McFarland staff rebuts rumors: food-truck enforcement, cannabis ownership and parks’ CalPERS liability explained

City staff delivered a consolidated presentation on Aug. 13 aimed at correcting circulating allegations about city decisions and individuals, including an unpermitted food truck, ownership claims related to a cannabis dispensary, and the McFarland Recreation and Parks District’s CalPERS unfunded liability.
At the start of the “Transparent Leadership” update, a city staff presenter, identified in the meeting as Mr. Villamontes, summarized the city’s review of the food-truck complaint near Capri. Villamontes said the operator lacked a valid agreement with the property owner, was within 300 feet of a permitted food-selling operation and had not cleared a required background check, and staff cited McFarland municipal code sections in support of enforcement. “Enforcement action was taken in accordance with the city's ordinances,” Villamontes said.
The city noted a timeline: the finance department revoked the business license in January; the operator filed a written appeal the next day requesting a 30‑day extension; the city granted additional time four days later; and the business owner met staff on May 29 for inspection and a live-scan attempt but did not complete all steps and did not pursue the formal appeal option to date, according to Villamontes. Staff said a formal appeal path and remediation steps were offered.
On ownership claims about a local cannabis dispensary, Villamontes said the city checked the Department of Cannabis Control records and the California Secretary of State filings and found the licensed holder listed as OTC McFarland LLC with Norman Yosef as sole owner. “The fact is that the mayor has no ownership interest in Off the Charts and this has been verified through two different sources,” Villamontes said.
On the McFarland Recreation and Parks District pension liability, Villamontes told the council the CalPERS actuarial valuation report shows a remaining amortization amount of $1,787,219 under the current schedule and explained that the unfunded accrued liability represents the difference between promised retirement benefits and current plan assets. “There is an opportunity to pay that down at a faster rate if the district were in a position to do so,” he said.
Public and council responses: Members of the planning commission and several residents who spoke during public comment praised the presentation as clarifying. Resident Victor Opeza said the presentation provided “clarity, understanding of what's really going on.” Mayor Saul Leon addressed the council at length, denying any personal financial interest in the frontage property or in the cannabis dispensary and reiterating that land-exchange processes had multiple public hearings and HCD review.
What the city did not do: Officials said they found no documentary evidence that the mayor directed enforcement to make way for a family member or that he held ownership interest in the dispensary. Staff emphasized enforcement decisions were made based on municipal code and property ownership records.