CITY OF ARCATA
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
COUNCIL CHAMBER MAY 18, 2022
1 A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Arcata was held on the above date at 6:00 p.m. as a hybrid meeting, via teleconference and utilizing Zoom Video Communications, with Mayor Atkins-Salazar presiding. Notice of this meeting was posted on May 13, 2022. PRESENT: AtkinsSalazar, Schaefer, Matthews. ABSENT: Watson. STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Diemer, City Attorney Diamond, Assistant City Manager/Personnel Director Demello, Chief of Police Ahearn, Director of Community Development Loya, Finance Director Starzhevskiy, Director of Environmental Services Sinkhorn, City Engineer Khatri, Deputy Director of Environmental Services—Community Services Benvie, IT Manager Savage, City Clerk Dory.
FLAG SALUTE
Mayor Atkins-Salazar led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance.
CEREMONIAL MATTERS
A. Proclamation in Honor of Kinetic Sculpture Racing, May 28, 2022.
Councilmember Schaefer read the proclamation.
B. Proclamation in Honor of Older Americans Month, May 2022.
Councilmember Matthews read the proclamation and presented it to Maggie Kraft, from the Area 1 Agency on Aging.
EARLY ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Mayor Atkins-Salazar invited public comment.
Joanne McGary spoke of how Greta Thunberg had inspired her.
Patricia Cambianica said she hoped there would be public outreach in regard to the proposed J Street and K Street couplets. She spoke about the lack of public engagement for the Gateway Area Plan.
Carly Tambling, from Arcata Main Street, promoted the upcoming Oyster Festival being held from June 24 to 26, 2022. She noted it would be held at a location in the Creamery District.
Jim requested the Council direct staff to present a list of public engagement opportunities and committee input that had taken place to date on the Gateway Area Plan.
Mayor Atkins-Salazar closed early oral communications.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Mayor Atkins-Salazar invited public comment. There was none. Mayor Atkins-Salazar closed the public comment period.
ON MOTION BY MATTHEWS, SECONDED BY SCHAEFER, AND WITH A THREE-TOZERO VOICE VOTE WITH ONE ABSENCE, THE COUNCIL ADOPTED THE CONSENT CALENDAR FOR MAY 18, 2022, AS PRESENTED. AYES: ATKINS-SALAZAR, May 18, 2022
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SCHAEFER, MATTHEWS. NOES: NONE. ABSENT: WATSON. ABSTENTIONS:
NONE.
A. Approve the Minutes of the City Council Meeting of May 4, 2022.
B. Bi-Weekly Report on General Warrants.
C. Approve Amendment No. 1 to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Yurok Indian Housing Authority No. 3, LLC, and Authorize the City Manager to Execute Necessary Documents.
OLD BUSINESS
A. Adopt Resolution No. 212-60 Establishing and Approving a Complete Streets Policy within the City of Arcata.
City Engineer Khatri explained that the goal of the complete streets policy was to create balanced and equitable transportation for all users. He requested the Council approve the policy.
Mayor Atkins-Salazar invited public comment.
Oona Smith, from the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG), said that HCAOG fully supported complete streets policies, and she listed their top 10 benefits.
Colin Fiske, from the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities, gave his support for the policy.
Matt Simmons, from the Redwood Coalition for Climate and Environmental Responsibility, spoke in support of adoption of the policy.
MATTHEWS MOVED AND SCHAEFER SECONDED TO ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 212- 60 ESTABLISHING AND APPROVING A COMPLETE STREETS POLICY WITHIN THE CITY OF ARCATA.
MATTHEWS MOVED TO AMEND THE MOTION TO CHANGE THE TERMINOLOGY OF "DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES" TO "DISADVANTAGED
NEIGHBORHOODS" WITHIN THE POLICY. SCHAEFER SECONDED THE AMENDMENT.
THE MOTION, AS AMENDED, PASSED ON A THREE-TO-ZERO VOICE VOTE WITH ONE ABSENCE. AYES: ATKINS-SALAZAR, SCHAEFER, MATTHEWS. NOES: NONE.
ABSENT: WATSON. ABSTENTIONS: NONE.
May 18, 2022
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B. Receive an Update on the Regional Climate Action Plan and Support the County of Humboldt in Proceeding with Environmental Review.
Deputy Director of Environmental Services—Community Services Benvie, with the assistance of Michael Richardson from Humboldt County Planning and Building, Katie Gurren and Jerome Karman from Environmental Indicator Accounting Services, and Aisha Cissna, from Redwood Coast Energy Authority, gave a presentation with an overview of the Regional Climate Action Plan and its current timeline.
Mayor Atkins-Salazar invited public comment.
Paul Hagan pointed out that the cities' and county's authority, in relation to the Climate Action Plan, is over land use. He reminded the City to remember to take into account factors outside its authority, but continue to lead.
Joanne McGarry said Arcata needed to be out in full force when talking about the climate reality because it would require huge changes to people's lives.
An unidentified speaker referred the Council to Florida's Center for Climate Strategies' Energy and Climate Change Action Plan which discussed how to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but also discussed mitigation and adaptation strategies. She said it was one of the most comprehensive climate action plans written.
Matt Simmons, Redwood Coalition for Climate and Environmental Responsibility (RCCER), noted that it was not just about carbon, but that electrification produced less air pollution. He fully supported the process.
Colin Fiske, Coalition for Responsible Transportation Planning, said he felt the Plan provided a strong foundation for future action and he supported moving ahead with the California Environmental Quality Act process.
Patricia Cambianica voiced her support for the Qualified Climate Action Plan.
Mayor Atkins-Salazar closed the public comment period.
ON MOTION BY SCHAEFER, SECONDED BY MATTHEWS, AND WITH A THREE-TOZERO VOICE VOTE WITH ONE ABSENCE, THE COUNCIL SUPPORTED HUMBOLDT
COUNTY IN PROCEEDING WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW OF THE REGIONAL CLIMATE ACTION PLAN. AYES: ATKINS-SALAZAR, SCHAEFER, MATTHEWS. NOES: NONE. ABSENT: WATSON. ABSTENTIONS: NONE.
May 18, 2022
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NEW BUSINESS
A. Receive an Update from the Humboldt County Association of Governments on the Regional Early Action Planning Grant.
Oona Smith, from the Humboldt County Association of Governments (HCAOG), updated the Council on the Regional Early Action Planning (REAP) grant program which provided money for housing planning activities to increase housing and accelerate production. She reviewed the budget and sub-allocations regionally for the grant.
Mayor Atkins-Salazar invited public comment. None was received. Mayor Atkins-Salazar closed the public comment period.
B. Consider Resolution No. 212-67 Placing the Utility Users Tax Measure on the Ballot for the Election to be Held November 8, 2022.
City Manager Diemer explained that adoption of Resolution No. 212-67 would place a Utility Users Tax measure on the November 8 ballot. She said there were two components to the current tax: a standard tax of three percent, which had been in place since 1996, and the Excessive Electricity Use tax. She said the two-part tax brought in approximately $1 million for the City annually. She recommended the Council consider keeping the standard three percent and the Excessive Electricity Use tax with a suggested sunset clause at 12 years from 2024, when the current UUT expires, to 2036. She noted the tax supported parks, police, planning, streets, trails, and recreation.
Mayor Atkins-Salazar invited public comment. None was received. Mayo Atkins-Salazar closed the public comment period.
ON MOTION BY SCHAEFER, SECONDED BY MATTHEWS, AND WITH A THREE-TOZERO VOICE VOTE WITH ONE ABSENCE, THE CITY COUNCIL ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 212-67 PLACING A UTILITY USERS TAX MEASURE ON THE BALLOT FOR THE ELECTION TO BE HELD NOVEMBER 8, 2022. AYES: ATKINSSALAZAR, SCHAEFER, MATTHEWS. NOES: NONE. ABSENT: WATSON.
ABSTENTIONS: NONE.
ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
Mayor Atkins-Salazar invited public comment.
Joanne McGarry urged the City to pull back to the big picture when talking about the climate emergency.
Carly Tambling, President of the Entrepreneurs Club of Arcata, announced that the Entrepreneurs Club at Cal Poly Humboldt would be holding its Start-Up Weekend where projects were presented and voted on by the community. She said communications about the weekend could be directed to [email protected].
Mayor Atkins-Salazar Oral and Written Communications.
COUNCIL AND STAFF REPORTS
May 18, 2022
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Mayor Atkins-Salazar said there would be a meeting to discuss how the City was going to get the property in front of the Safe Parking Program site cleaned up. She further reported on the status of the program. She reported that a new position in the Arcata Police Department had been assigned to liaise to the homeless services program and provide direct street outreach, and support the Community Ambassador Program.
City Manager Diemer said the Community Ambassador job description was just finalized and recruitment would open in June.
DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS
A. Budget Overview Study Session, Wednesday, May 25, 2022, at 5:30 p.m., in the Council Chamber.
BY GENERAL CONSENSUS, THE COUNCIL CONFIRMED IT WOULD HOLD A BUDGET OVERVIEW STUDY SESSION ON WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 2022, AT 5:30 P.M., IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.
B. Study Session with Committee Chairs, Tuesday, May 31, 2022, at 6:00 p.m.
BY GENERAL CONSENSUS, THE COUNCIL CONFIRMED IT WOULD HOLD A STUDY SESSION WITH COMMITTEE CHAIRS ON TUESDAY, MAY 31, 2022, AT 6:00 P.M., IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:32 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bridget Dory
City Clerk