Tuesday’s Turlock City Council meeting was Sue Borrego’s last one as interim city manager. The city council unanimously approved accepting her resignation and then immediately approved the hiring of Gary Hampton to fill her shoes. Hampton, a familiar face at Turlock’s City Hall, will step into the role for the fifth time.
Borrego, the former interim president of California State University, Stanislaus, was sworn in as deputy city manager in January 2025 and then became interim city manager in May 2025. She filled the position that had been vacant since the retirement of longtime city employee Sarah Eddy in December 2024.
Borrego is not leaving town just yet, as she agreed to stick around for a few months and act as deputy city manger for a smoother transition of the role.
“I have had a great time in Turlock,” Borrego said during Tuesday’s city council meeting. “…So much goes on here and we often hear about the tough stuff. But there are so many good things that go on in the city that the staff who work for the city make happen every single day.”
Hampton’s expected wages will be $129.38 per hour with a CalPERS restriction of a maximum amount of hours of 960 per fiscal year.
On Tuesday, the Council also:
— Approved extending a moratorium on the establishment of new, and relocation or physical expansion of existing smoke shops within the City of Turlock for 10 months and 15 days.
On Jan. 13, the City Council adopted a 45-day moratorium on the establishment of new, and relocation or physical expansion of existing, tobacco retailer businesses within the City of Turlock. The moratorium became effective immediately and would have expired on Feb. 27 without the council’s action on Tuesday. The original moratorium came after a police sting operation showed widespread noncompliance of smoke shops.
In December, the Turlock Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, in coordination with the state’s Department of Tax and Fee Administration, conducted a citywide operation addressing smoke shops.
The unit attempted to inspect five shops — two were closed during normal operating hours, while major violations were documented at the other three.
“Retail and distribution patterns indicated systemic issues, ongoing issues, not isolated or inadvertent violations or mistakes,” said City Attorney George Petrulakis in January. “These conditions present a current and immediate threat to the public health safety and welfare, particularly to young people.”
Without moratorium, additional shops could open before the city has a chance to modernize zoning and other regulations, which might complicate enforcement.
— Approved a Public Artwork application from the Turlock SWAT Association, a nonprofit made up of members of the police department’s special weapons and tactics team, to install a statue in front of the Public Safety Facility. At the south end of the parking lot there are military service flags that are prominently displayed in a circle with the center an empty pedestal. The application proposes the installation of a single, life-size bronze statue atop the existing pedestal. The statue will depict a modern American warfighter representing service members of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom, reflecting the contemporary era associated with the construction of the Public Safety Facility. The statue will be positioned standing and saluting, oriented north toward the United States flag situated between the Public Safety Facility and Carnegie Arts Center. The Turlock SWAT Association reached out to Brodin Studios out of Minnesota to create the statue. The estimated cost is approximately $50,000. Turlock SWAT will donate $15,000 and lead the effort in fundraising.
The goal is to have it funded by the end of this year, with an unveiling by Veterans Day 2027, according to Officer Jacob Young.
— Accepted a $58,845 grant from the Turlock Irrigation District for the Montana Park expansion project. The expansion project includes basketball courts, pickleball courts, a multi-sport area, playground with ADA access, fitness equipment, swing set and restroom. The expansion will be to the west of the existing large green area that has walking paths and benches. The expansion will more than double the existing size of the park. The project’s total estimated cost is $4.6 million. There has already been a lot of funding support, including a $2.4 million state grant, $435,000 secured by the Office of State Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil, $150,000 secured by Stanislaus County Supervisor Vito Chiesa and $58,845 in a Turlock Irrigation District grant. Construction on the park project is expected to start in May and run through the end of the year. The city will host a community meeting about the park on Feb. 26.
