10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 30-AUGUST 5, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com In the months following the threealarm inferno that devastated the Casanova Plaza apartment complex in Monterey on Monday, March 9, those displaced from the building have been trying to get back into the vacant complex to retrieve their possessions. To help them, roughly 50 former residents have retained Montereybased attorney John Coniglio, who sent a letter in May to the building owner, the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey, formally demanding that residents’ personal property and other physical evidence related to the incident be preserved. “We want to get some of these people reunited with their stuff because we are dealing with people that don’t have a lot,” Coniglio says. “This is all they may have in the world, cherished heirlooms and family memories, so we’re just trying to help them as much as we can.” Coniglio says that he and his co-counsel Stuart Chandler, a Fresnobased attorney with experience with mass actions and fire cases, have been in discussions with HACM’s legal counsel to allow the safe return of the items, where possible. “There are safety concerns both for the residents and that the belongings themselves might have some level of contamination,” Coniglio says. He adds that HACM’s legal counsel has been “above board” throughout the talks and that there has been a “spirit of cooperation.” However, a formal request from a furniture company that hints at a suspected cause of the fire may complicate matters for people seeking a way to claim their personal property. Public records obtained by the Weekly show that HACM received a demand from Brad J. Vornholt, an attorney with Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith, representing Wisconsinbased Ashley Furniture, on May 19. “Please do not commence repairs or demolition to any parts of the building(s) or remove any damaged personal property from the building(s) without allowing my client the opportunity to investigate and document the scene,” the letter reads. “The scene contains evidence that is vital to the defense of potential claims arising out of the fire.” According to an inconclusive investigation conducted by Monterey Fire Department Division Chief Justin Cooper, the living room of apartment 311, the likely origin of the blaze, contained an electric, motorized recliner. In the report, Cooper states that the fire likely began in the living room. The fire sent eight residents to the hospital and led to one death. More than half of Soledad City Council seats are up for grabs on Election Day, Nov. 3. The council might see three new faces at the dais after incumbents Mayor Anna Velazquez and Councilmember Fernando Ansaldo-Sánchez announced on July 21 that they will not seek re-election. So far, only one candidate has submitted paperwork to run for office: Fernando Cabrera, a member of council who is running for mayor and launched his campaign on July 25. “I always believe that there is a little bit of something else that I can do,” he says. Both Ansaldo-Sánchez and Cabrera were elected at-large, but after a redistricting process, are vacating seats representing District 1 and 2, respectively. This is the first time these district seats will be up for election. (AnsaldoSánchez was elected in 2024 to serve the remainder of Alejandro Chavez’s term, who resigned because he moved out of the city.) Velazquez, who was 10 years on the council, six of them as mayor, says she paused her political career to focus on her job as district director for State Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Merced. (Caballero will term out in December 2026. She did not advance beyond the primary election in her campaign for state treasurer.) “It was a time for me to take a pause, and really make sure that I close out my employment with the senator who has been just an extraordinary, amazing mentor to me, and close that chapter,” Velazquez says. Ansaldo-Sánchez, who works as the interim director of student outreach and retention at Monterey Peninsula College, says he is focusing on his career and will soon start a doctorate program in education. Whoever is elected to the next council will inherit fiscal challenges. The council approved an interim budget on June 10 that could face cuts after Measure A, a parcel tax that would have provided funding to the fire department, failed at the polls in March. Lawyer Up Ashley Furniture letter to HACM hints at a suspected cause of Casanova fire. By Aric Sleeper NEWS EYES OPEN Learn about services available from the Blind and Visually Impaired Center and connect with people experiencing vision loss at this barbecue social. The nonprofit’s mission is to empower people with free education and skills training. 11:30am-1:30pm Saturday, Aug. 1. Orchard Lane Park (Area C), 1505 Metz Road, Soledad. Free. (831) 649-3505, blindandlowvision.org. TAKE THE BUS Monterey-Salinas Transit is evaluating its bus stops and welcomes public feedback. Survey runs through Sunday, Aug. 2. cvent.me/dweB10. WHAT’S NEW Seaside City Councilmember Dave Pacheco hosts a town hall meeting. City leaders share updates and attendees have a chance to meet Seaside City Council candidates. 6pm Monday, Aug. 3. Embassy Suites, 1441 Canyon Del Rey, Seaside. Free. (831) 521-0577. SMOKED OUT Salinas City Council meets to consider extending a prohibition on new tobacco retailer licenses, among other city business. Public comment is accepted. 3pm Tuesday, Aug. 4. Council Chamber Rotunda, 200 Lincoln Ave., Salinas. Free. (831) 758-7381, salinas.gov. STATE OF DRO Del Rey Oaks Mayor Scott Donaldson and City Manager John Guertin host the State of the City. Hear updates and ask questions. 6-8pm Wednesday, Aug. 5. Moose Lodge, 555 Canyon Del Rey Blvd., Del Rey Oaks. Free. (831) 394-8511, delreyoaks.org. POLICE PRESENTS Soledad Police Department outlines its use of military equipment during a public meeting. This annual presentation is required by state law. 6pm Wednesday, Aug. 5. City Hall, 248 Main St., Soledad. Free. (831) 2235000, cityofsoledad.gov. HOUSING STRATEGIES Marina City Council considers ordinances related to housing, including an “Anti-Displacement Strategy” and “Energy Efficiency Strategy.” Public input is accepted. 6:30pm Wednesday, Aug. 5. City Hall, 211 Hillcrest Ave., Marina. Free. (831) 884-1278, cityofmarina.org. DEEP DIVE Monterey residents are invited to apply for the First City Academy, which is designed to show how local government operates. The program runs for seven sessions in the fall. Application deadline is 5pm Aug. 24. (831) 646-3799, bit.ly/ FirstCityAcademy2026. Open Season The coming election will bring a new mayor and two new councilmembers to Soledad. By Celia Jiménez Former residents of the Casanova Plaza apartments have not been able to return to the building to retrieve belongings. An attorney is trying to help find them a path forward. E-MAIL: publiccitizen@montereycountynow.com PUBLIC CITIZEN “This is all they may have in the world.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
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