Alturas City Council
Special Meeting
City Hall Council Chambers
March 5, 2026 at 1:00 p.m.
Alturas City Council Mayor Paul Minchella called the special meeting to order at 1:00 p.m. at the City Council Chambers. Councilmembers present: Paul Minchella, Jennifer Engel, Duanna Knighton, and Jodie Larranaga. Brian Cox via Zoom. Councilmembers absent: None. Staff present: City Clerk Tacie Wheeler, City Treasurer Long, Director of Public Works Farnam. Public attending: None.
All present joined together in the Pledge of Allegiance.
No public forum.
Discussion/action:
Councilmember Engel says that she feels this could open the door to Brown Act violations and liability, as they can’t verify that there is no one else in the room with someone on a Zoom in closed session. She also tells Councilmember Cox that his Ethics training has lapsed.
Councilmember Cox states that there was an ethics complaint made against him by HR and he was exonerated. There was also a confidential hearing that was recorded, per the City attorney request. He says that he is the only one on Council who has supervisorial law enforcement training, and he should be involved in the interviews. He mentions that he sent an email to Council about combining with the Sheriff’s Office, and he received no response on that. He feels Council is doing a disservice to the community.
Councilmember Knighton says that Council can only control who is physically in the Council Chambers for closed session meetings, they cannot control who is in the room with someone on Zoom.
Councilmember Cox states that all of that can be controlled, and he should definitely be included in these interviews.
Item dies for lack of motion.
MOTION by Councilmember Engel, SECONDED by Councilmember Larranaga to go into Closed session at 1:11 pm.
Councilmember Cox says he will make sure that the public knows about them excluding him, and he will be going to news outlets.
Reconvened back to open session at 3:18 pm.
The candidate ranking for Chief of Police is as follows:
1. Jonathan Morgan
2. Daniel Nessling
MOTION by Councilmember Engel, SECONDED by Councilmember Minchella to authorize HR and the Police commissioners to negotiate and draft an employee agreement to come before full Council and move forward with POST compliant onboarding process.
With no further business to come before City Council, MOTION by Councilmember Engel, SECONDED by Councilmember Knighton to adjourn the meeting and to return in regular session on Tuesday, March 17, 2026 at 2:00 pm, City Hall. ALL AYES
Respectfully,
Tacie Wheeler
Tacie Wheeler
City Clerk