CITY OF ARCATA
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
COUNCIL CHAMBER OCTOBER 04, 2023
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 utilizing Zoom Video Communications and in person, with Mayor Schaefer presiding. Notice of this meeting was posted on September 29, 2023. PRESENT:
Schaefer, Matthews, Atkins-Salazar, Stillman, White. ABSENT: None. STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Diemer, Director of Community Development Loya, Director of Environmental Services Sinkhorn, Finance Director Miller, City Engineer Khatri, IT and Digital Media Specialist Carillo, City Clerk Dory.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Mayor Schaefer read a statement acknowledging that Arcata (Goudi'ni) sat on ancestral Wiyot land.
FLAG SALUTE
Mayor Schaefer led the Pledge of Allegiance.
CEREMONIAL MATTERS
A. Proclamation Designating the Week of October 7–15, 2023, Water Professionals Appreciation Week.
Councilmember Atkins-Salazar read the proclamation and presented it to Director of Environmental Services Sinkhorn who thanked the Council and the community for recognizing its Environmental Services staff who maintained the essential services of water and wastewater in the community.
B. Proclamation Recognizing October 2023 as Community Planning Month.
Councilmember Stillman read the proclamation and presented it to Colette Santsche, from Planwest Partners, who thanked the Council and spoke about the work of planners.
C. Proclamation Recognizing October 2023 as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Councilmember Matthews read the proclamation and presented it to Aubrey Arnoux, Office Administrator/Client Advocate for Humboldt Domestic Violence Services, who thanked Arcata for recognizing October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
EARLY ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Mayor Schaefer invited public comment.
Fred Weis advocated for a monthly open house meeting on the Gateway Area Plan and reported on his community-led meetings.
James Becker spoke of the importance of building siting in relation to existing neighborhoods in the Gateway Area.
Joanne McGarry spoke about the need to deal with the unhoused and encampments.
Jane Woodward thanked the two Councilmembers who attended the open house meeting. She said she wanted people online to be able to comment on the Consent Calendar.
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Mayor Schaefer closed Early Oral Communications.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Councilmember White recused herself from any discussion and vote on item D.
Councilmember Stillman expressed her excitement at the prospect of having a community building in Valley West in Woodsman Hall (Consent Calendar item D).
Mayor Schaefer invited public comment.
Joanne McGarry requested items D, E, and H be removed from the Consent Calendar for further discussion.
Fred Weis requested item E be removed from the Consent Calendar for further discussion.
ON MOTION BY WHITE, SECONDED BY STILLMAN, AND WITH A UNANIMOUS
VOICE VOTE, THE COUNCIL ADOPTED THE CONSENT CALENDAR FOR OCTOBER 4, 2023, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE FOLLOWING ITEMS: D. APPROVE LEASE
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF ARCATA AND THE INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS LOCAL #W98 FOR A PORTION OF THE WOODSMAN HALL; AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS; E. APPROVE THE GREEN & GOLD CORRIDOR CROSSWALK DESIGN; AND H.
AMEND THE CONTRACT WITH GHD, INC., FOR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS AND ESTIMATES (PS&E) AND RIGHTOF-WAY (ROW) PHASES OF THE ANNIE & MARY TRAIL CONNECTIVITY PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $40,350.64; AND AUTHORIZE THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS. AYES: SCHAEFER, MATTHEWS, ATKINS-SALAZAR, STILLMAN, WHITE. NOES: NONE. ABSENT: NONE.
ABSTENTIONS: NONE.
A. Approve the Minutes of the City Council Meeting of September 20, 2023.
B. Bi-Weekly Report on Disbursements.
C. Adopt Resolution No. 234-10 Authorizing Application for, and Receipt of, the Equitable Community Revitalization Grant for Butcher’s Slough Site Cleanup Planning.
D. Item VIII-D was moved to Items Removed from Consent Calendar.
E. Item VIII-E was moved to Items Removed from Consent Calendar.
F. Approve the Design for Margaret Lane Trailhead Improvement Project and Authorize the City Engineer to Begin the Construction.
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G. Adopt Resolution No. 234-11, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Arcata Authorizing the City Manager to Execute All Master Agreements, Program Supplemental Agreements, Fund Exchange Agreements, Fund Transfer Agreements and Any Amendments for the South Arcata Multimodal Safety Improvements Plan with the California Department of Transportation.
H. Item VIII-H was moved to Items Removed from Consent Calendar.
ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT CALENDAR
E. Approve the Green & Gold Corridor Crosswalk Design.
Mayor Schaefer invited public comment.
Joanne McGarry complained that she often didn't know the history of items that appeared on the Consent Calendar.
Fred Weis felt the City was not transparent about this item, he felt there were too many street light banners proposed and they didn't belong on the Plaza, and he was strongly opposed to flying the Cal Poly Humboldt flag on City flagpoles.
Jane Woodward seconded Mr. Weis's comments and thanked him for making information available to the public online.
Mayor Schaefer closed the public comment period.
ON MOTION BY ATKINS-SALAZAR, SECONDED BY MATTHEWS, AND WITH A
UNANIMOUS VOICE VOTE, THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE GREEN & GOLD CORRIDOR CROSSWALK DESIGN. AYES: SCHAEFER, MATTHEWS, ATKINSSALAZAR, STILLMAN, WHITE. NOES: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. ABSTENTIONS:
NONE.
H. Amend the Contract with GHD, Inc., for Professional Services to Support the Project Specifications and Estimates (PS&E) and Right-of-Way (ROW) Phases of the Annie & Mary Trail Connectivity Project in the Amount of $40,350.64; and Authorize the City Manager to Execute All Applicable Documents.
Mayor Schaefer invited public comment.
Joanne McGarry asked what the additional $40,000 was for.
Mayor Schaefer closed the public comment period.
Director of Environmental Services Sinkhorn relayed that Caltrans had requested a local historical study on this project and that work had not been included in the original contract's scope. She said the additional $40,000 was to cover the additional work and was within the allocated budget.
ON MOTION BY MATTHEWS, SECONDED BY STILLMAN, AND WITH A UNANIMOUS VOICE VOTE, THE COUNCIL AMENDED THE CONTRACT WITH GHD, INC., FOR October 4, 2023
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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES TO SUPPORT THE PROJECT SPECIFICATIONS AND
ESTIMATES (PS&E) AND RIGHT-OF-WAY (ROW) PHASES OF THE ANNIE & MARY TRAIL CONNECTIVITY PROJECT IN THE AMOUNT OF $40,350.64; AND AUTHORIZED THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS.
AYES: SCHAEFER, MATTHEWS, ATKINS-SALAZAR, STILLMAN, WHITE. NOES:
NONE. ABSENT: NONE. ABSTENTIONS: NONE.
D. Approve Lease Agreement between the City of Arcata and the International Woodworkers Local #W98 for a Portion of the Woodsman Hall; and Authorize the City Manager to Execute All Applicable Documents.
Councilmember White recused herself from the discussion and vote on this item because she was employed by Communidad Unida del Norte de Arcata. She left the Council Chamber at 6:37 p.m.
Mayor Schaefer invited public comment.
Joanne McGarry complained that the public was unaware of what was happening, when all of a sudden items such as this appeared on the Consent Calendar. She called for more transparency.
Mayor Schaefer closed the public comment period.
Mayor Schaefer explained that the Council had previously discussed using American Rescue Plan Act funds to lease this building in Valley West.
ON MOTION BY STILLMAN, SECONDED BY ATKINS-SALAZAR, AND WITH A FOURTO-ZERO VOICE VOTE WITH ONE ABSENCE, THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE
LEASE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF ARCATA AND THE INTERNATIONAL WOODWORKERS LOCAL #W98 FOR A PORTION OF THE WOODSMAN HALL; AND AUTHORIZED THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE ALL APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS.
AYES: SCHAEFER, MATTHEWS, ATKINS-SALAZAR, STILLMAN. NOES: NONE.
ABSENT: WHITE (RECUSED). ABSTENTIONS: NONE.
Councilmember White returned to the Council Chamber at 6:41 p.m.
NEW BUSINESS
A. Consider Approval of an Amendment to the Agreement with the Arcata Chamber of Commerce to Add Downtown Business Support Services.
Councilmember Matthews recused herself from the discussion and vote on this item because she was employed by the Arcata Chamber of Commerce. She left the Council Chamber at 6:43 p.m.
City Manager Diemer said that the City had an annual agreement with the Arcata Chamber of Commerce for decades to aid in the support of local business development and success. The City also had a longstanding agreement with Arcata Main Street that focused on events and activities.
She relayed that the City received notice that Arcata Main Street was dissolving its operations and had worked proactively with the Board of Directors of the Chamber to consolidate some of its key programs under the Chamber. She said that the Chamber was willing to take on some of the key October 4, 2023
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events, such as the Season of Wonder and Light, Arts Arcata, the Oyster Festival, coordinated marketing and business network for the Plaza and downtown businesses, and the Halloween event.
She shared that at this point, the Chamber of Commerce Board was requesting the City allocate to the Chamber some of the American Rescue Plan Act funds that had been allocated, but not paid, to Arcata Main Street, and refocus those to the Chamber to complete the transition of programming and to allow it to hire staff necessary to support the programming that came with the revised scope of work.
Mayor Schaefer invited public comment.
Joanne McGarry said this was a great merger. She requested an accounting of the American Rescue Plan Act monies that were allocated to Arcata Main Street.
Mayor Schaefer closed the public comment period.
Councilmember Stillman clarified that ARPA funds were allocated to Arcata Main Street, but were never paid.
ON MOTION BY ATKINS-SALAZAR, SECONDED BY STILLMAN, AND WITH A FOURTO-ZERO VOICE VOTE WITH ONE ABSENCE, THE COUNCIL APPROVED THE
AMENDMENT TO THE CONTRACT WITH THE ARCATA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
TO ADD SERVICES THAT WERE ORIGINALLY CONTRACTED WITH ARCATA MAIN
STREET AND THAT WOULD NOW BE CONSOLIDATED UNDER THE ARCATA CHAMBER. AYES: SCHAEFER, ATKINS-SALAZAR, STILLMAN, WHITE. NOES:
NONE. ABSENT: MATTHEWS (RECUSED). ABSTENTIONS: NONE.
Councilmember Matthews returned to the Council Chamber at 6:52 p.m.
ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
Mayor Schaefer invited public comment.
Joanne McGarry spoke about her concern that a homeless encampment had grown so large and with so much garbage in an environmentally sensitive area. She asked about plans for an extreme weather shelter in the coming winter months.
Fred Weis directed the Council's attention to the implementation measures in the General Plan update to rezone the Bayview, Northtown, Arcata Heights and Sunset neighborhoods as residentialhigh density. He said it was not appropriate.
Mayor Schaefer closed Oral and Written Communications.
COUNCIL AND STAFF REPORTS
Councilmember Atkins-Salazar reported she was sworn in as Second Vice President of the Redwood Empire Division of CalCities and was now a representative from the Humboldt County Association October 4, 2023
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of Governments (HCAOG) to the California Association of Councils of Governments (CalCOG).
She reported she had attended a leadership training.
Councilmember Matthews reported on being on day three of the "week of no driving" challenge, which she said was difficult.
Mayor Schaefer reported on her attendance at a meeting of the Redwood Coast Energy Authority.
She announced the Chamber Mixer would take place Thursday, October 5, 2023, at Hatchet House.
Councilmember White reported that Valley West had a successful Clean the Sidewalk event. She reminded everyone about the North Coast Stand Down in Ferndale, and said Pastels on the Plaza would take place on Saturday, October 7, 2023.
Councilmember Stillman reported on her attendance at a meeting of the Humboldt Transit Authority, and on her participation in the "week of no driving."
DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS
A. Confirm a Study Session with the Planning Commission on Tuesday, October 24, 2023, at 6:00 p.m., in the Council Chamber.
BY GENERAL CONSENSUS, THE COUNCIL CONFIRMED IT WOULD HOLD A STUDY SESSION WITH THE PLANNING COMMISSION ON TUESDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2023, AT 6:00 P.M., IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:05 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Bridget Dory
City Clerk