Needles meeting summaries, agendas, and minutes

Needles City Council weighs fire code, kratom ban; planning commission reviews general plan

The Needles City Council met Aug. 11 to consider adopting the 2025 California Fire Code, a five-year street improvement plan, and an ordinance banning kratom sales. No vote results are available because meeting minutes have not yet been published. The council also held an executive session on a potential lease of the Tri-State Alano Club at 801 Third Street.

City Council agenda items

The council considered the following items, according to the agenda:

• **Ordinance 685-AC** – adopting the 2025 California Fire Code with San Bernardino County amendments. A public hearing is scheduled for Sept. 8, 2026.
• **Resolution 2026-34** – approving the Measure I Five Year Local Street Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal years 2026/27 through 2030/31.
• **Resolution 2026-35** – authorizing a petition to the U.S. Department of Transportation for a time zone boundary change.
• **Ordinance 686-AC** – adding Section 14-21 to prohibit the sale of kratom.

Because minutes are not yet published, it is not known whether any of these items were approved, amended, or postponed.

Planning Commission workshop

The Planning Commission met Aug. 5 for a non-action educational presentation on the City of Needles General Plan. The presentation reviewed the plan's legal framework, required elements, and its role in guiding land use and development decisions. No formal decisions were made. The commission also approved the minutes from its June 3, 2026 meeting.

Cancellations

Two meetings were canceled in the past two weeks:

• The Board of Public Utilities regular meeting scheduled for Aug. 4 was canceled. The next meeting is set for Sept. 1, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.
• The Parks and Recreation Commission meeting scheduled for Aug. 17 was canceled due to a lack of agenda items. Its next regular meeting is set for Sept. 14, 2026.

Coming up

• **Sept. 1, 2026** – Board of Public Utilities regular meeting, 4:00 p.m., City Council Chambers.
• **Sept. 8, 2026** – Public hearing on Ordinance 685-AC (2025 California Fire Code adoption), as part of a City Council meeting.
• **Sept. 14, 2026** – Parks and Recreation Commission regular meeting.

All meetings are subject to change; check the city's official notices for updates.

Needles council weighs bond measure, charter amendment; Aug. 11 agenda includes fire code, kratom ban

The Needles City Council met July 28 to consider a general obligation bond measure for the November ballot and a charter amendment on council compensation, but minutes have not yet been published. The council's next regular meeting, Aug. 11, will consider adopting the 2025 California Fire Code and a ban on kratom sales.

City Council (July 28)

The council's agenda included several items, though no outcomes are available because minutes have not been published. Among the items:

• Reconsideration of Resolution 2026-29, a charter amendment on council compensation, for the November 3, 2026 ballot.
• Adoption of Ordinance 684-AC, ordering a General Obligation Bond Measure for the November 3, 2026 election.
• Adoption of Resolution 2026-33, supporting an Opportunity Zone 2.0 designation for Census Tract 06071010700.
• Approval of the warrants register through July 28, 2026.
• Adoption of Resolution 2026-32, establishing temporary noncommercial election sign parameters.

Administrative Hearing (July 29)

A continuation of a public nuisance hearing for 250 Balboa Place, owned by Purest USA, LLC, was held. This was a continuation of a hearing from June 25, 2026. No minutes have been published.

Board of Public Utilities (Aug. 4) – Canceled

The regular meeting of the Needles Board of Public Utilities scheduled for Aug. 4 was canceled. The next meeting is set for Sept. 1, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.

Planning Commission (Aug. 5)

The Planning Commission held a regular meeting that included a non-action educational presentation on the City of Needles General Plan, covering its legal framework, required elements, and role in guiding land use and development decisions. The commission also approved the June 3, 2026 meeting minutes. No formal decisions were made.

Coming up

City Council – Aug. 11, 2026

The council will hold a regular meeting with an executive session on real property and labor negotiations. In open session, it will consider:

• Ordinance 685-AC, adopting the 2025 California Fire Code with San Bernardino County amendments (public hearing set for Sept. 8, 2026).
• Resolution 2026-34, approving the Measure I Five Year Local Street Capital Improvement Plan for FY 2026/27–2030/31.
• Resolution 2026-35, authorizing a petition to the U.S. Department of Transportation for a time zone boundary change.
• Ordinance 686-AC, adding Section 14-21 to prohibit the sale of kratom.
• An executive session on a potential lease of the Tri-State Alano Club at 801 Third Street.

The council will also receive updates on the Housing Authority recovery plan and routine financial reports.

Needles Council Tackles Bond Measure, Cannabis Permit Appeal in Busy Late-July Slate

Needles city government held a packed schedule of meetings in late July, but residents should note that minutes have not yet been published for any of them. The summaries below reflect what was on each agenda — not confirmed outcomes or vote tallies, which are not yet available.

City Council — July 28

The City Council, sitting also as the Needles Public Utility Authority and Housing Authority, had its fullest agenda of the period. Items scheduled for consideration included:

• **General Obligation Bond Measure:** Adoption of Ordinance 684-AC, which would order a General Obligation Bond Measure onto the November 3, 2026 election ballot. No dollar figure was listed on the agenda.
• **Council Compensation Charter Amendment:** Reconsideration of Resolution 2026-29, a proposed charter amendment regarding City Council compensation, also headed for the November 3, 2026 ballot.
• **Opportunity Zone 2.0:** Adoption of Resolution 2026-33 supporting an Opportunity Zone 2.0 designation for Census Tract 06071010700.
• **Election Signs:** Adoption of Resolution 2026-32 establishing temporary noncommercial election sign parameters.
• **Warrants:** Approval of the warrants register through July 28, 2026.

Because minutes are not yet published, it is not known which of these items passed, failed, or were continued.

Special City Council — July 22

A special meeting was called to hear an appeal by Purest USA LLC of a denied cultivation regulatory permit renewal. The property is located at 250 Balboa Place (APN 0660-081-39-0000). After the public portion, the council was scheduled to enter executive session for a conference with legal counsel on potential litigation under California Government Code section 54956.9(4)(d)(1). No outcome is available.

Administrative Hearing — July 29

The city held an administrative hearing on a public nuisance matter at 250 Balboa Place, with the owner listed as Purest USA, LLC. The hearing was a continuation from June 25, 2026. No decision has been published.

Housing Commission — July 22

The Housing Commission was scheduled to review the Housing Authority of the City of Needles (HACN) budget for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, ahead of City Council approval. The agenda also included an HACN update, appointment of a Chair and Vice Chair, and approval of the March 25, 2026 minutes. Outcomes are not yet available.

Parks & Recreation Commission — July 20

The regular Parks & Recreation Commission meeting was cancelled because a quorum was not present. No agenda items were considered. The next regular meeting is set for August 17, 2026.

Coming Up

• **August 4 — Board of Public Utilities:** Regular meeting **canceled**. The next meeting is September 1, 2026, at 4:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers.
• **August 5 — Planning Commission:** Regular meeting featuring a non-action educational presentation on the City of Needles General Plan, including its legal framework, required elements, and role in guiding land use and development decisions. No formal decisions are scheduled. The commission will also consider approval of the June 3, 2026 meeting minutes.

Residents seeking confirmed outcomes from the July meetings should watch for published minutes on the City of Needles website, as the agendas alone do not establish what was decided.

Needles council set to adopt FY 2026-2027 budget; housing and planning meetings cancelled

The Needles City Council was scheduled to hold a public hearing and adopt the fiscal year 2026-2027 operating and capital budgets for the city, the utility authority, and the housing authority at its June 23 regular meeting. The council also planned to call a general municipal election for November 3, 2026, consolidated with the statewide election.

City Council — June 23

The agenda called for adoption of the FY 2026-2027 budgets through three resolutions: Resolution 2026-23 for the city, Resolution 06-23-2026-NPUA for the Needles Public Utility Authority, and Resolution 2026-15-HACN for the Housing Authority. The council was also set to adopt Resolution 2026-25, calling for the November 3, 2026 general municipal election.

Other scheduled items included a first reading of Ordinance 682-AC, which would amend business license requirements for vendors at approved community events, and Resolution 2026-26, determining that the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Staging Area Project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).

The council was also scheduled to receive and file a presentation from Urban Futures, Inc. regarding potential ballot measures for the November election.

Minutes for this meeting have not yet been published, so the outcomes of these items are not yet confirmed.

Housing Commission — June 24 (Cancelled)

The regular meeting of the Needles Housing Commission was cancelled due to a lack of quorum. The agenda had included informational updates on the Housing Authority and its FY 2026-27 budget, as well as approval of the minutes from March 25, 2026.

Administrative Hearing — June 25

The city held an administrative hearing to address public nuisance complaints on three properties:

• **608 W. Broadway** — a vacant lot owned by Stive Barrera-Arita, APN 0186-111-14-0000.
• **250 Balboa Place** — owned by Purest USA LLC, APN 0660-081-39-0000.
• **1195 Third Street** — owned by Lodging Ventures LLC, APN 0185-211-33-0000.

The hearing officer was to take public comment and consider actions regarding the alleged nuisances. Minutes have not yet been published.

Planning Commission — July 1 (Cancelled)

The Planning Commission's regular meeting scheduled for July 1, 2026 was cancelled. The next regular meeting is set for August 5, 2026.

Coming up

• **July 7 — Board of Public Utilities:** The board will consider consent items including approval of June 2 minutes, an annual depository statement for FY 2026-2027 transfers from NPUA to city accounts, and a purchase of a pole/reel/dump trailer from Brooks Brothers Trailers not to exceed $55,060. A regular item would authorize the City Manager to execute a site access MOU with Scripps Institution for installing an ALERT California public safety camera on upper tanks. Reports include EUSI operational support for the wastewater facility and a perfected rights report for April and May 2026.
• **August 5 — Planning Commission:** Next regular meeting, as the July 1 meeting was cancelled.

City Council budget hearing concluded without published vote; Housing meeting cancelled for lack of quorum

Needles residents await results from the June 23 City Council meeting, where officials were set to adopt the fiscal year 2026-2027 operating and capital budgets and formally call a November election. Minutes from the meeting have not been released, leaving vote tallies unconfirmed. Meanwhile, the Housing Commission meeting was cancelled due to no quorum, and an administrative hearing addressed three public nuisance complaints.

City Council takes up budget and election

At its regular meeting on June 23, the City Council, acting also as the Needles Public Utility Authority and Housing Authority, was scheduled to hold a public hearing and vote on the FY 2026-2027 budgets through Resolutions 2026-23, 06-23-2026-NPUA, and 2026-15-HACN. Because meeting minutes are not yet published, the outcome of that vote remains unavailable.

The council agenda also included:

• Resolution 2026-25 to call a General Municipal Election for November 3, 2026, consolidated with the statewide general election.
• First reading of Ordinance 682-AC, amending business license requirements for vendors at approved community events.
• Resolution 2026-26, which would determine that the Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Staging Area project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act.
• A presentation from Urban Futures, Inc. on potential ballot measures for the November election.

Official vote counts for these items are not known at this time.

Housing Commission meeting cancelled

A regular meeting of the Needles Housing Commission scheduled for June 24 was cancelled because a quorum was not present. The agenda had called for informational updates on the Housing Authority and its fiscal year 2026-27 budget, as well as approval of minutes from March 25, 2026.

Administrative hearing on nuisance properties

On June 25, the city held an administrative hearing to consider public nuisance complaints on three properties. The hearing officer was set to receive public comment and determine action, but minutes are not yet published. The properties listed were:

• 608 W. Broadway (vacant lot, owner Stive Barrera-Arita, APN 0186-111-14-0000)
• 250 Balboa Place (owner Purest USA LLC, APN 0660-081-39-0000)
• 1195 Third Street (owner Lodging Ventures LLC, APN 0185-211-33-0000)

Planning Commission meeting called off

The Planning Commission’s regular meeting set for July 1 was cancelled. The next regular meeting is scheduled for August 5, 2026. No agenda items were listed for the cancelled date.

Coming up

The Board of Public Utilities meets on July 7. Items include:

• A memorandum of understanding with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography to install an ALERT California public safety camera on city upper tanks.
• Authorization to purchase a pole/reel/dump trailer from Brooks Brothers Trailers, not to exceed $55,060.
• Receipt of the EUSI operational support services report for the wastewater facility for May 2026.

The full agenda is available on the city’s website.