CITY OF ARCATA
CITY COUNCIL MEETING
COUNCIL CHAMBER APRIL 17, 2024
1 SPECIAL MEETING
A Special Meeting of the City Council of the City of Arcata was held on the above date at 5:00 p.m. with Mayor Matthews presiding. Notice of this meeting was posted on April 12, 2024.
PRESENT: Matthews, Stillman, Atkins-Salazar, Schaefer. ABSENT: White. STAFF PRESENT:
City Manager Diemer, Director of Community Development Loya, Human Resources/Administrative Services Director Vink, Finance Director Miller.
PUBLIC COMMENT
No public comment was given.
CLOSED SESSION
A. PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(b)(1): City Manager.
The Council met in closed session in the City Manager's Conference Room.
B. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6 (Three Items). Employee Organizations: International Union of Operating Engineers Local No. 3; Arcata Police Association; and Management/MidManagement/Confidential Employees. Agency Negotiator: Keira Vink.
The Council met in closed session in the City Manager's Conference Room.
The Council returned to the Council Chamber at 5:57 p.m.
CLOSED SESSION REPORTS
A. PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957(b)(1): City Manager.
Mayor Matthews stated there was nothing to report out from the closed session.
B. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6 (Three Items). Employee Organizations: International Union of Operating Engineers Local No. 3; Arcata Police Association; and Management/MidManagement/Confidential Employees. Agency Negotiator: Keira Vink.
Mayor Matthews stated there was nothing to report out from the closed session.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 6:02 p.m.
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REGULAR MEETING
A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Arcata was held on the above date at 6:02 p.m. as a hybrid meeting, via teleconference utilizing Zoom Video Communications and in person, with Mayor Matthews presiding. Notice of this meeting was posted on April 12, 2024.
PRESENT: Matthews, Stillman, Atkins-Salazar, Schaefer, White. ABSENT: None. STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Diemer, Director of Community Development Loya, City Engineer Khatri, Finance Director Miller, Building Official Bishop, IT and Digital Media Specialist Carrillo, City Clerk Dory, Executive Assistant/Deputy City Clerk Varley.
LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Mayor Matthews read a statement acknowledging that Arcata sat on ancestral Wiyot land.
FLAG SALUTE
Mayor Matthews led the Pledge of Allegiance.
CEREMONIAL MATTERS
A. Certificate of Appreciation for Judith Mayer for Her 17 Years of Service on the Arcata Planning Commission.
Councilmember White read the certificate of appreciation and presented it to Judith Mayer who thanked the Council and her fellow Planning Commissioners and said that it had been an honor to serve on the Planning Commission.
B. Proclamation in Recognition of World Tai Chi Day, April 27, 2024.
Councilmember Atkins-Salazar read the proclamation and presented it to Glenda Hesseltine who said that this event was global, that everyone could participate in it, and that it was dedicated to connecting everyone globally.
C. Proclamation in Recognition of Bike Month, May 2024.
Councilmember Schaefer read the proclamation and presented it to Colin Fiske, from the Humboldt Bike Month Coalition, who shared the different ways that people could participate in Bike Month and noted that it was important to acknowledge that biking was for everyone.
D. Proclamation Recognizing May 2024 as National Historic Preservation Month.
Councilmember Stillman read the proclamation and presented it to Jeanette Cooper, a member of the Historic Landmarks Committee, who said the City was fortunate to have so many historic structures from different architectural eras.
EARLY ORAL COMMUNICATIONS
Mayor Matthews invited public comment.
Joanne McGarry asked for a report on funds spent to battle homelessness and recommended a citizens' oversight committee be formed. She asked that the Earth Flag be displayed next to the speaker's podium.
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Gregory Daggett spoke regarding the noise ordinance and said he had not seen a change in enforcement relative to loud car mufflers.
Fred Weis read from a letter the Arcata Fire District (AFD) had sent to the City Council regarding building height and recommending that building permits not be issued until AFD had secured funding to expand its programs.
Mark Kimbrow recommended that, if Arcata wanted to transition into a "Smart City," that should be a decision made with the help of the public. He asked if Arcata had a digital code of ethics.
Mayor Matthews closed the public comment period.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Councilmember Stillman requested item A be removed from the Consent Calendar for further discussion.
Mayor Matthews invited public comment. None was received. Mayor Matthews closed the public comment period.
Councilmember Schaefer clarified that Councilmember Stillman just needed to recuse herself from the vote on item A and it didn't need to be pulled from the Calendar, which Councilmember Stillman agreed to do.
ON MOTION BY SCHAEFER, SECONDED BY ATKINS-SALAZAR, AND WITH A
UNANIMOUS VOICE VOTE WITH ONE ABSTENTION, THE COUNCIL ADOPTED THE CONSENT CALENDAR FOR APRIL 17, 2024. AYES: MATTHEWS, STILLMAN, ATKINS-SALAZAR, SCHAEFER, WHITE. NOES: NONE. ABSENT: NONE.
ABSTENTIONS: STILLMAN AS TO ITEM "A" ONLY (RECUSED).
A. Bi-Weekly Report on Disbursements.
B. Award Contract in the Amount of $77,114 to PACE Engineering for the Design and Project Management Services for the Alliance Intertie Electrical System Replacement Project; Authorize the City Manager to Increase the Contract Amount by up to $3,855.70, (5 Percent, for a Total Amount Not to Exceed $80,969.70); and Authorize the City Manager to Execute All Applicable Documents.
ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT CALENDAR
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OLD BUSINESS
A. Receive an Update on the Current Status of Registrations and Inspections for the City's Residential Rental Inspection Program (RRIP).
Building Official Bishop gave a presentation on the first year of the Residential Rental Inspection Program (RRIP). He explained the purpose of the program was to maintain the housing stock and insure life safety. He said there were 1,300 registered parcels, of those 311 were exempt, and staff had performed 100 inspections with two parcels requiring code enforcement. He said at this point there were roughly 200 parcels that still needed to register in the program. He said staff wanted the Council to discuss the scenario where a property was not owner occupied, but the person living in the unit was not paying rent, possibly because they were a family member. He said those homeowners felt they did not need to participate in the program because they were not collecting rent. He gave the Civil Code definitions of landlord and tenant/lessee/sub-lessee. He said that regardless of whether a tenant paid rent or not, they deserved the same protections in regard to their housing. He stated that some landlords were at the stage in the process where a Notice of Violation needed to be issued; after that, fines could be assessed.
On inquiry by Councilmember Atkins-Salazar, Building Official Bishop gave a hypothetical scenario where the tenant in a house had special needs and could not take on the responsibility of owning the house, so a family member was the legal owner. He said that in that instance, staff suggested perhaps an affidavit could be filed with the City to exempt that property from the RRIP and certify that the legal owner would be maintaining the smoke detectors, etc. He also described properties where the person living in the house was not a responsible individual and the actual owners of record were afraid of them. He said some of those were problem properties where the City had opened a code enforcement case. He said there were approximately a dozen cases that could qualify for an exemption.
Building Official Bishop suggested staff could draft an affidavit for an exemption that a nonoccupying owner could execute in which they would take responsibility for the property. He also suggested some properties could enroll in the program, but be exempted from the fees where appropriate.
Mayor Matthews invited public comment.
Joanne McGarry expressed her appreciation for the program and its function in ensuring rentals were safe for their tenants.
Mayor Matthews closed the public comment period.
BY GENERAL CONSENSUS, THE COUNCIL DIRECTED STAFF TO PROCEED
WITH CREATING A FEE WAIVER REQUEST FORM AND A REQUEST FOR
EXEMPTION FORM WITH AFFIDAVIT, AND AUTHORIZED STAFF TO MAKE THE
DETERMINATION AS TO WHEN GRANTING AN EXEMPTION FROM THE PROGRAM WAS WARRANTED.
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NEW BUSINESS
A. Public Hearing on Proposed Master Fee Schedule for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024-25.
Finance Director Miller explained that this item was a public hearing on adoption of the Master Fee Schedule for fiscal year 2024/2025. She described the different methods staff could use to establish and modify fees. She shared a graph depicting the percentage of revenue the City received from fees and described the different types of fees. She noted fees that were not being increased and said that this year one fee would be decreased-the Mobilehome Park Rent Stabilization Administration Fee.
Mayor Matthews opened the public hearing.
Gregory Daggett said the problem with increasing fees was that it was contradictory to the City's goal of providing affordable housing. He spoke about a lack of transparency in regard to the source of funds for the Wastewater Treatment Facility upgrades, noting the City had also recently increased wastewater fees for the consumers.
Joanne McGarry advocated for finding incentives to encourage people to use public transit.
Mayor Matthews closed the public hearing.
ON MOTION BY ATKINS-SALAZAR, SECONDED BY SCHAEFER, AND WITH A UNANIMOUS VOICE VOTE THE COUNCIL ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 234-42, A
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ARCATA UPDATING
THE MASTER FEE SCHEDULE FOR VARIOUS FEES AND SERVICE CHARGES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024/25. AYES: MATTHEWS, STILLMAN, ATKINS-SALAZAR, SCHAEFER, WHITE. NOES: NONE. ABSENT: NONE. ABSTENTIONS: NONE.
B. Potential Allocation of Remaining City Council Fiscal Year (FY) 2023-24 Community Support Funds.
Finance Director Miller said staff was requesting the Council determine how it wanted to allocate the remaining funds set aside at the beginning of the budget year for community support.
She said there was $45,000 initially, from which $3,000 was allocated to the CERT program, and there was an additional $20,000 in unspent American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds that had not been allocated.
Mayor Matthews clarified that of the ARPA funds, $10,000 was already committed to a project with the Wiyot tribe.
Mayor Matthews invited public comment.
Joanne McGarry suggested the City remove the lawn and plant a native plant garden in front of City Hall.
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Gregory Daggett recommended the City purchase a new street sweeper because the City hadn't had one for five years.
Mayor Matthews closed the public comment period.
ON MOTION BY SCHAEFER, SECONDED BY WHITE, AND WITH A UNANIMOUS
VOICE VOTE, THE COUNCIL ALLOCATED THE COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND REMAINING ARPA FUNDS AS FOLLOWS: PROJECT WITH THE WIYOT TRIBE— $10,000; CERT—$3,000; REMODELING OF WOODSMAN HALL—$10,000; FENCE ON NORTHEAST CORNER OF SAMOA BOULEVARD AND H STREET—$8,000; EQUITY ARCATA CHINATOWN PROJECT—$7,500; SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC ART— $10,000; WELCOME TO ARCATA SIGNAGE—$1,500; COMMUNITY GARDEN IN VALLEY WEST—$5,000; RESERVE FOR OTHER COMMUNITY SUPPORT—$10,000.
AYES: MATTHEWS, STILLMAN, ATKINS-SALAZAR, SCHAEFER, WHITE. NOES:
NONE. ABSENT: NONE. ABSTENTIONS: NONE.
ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
Mayor Matthews invited public comment.
Joanne McGarry thanked the Council for adopting its cease-fire resolution as she felt it had encouraged Eureka to consider adopting one also. She asked that the Earth Flag be posted next to the speaker's podium. She requested the City form a citizen's oversight committee for funds spent fighting homelessness.
Gregory Daggett asked that the annual report on the General Plan be amended to accurately reflect non-compliance with the City's the Safety Element. He asked if the Police Department was citing drivers who got into accidents. He noted Humboldt County's traffic fatalaties were the highest in the nation.
Fred Weis spoke about the process involved in considering adoption of the Gateway Form-Based Code, and noted the number of errors in the Code.
Chris Richards recommended making the guidelines regarding public comment more fluid to encourage public engagement. He asked the Council to put in writing its plans for the L Street corridor.
Lisa Brown thanked former Planning Commissioner Judith Mayer for her years of service and dedication to Arcata.
John Emig noted several locations in Valley West on City property that he felt needed attention.
He asked for more police presence in Valley West, including a regular patrol through the Courtyards.
Jim Becker requested the Council move forward with visioning for the L Street corridor.
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Mayor Matthews closed Oral and Written Communications.
COUNCIL AND STAFF REPORTS
City Manager Diemer reported that work had begun on the ADA ramp at Woodsman Hall in Valley West. She confirmed the City did have a working street sweeper that she had recently seen out sweeping the streets. She said the new street sweeper was on order and had been for possibly 10 months. She said the Council would receive an update on the Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrade Project in May. She explained that when the City had increased wastewater rates, it had promised to seek grant funding for the Wastewater Treatment Facility Upgrade Project to offset some of the costs.
Councilmember White reported she had attended the Humboldters' Guide to Housing seminar.
She announced a clean-up at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary sponsored by Humboldt Pet Supply on Saturday, April 20, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
Councilmember Stillman said she looked forward to the outcome of the partnership between Cal Poly Humboldt, the City, and Arcata Fire District to address building height and dimensions.
She said the McKenny property in Valley West was pretty much cleaned up. She announced Godwit Days would take place April 18–21, 2024, and described some of the events.
Mayor Matthews announced the Plaza would be closed to traffic during the Farmers' Market beginning April 20, 2024. She commended John Shelter and his crew for their work cleaning up at the Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary.
Councilmember Atkins-Salazar encouraged the public to view the recording of the April 16, 2024, City Council special meeting, specifically the presentation on the Capital Improvement Program. She reported on her and Councilmember Schaefer's attendance at a meeting of the Alliance for Housing and Climate Solutions. She reported she and other Council Members attended a workshop hosted by the Coalition for Responsible Transportation Priorities. She announced she would be attending a meeting of the Humboldt County Association of Governments on April 18, 2024.
Councilmember Schaefer reported on her attendance at a Young Professionals' Mixer hosted by the Arcata Chamber of Commerce on April 12, 2024, and a meeting of the Arcata/Camoapa Sister City Committee. She announced she would be attending an upcoming meeting of the Board of Directors of Redwood Coast Energy Authority. She announced she and Mayor Matthews would be traveling with other leaders from Humboldt County to tour offshore wind facilities in Massachusetts.
DATES OF FUTURE MEETINGS
City Manager Diemer listed upcoming meetings as follows:
May1 and 15—regular City Council meetings
May 29—special City Council meeting to discuss the General Plan and Gateway Area Plan June 5—regular City Council meeting
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June 12—special City Council meeting to discuss/adopt the Fiscal Year 2024/25 Annual Budget June 19—cancel the regular City Council meeting due to the Juneteenth holiday
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 8:07 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Rhea Varley
Executive Assistant/Deputy City Clerk