bids, approved the architect’s findings for the WeatherWeld roofing system and authorized readvertising (Item 3.10). In closed session, the council voted 4-0-1 (Phan West absent) to add an anticipated-litigation item, and the City Attorney reported that on it “the City Attorney was authorized to initiate litigation”; there was no reportable action on the agendized items. The two closed-session case titles printed in the minutes are not the ones on the posted agenda. Late in the meeting the council also voted 5-0 to agendize the possible removal of a member of the Citizens Oversight Committee (Measures Y and E).
The headline: the council was scheduled to select a venue operator for the Westminster Rose Center Theater and Banquet Facility, the city's multicultural center, and to hold a first-reading public hearing on an ordinance amending the police department's "military equipment" use policy. In closed session, the council was set to discuss potential litigation tied to an August 4, 2025 letter from the County of Orange asking the city to return funds for the Little Saigon Archway.
🤝 Regular business
- Rose Center operator: selection of a venue operator for the Westminster Rose Center Theater and Banquet Facility — A Multicultural Center. The agenda does not name the candidate operators or contract terms. Item 5.6
- Parks and Recreation Facilities Master Plan: a status update under Strategic Plan Goal #5 (Enhance Quality of Life and Beautification Throughout the City), continued from the August 17, 2026 adjourned regular meeting. Item 5.1
- Development code and permitting process: two Strategic Plan items — identifying ways to modify the city's code "to be More Efficient and Improve Development" (Goal #2), and updating Community Development Department flowcharts and customer-service material for developers and residents on how to partner with the city on development projects (Goal #4). Items 5.4–5.5
- Mendez Freedom Trail: project completion with Union Pacific for improvements related to the Mendez Freedom Trail Project. Item 5.3
- A refund of unexpended funds from the West Orange County Water Board for cathodic protection; no amount is stated in the agenda. Item 5.2
⚖️ Public hearings
- Military equipment policy: introduction for first reading of an ordinance amending the city's policy regarding the use of "military equipment," together with presentation of the 2025 Military Equipment Annual Report. Item 4.1
- ADA-accessible bus replacements: consideration of an application to the Orange County Transportation Authority's 2026 Enhanced Mobility for Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities (EMSD) Grant Program. Item 4.2
🏗️ For contractors & vendors
- Roof replacement at the Senior Center, Community Services, and Council Chambers buildings — Project Plan No. P-2689. The item appears on the consent calendar; no contract amount is listed in the agenda. Item 3.10
- Traffic signal synchronization: Amendment No. 1 to Cooperative Agreement No. C-1-3598 between OCTA and the cities of Huntington Beach, Santa Ana, Tustin, and Westminster and the County of Orange for the First Street/Bolsa Avenue Regional Traffic Signal Synchronization Program Project. Listed under "Agreements/Purchase Orders (Under $500,000)." Item 3.5
- Easements: quitclaim of part of an existing water easement and acceptance of a new one for the new development at 7474 Garden Grove Boulevard (APN 096-021-14), and acceptance of a new storm drain easement at 13552 Goldenwest Street. Items 3.8–3.9
💰 Grants & money
- Acceptance of a grant award from the Sun Family Foundation for the Westminster Family Resource Center in Fiscal Year 2026-2027, and AB 109 grant funding for Public Safety Realignment and Post-Release Community Supervision enhanced law enforcement in Fiscal Year 2026-2027. Amounts are not stated in the agenda. Items 3.6–3.7
- The City Council and Successor Agency warrant register dated August 6 through August 12, 2026, and the Treasurer's Report for July 2026. Items 3.2, 3.4
🔒 Closed session
- Existing litigation: conference with legal counsel on Westminster v. Nicole Brown, OC Superior Court Case #30-2025-1495463-CU-FR-CJC. Closed Session Item 1
- Anticipated litigation: two potential cases of significant exposure to litigation under Government Code 54956.9(d)(2). Per the agenda, one concerns a letter from the County of Orange to the Westminster City Attorney's office dated August 4, 2025, "requesting the City return funds for the Little Saigon Archway." The subject of the other case was not disclosed. Closed Session Item 2
🪑 Also on the agenda
- Council member business: an item titled "Consideration to Reverse Existing Prohibition on District 1 Councilwoman Amy Phan West Speaking at City Public Ceremonial Events." Item 9.1
- A proclamation for Hunger Action Month, plus consent approval of minutes and proclamations. The Legislative Items and Commission and Committee Items sections list no business. Items 1, 3.1, 3.3
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.
Get the weekly brief for your city — free
One email a week: what your Orange County city is about to decide, before the vote. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.