January 24, 2022 Page 1
CITY OF BISHOP
CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
JANUARY 24, 2022
1. CALL TO ORDER – 6:00 P.M. Monday, January 24, 2022
Mayor Schwartz called the meeting of the Bishop City Council to order at 6:00 p.m. via video conference coordinated from the City Council Chambers, 301 West Line Street, Bishop, California.
2. INVOCATION
Sherry O’Connell of The Salvation Army was not present to conduct the invocation scheduled for this meeting.
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Schwartz.
4. ROLL CALL
PRESENT:
Councilmember Kong
Councilmember Garcia
Councilmember Muchovej
Mayor Schwartz
ABSENT AND EXCUSED:
Mayor Pro Tem Ellis
OTHERS PRESENT:
Deston Dishion, Acting City Administrator and Public Works Director Robin Picken, City Clerk
Dean J. Pucci, City Attorney
Joe Dell, Fire Chief
Richard Standridge, Police Chief
Elaine Kabala, Associate Planner/Economic Development Coordinator Dan McElroy, Community Services Manager
5. PUBLIC COMMENT – NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC: This time is set aside to receive public comment on matters not calendared on the agenda. When recognized by the Mayor, please state your name and address for the record and please limit your comments to three minutes. Under California law the City Council is prohibited from generally discussing or taking action on items not included in the agenda; however, the City Council may briefly respond to comments or questions from members of the public. Therefore, the City Council
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will listen to all public comment but will not generally discuss the matter or take action on it.
6. PRESENTATIONS
A. BUSINESS RESOURCE CENTER BUSINESS PLAN – Council to hear a presentation on the Business Resource Center Business Plan in Bishop presented by Inyo County Administrative Analyst Miquela Beall, Thea Chase of AccompanyCo., and Gabe Preston of RPI Consulting.
Item 6A
Inyo County Administrative Analyst Miquela Beall introduced this presentation to Council.
The presentation was made by Thea Chase of AccompanyCo. and Gabe Preston of RPI Consulting. Ms. Beall and Inyo County Administrative Officer Leslie Chapman addressed the next steps for the Business Resource Center Business Plan.
Public comments were made by:
Allan Pietrasanta, who is a participant in the development of the Business Resource Center (BRC) from its inception, thanked the City staff, County staff, and the consultants for all their work on this project for the benefit of all of us in Bishop and the Eastern Sierra. He spoke in favor of the BRC Business Plan and encouraged Council to dig further into the information provided on this project to understand how the BRC Business Plan will help businesses and potential entrepreneurs.
No further public comments were made.
After the presenters answered all of Council's questions, Council thanked all the presenters for their presentation.
7. CHAMBER OF COMMERCE & VISTORS BUREAU UPDATE – Executive Director Tawni Thomson.
Item 7
Executive Director Tawni Thomson reviewed her report with Council on the Bishop Area Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Bureau activities.
8. EASTERN SIERRA TRI-COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS QUARTERLY UPDATE – Council to review and discuss the Eastern Sierra Tri-County Fairgrounds Quarterly Update Report prepared by Chief Executive Officer Jen McGuire.
Item 8
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Chief Executive Officer Jen McGuire reviewed her report with Council on the Eastern Sierra Tri-County Fairgrounds activities and events.
9. DEPARTMENT REPORTS - Updates on department activities will be given by the Department Heads and/or their staff.
Reports from the Fire, Police, Public Works, Community Services, Planning, and Administration Departments were given on each department’s activities including upcoming and ongoing projects.
A. Fire Chief Joe Dell
Fire Chief Dell reported to Council on EMS staffing for rodeos and other events coming up at the Tri-County Fairgrounds, and the start of fire inspections coming soon.
B. Police Chief Richard Standridge
Police Chief Standridge reported to Council on a meeting with all of the local health and law enforcement partners to share information and to work together; a meeting with Marilyn Mann of Inyo County Health and Human Services to develop a plan to make critical incident training available for all of our law enforcement agencies, first responders, and health care providers; current training of Police Officers Karla Jimenez, Rashell Gosvener, and Officer-in-Training Cody Lawson; the receipt of a number of applications received for the new Officer-in-Training position, a new dispatcher who started work today, and the start of a “County Chiefs Meeting” which will meet monthly at first and will include Bishop Police Chief, Inyo County Sheriff, Inyo County District Attorney, Bishop Paiute Tribe Police Chief, and Inyo County Probation Chief. Chief Standridge also mentioned that he will start presenting Council with a written report every second meeting of each month. Any additional highlights not covered in his report will be provided to Council during Department Reports.
C. Public Works Director Deston Dishion
Public Works Director Dishion reported to Council on the Trunk Line Replacement Project starting January 31, 2022; the submission of a $500,000 grant pre-application to the California State Water Resources Control Board for the planning and design of a new wastewater treatment plant; the promotion of Public Works Maintenance Worker Hector Martinez to Public Works Lead Maintenance Worker, and an update on his current work with Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to address the Materials Pit agreement discussed at the last Council meeting.
D. Community Services Manager Dan McElroy
Community Services Manager McElroy reported to Council on the submission of the Proposition 68 Rural and Tourism grant application for $2.6 million of improvements for the City Park; addressing tree work at Sunrise Mobile Home Park and arrangements are
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being made to remove Unit 14 within a week; installation of new pool heat exchanger, preparation of the City ball fields for high school sports and spring soccer, preparation for summer and summer camps, and announced that the Parks and Recreation Commission is meeting on Wednesday, January 26 at 6 PM.
E. Associate Planner/Economic Development Coordinator Elaine Kabala Associate Planner/Economic Development Coordinator Kabala reported to Council on current work with the grant consultants to develop a grant application for Caltrans Clean California Grant to specifically implement a wayfinding program for downtown Bishop and for providing gateway monuments as you are coming into the community, the continuation of CEQA work for the Downtown Specific Plan; the cannabis business applications to be reviewed by the selected consultants; and finalizing the agreement with California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) for CDBG CARES Act relieve funding that will allow the City to hire a consultant to help distribute the available funding into the community.
F. Acting City Administrator Deston Dishion
Acting City Administrator Dishion reported to Council on a meeting with Adam Perez of LADWP to discuss projects at the local level; a meeting with Assistant County Administrator Meaghan McCamman and Associate Planner Kabala to discuss how to tackle the housing issue in our area; a meeting with Community Services staff on implementing COVID protocol for the After School Program; and working with all staff in addressing deficiencies, where we need help, and what we need to do moving forward.
10. CONSENT CALENDAR – NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC: All matters under the Consent Calendar are considered routine by the City and will be acted on by one motion.
A. FOR APPROVAL/FILING
1. A Resolution Making the Legally Required Findings to Continue to Authorize the Conduct of Remote “Telephonic” Meetings During the State of Emergency Item 10A.1
2. A Resolution Approving Tentative Parcel Map No. 428 (APN 008-360-08) Item 10A.2
B. FOR INFORMATION/FILING
1. Public Works Building Permits Report - December 2021 Item 10B.1
2. Planning Commission Meeting Cancellation Notice – January 25, 2022 Item 10B.2
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No public comments were made.
Motion/Councilmember Muchovej Seconded/Councilmember Kong Councilmember Muchovej made a motion to approve the Consent Calendar as presented. Motion passed 4-0.
Ayes: Councilmembers Kong, Garcia, Muchovej, and Mayor Schwartz Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: Mayor Pro Tem Ellis
11. NEW BUSINESS
A. WASTE MANAGEMENT AND RECYCLING SERVICES AGREEMENT
– Council consideration to approve the proposed waste management and recycling services agreement with Preferred Septic – Community Services.
Item 11A
Community Services Manager McElroy reviewed this item with Council.
No public comments were made.
Motion/Councilmember Muchovej Seconded/Councilmember Kong Councilmember Muchovej made a motion to approve the proposed waste management and recycling services agreement with Preferred Septic. Motion passed 4-0.
Ayes: Councilmembers Kong, Garcia, Muchovej, and Mayor Schwartz Noes: None
Abstain: None
Absent: Mayor Pro Tem Ellis
12. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Councilmembers Kong and Muchovej asked to bring back a discussion on parking and the sign ordinance on a future agenda before April.
Acting City Administrator Dishion asked Council for clarification on what Council would like to see come back to them at their next regularly scheduled meeting regarding the City’s values statement. After a brief discussion, Council directed staff to bring back the City’s Values Statement for Council to recite it again and if any Council Member has anything to add, please forward it to City Administrator Dishion. Council explained that by re-reading the statement, this will give the Council the opportunity to update it if needed.
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No further requests were made for future agendas items.
13. COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
Council Members reported on committee meetings and announced upcoming community events.
14. ADJOURNMENT - Monday, February 14, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. Regular Meeting in the City Council Chambers.
The Mayor adjourned the meeting at 7:48 p.m. to the City Council Meeting scheduled for Monday, February 14, 2022 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers. ____________________________________________________
Karen Schwartz, Mayor
Attest: ______________________________
Robin Picken, City Clerk