Minutes of the Blythe City Council Meeting
December 10, 2024
The December 10, 2024 meeting of the Blythe City Council was called to order at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers by Mayor DeConinck. Also in attendance were Vice Mayor Rodriguez, Council Members Halby and Burton and Council Member Elect Spraggins. Staff in attendance included: Interim City Manager and City Clerk Crecelius, City Attorney Roberto, Finance Director Elms, Chief Building Official Brown, Public Works Director Elegores, Police Chief Dale and Fire Chief Hasler.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor DeConinck.
The Invocation was led by Councilman Burton.
Interim City Manager Crecelius asked Council to approve a change in Agenda order starting with Presentations, followed by Consent Calendar, the Certification of Election then moving on to New Business. This will allow Supervisor Perez to attend the Certification of Election this evening.
No public comment. Vice Mayor Rodriguez moved approval of staff’s recommendation. The motion was seconded by Council Member Halby with a unanimous aye vote.
PRESENTATION:
Blythe Strengthening Community. Michelle DeArmond, Executive Director of Riverside University Health System and Allison Gonzalez, Assistant Director made a presentation related to integrating services, the problems that have been identified in obtaining county services and what they are doing to address them, specifically in Blythe.
Mayor DeConinck asked to move to the Certification of Election.
CERTIFICATION OF ELECTION:
Declaration of Election Results, Installation of New Officers, and Reorganization of the City Council. Interim City Manager and City Clerk Crecelius stated On June 11, 2024, the City Council called a General Municipal Election to be held on November 5, 2024, for the purpose of electing two Members of the City Council. The City’s General Municipal Election was held on November 5, 2024, and consolidated with the Statewide General Election conducted by the Riverside County Registrar of Voters. The Riverside County Registrar of Voters has canvassed the returns, certified the results and submitted the Certificate of Registrar of Voters to the Results of the Canvass of Election Returns and Statement of Votes Cast to the City Clerk.
Pursuant to California Elections Code section 10263, the City Council is required to adopt a resolution reciting the facts of the election and the other matters and declaring the results of the election. Summer Spraggins and Samuel Burton were elected as Members of the City Council, each for a full term of four years. Therefore, it is recommended that the Council adopt Resolution No. 2024-037 declaring the results of the General Municipal Election held on November 5, 2024. Following the Council’s adoption of Resolution No. 2024-037, the Oath of Office will be administered. Pursuant to California Government Code section 36801, following the declaration of the election results and the installation of elected officials, the City Council is required to select from its Members a Mayor and Vice Mayor. The City Clerk will conduct the nominations and selection of the Mayor. The selected Mayor will conduct the nominations and selection of the Vice Mayor. Voting for each office will be handled by roll call vote.
No public comment. Vice Mayor Rodriguez moved adoption of Resolution No. 2024-037. The motion was seconded by Council Member Burton with a unanimous aye vote.
Summer Spraggins and Samuel Burton were administered the Oath of Office by Riverside County District Supervisor V. Manuel Perez.
Interim City Manager and City Clerk Crecelius opened nominations for the Office of Mayor.
Council Member Burton nominated Councilman DeConinck. No other nominations were received. By roll call vote, aye votes for Joseph DeConinck to serve as Mayor were received from Council Members Rodriguez, Spraggins, Burton, Halby and DeConinck. Mayor DeConinck was seated as Mayor.
Mayor DeConinck opened nominations for the Office of Vice Mayor. Council Member Burton nominated Johnny Rodriguez. No other nominations were received. By roll call vote, aye for Johnny Rodriguez to serve as Vice Mayor were received from Council Members Rodriguez, Spraggins, Burton, Halby and Mayor DeConinck.
CONSENT CALENDAR: Items on the Consent Calendar are considered routine and will be enacted with one motion of the Council. If any item requires individual consideration, it will be removed from the consent calendar and acted upon separately.
3. Posting of the Agenda.
The summary of agenda items were posted on the bulletin boards on the outside of the public entrance to the Council Chamber and near the inside entrance of the Council Chamber on Friday, December 6, 2024.
4. Approval of the Warrant Register.
Recommendation: Approve 12/10/24, warrants numbered 10873 through 10893 and 78922 through 78978 in the amount of $1,056,482.80 and 12/10/24, Utility Billing Refund warrants numbered 78979 through 78894 in the amount of $549.76 and 12/10/24, warrants numbered 10894 through 10908 and 78985 through 79020 in the amount of $1,266,700.98.
5. Approval of the Payroll Register.
Recommendation: Approve 12/10/24, warrants numbered 54830 through 54849 and Direct Deposit warrants numbered 60385 through 60457 in the amount of $297,291.79; 12/10/24, warrant numbered 54850 and Direct Deposit warrant numbered 60458 in the amount of $27,163.14; 12/10/24, warrant numbered 54851 and Direct Deposit warrants numbered 60459 through 60468 in the amount of $30,550.37; 12/10/24, warrants numbered 54852 through 54868 and Direct Deposit warrants numbered 60469 through 60538 in the amount of $272,742.30 and 12/10/24, warrants numbered 54869 through 54880 and Direct Deposit warrants numbered 60539 through 60634 in the amount of $93,145.76.
6. Minutes of the November 12, 2024, City Council Meeting.
Recommendation: Approve the Minutes of the November 12, 2024, Meeting.
7. City of Blythe Permits Issued for the Month of November 2024.
Recommendation: Receive and file the monthly report.
8. City of Blythe Fire Department Monthly Activity Report for November 2024.
Recommendation: Receive and file the monthly report.
9. City of Blythe Police Department Monthly Activity Report for November 2024.
Recommendation: Receive and file the monthly report.
10. Quality of Life Program Activity Report for November 2024.
Recommendation: Receive and file the monthly report.
11. Grant Agreement with U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration for City of Blythe WattEV I-10 Charging Terminal Project and Memorandum of Understanding with WattEV.
Recommendation: Authorize the Interim City Manager to execute all grant documents required to accept the Fiscal Year 2022/23 U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration Charging and Fueling Infrastructure Discretionary Grant, including but not limited to, the grant agreement with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, including any amendments to such documents, once approved by the City Attorney and to accept and administer the grant and authorize the Interim City Manager to execute a Memorandum of Understanding with WattEV in connection with the grant and project, including, but not limited to, WattEV’s contribution of $6,781,453.
12. Community Facilities District No. 2004-1 Annual Report.
Recommendation: Receive and file the Community Facilities District (CFD) No. 2004-1 Special Tax Bonds, Series 2005 Annual Report.
No public comment. Vice Mayor Rodriguez moved approval of the Consent Calendar. The motion was seconded by Council Member Burton with a unanimous aye vote.
NEW BUSINESS:
Continued Participation in the Post-Release Accountability and Compliance Team.
Police Chief Dale reported the Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011 resulted in certain convicted felons and parolees being monitored by State Parole being moved to supervision by County Probation Departments. On August 30, 2011, the Community Corrections Partnership Executive Committee of Riverside County voted on the need for a county-wide law enforcement component. The eleven City Police Chiefs, County Sherriff Department, District Attorney’s Office and County Probation Department have bult infrastructure to support this enforcement.
The Post-Release Accountability and Compliance Team (PACT) is a countywide multijurisdictional team comprised of police officers, probation officers, and Deputy Sheriffs. The primary mission is to work with the County Probation Department to focus on high risk and at large offenders that pose the most risk to public safety. PACT can share information, serve warrants, locate and apprehend violators, and reduce the number of offenders who have absconded. The support of PACT allows probation more time and resources to focus on case management, treatment needs and compliance with court orders. The Blythe Police Department joined the East PACT two years ago. The team has been very successful in both Blythe and the east end of Riverside County. East PACT has conducted over 400 compliance searches and made over 43 arrests in Blythe since Blythe PD joined. The City has an opportunity to add an additional officer to the PACT team. The City would be reimbursed up to an additional $238,150 per year through June 30, 2028. This will cover salary, benefits, vehicle and equipment for this officer. Should funding for this officer cease, the employee would be removed from PACT and the extra position eliminated. By adding an officer, the City will benefit from more operations and support. The PACT team is an essential part of the Blythe Police Department’s coordinated and Proactive approach to stopping crime in violence in our community.
Council Member Halby asked if the vehicle expense was covered. Chief Dale reported the City is reimbursed up to $238,000 per office. A Blythe Police Officer costs about $115,000 so there is extra funding to purchase a vehicle, equipment and for overtime expense.
No Public Comment. Vice Mayor Rodriguez moved approval of staff’s recommendation. The motion was seconded by Council Member Burton with a unanimous aye vote.
Central Garage Staffing. Interim City Manager Crecelius reported in February, Council approved funding for a limited term employee to work in Central Garage as a Purchasing Warehouseman. With the adoption of the 2024/25 Operating and Capital Budget, funding was approved for a full-time position. The limited term employee has continued in the role of Warehouseman while Management worked through the logistics of a long-term appointment.
Through this limited-term assignment, staff determined that the Equipment Mechanic position would be better suited for the operation of Public Works. As the Warehouseman, the limited term employee has spent time on minor vehicle repair and maintenance such as oil and air filter changes, battery replacement, vehicle maintenance scheduling and parts and vehicle running.
Doing minor repairs in-house and farming out the lager repairs will save the City money. Staff believes the Equipment Mechanic would be a more well-rounded position for Central Garage, as the employee hired would be able to assist with vehicle maintenance and repair when it made sense, while staying on top of inventory and housing keeping in the shop. As such, staff would like to fund the Equipment Mechanic position instead of the Warehouseman position. There will be no additional cost to the City in doing so. Therefore, staff recommends Council reallocate the funding adopted in the FY 2024/25 Budget for the position of Purchasing Warehouseman to Equipment Mechanic and add the position of Equipment Mechanic to the list of funded positions for FY 2024/25 by adopting Resolution No. 2024-038. The revised Schedule of Authorized Positions also reflects the addition of a Police Officer position as requested in the PACT staff report. The resolution also includes language authorizing the Interim City Manager to transfer positions within existing funded classifications and reorganize departments under the Interim City Manager’s authority, if the Interim City Manager determines such actions will result in a higher degree of efficiency of overall City operations.
No public comment. Vice Mayor Rodriguez moved approval of staff’s recommendation. The motion was seconded by Board Member Spraggins with a unanimous aye vote.
Pumping Station #5 Renovation Project- Change Order No. 1. Public Works Director Elegores reported the City’s Sewer Utility operates a network of nineteen sewer lift stations designed to pump sewer flow to the WasteWater Treatment Plant. Every year the budget contemplates funding for the renovation or rehabilitation of identified sewer lift stations. In the current Fiscal Year, Sewer Pump Station #5, located in the Public Works Yard was identified for rehabilitation. On June 11, 2024, the City Council awarded the project to Cholla Construction as the lowest responsible bidder. When the project was originally designed, staff anticipated performing the necessary bypass of the sewer lift station while the contractor installed the new pumps and control panel. Staff estimated the bypass would not last more than a day, while the current system was offline, and the new system hooked in place. After a pre-construction meeting with the contractor, it was determined a bypass was needed for much longer than anticipated. The contractor would need a week to install the new electrical components and a week to plumb in the new piping. As staff anticipated a short-term bypass, the City does not have the manpower or equipment to run a bypass for that amount of time. As having the contractor install the bypass was not part of the original scope of work for this project, Cholla Construction was asked to provide a proposed change order to address the bypass needed to complete this project. The change order increases Cholla Construction’s total compensation to $259,856.
Therefore, staff recommends Council authorize the Interim City Manager to approve Change Order No. 1 submitted by Cholla Construction in an amount not to exceed $65,920.00, increasing the established project budget from $218,936 to $284,856.
Mayor DeConinck stated odor is an issue at that Sewer Lift Station.
No public comment. Council Member Halby moved approval of staff’s recommendation. The motion was seconded by Vice Mayor Rodriguez with a unanimous aye vote.
Closure of City Hall and Public Works on December 23, 2024. Interim City Manager Crecelius stated as the Christmas holiday falls on Tuesday and Wednesday, there is a request from staff to close Monday, December 23, 2024. This will allow staff to have an extended holiday to spend with family. The weeks of Christmas and New Years are typically slow, with minimal foot traffic in City Hall. The City’s 24/7 operations, the Police Department, Water Treatment Plant and Wastewater Treatment Plant would remain open. On-call personnel would be available to address water/sewer and street maintenance issues afterhours and one the days the City is closed. The Recreation Center would also remain open on December 23rd to serve youth on Winter Break. Staff would be required to use personal time off for the 23rd. Therefore, It is recommended Council authorize the closure of City Hall and Public Works on December 23, 2024, with normal operations resuming December 26, 2024.
No public comment. Council Member Burton moved approval of staff’s recommendation. The motion was seconded by Council Member Spraggins with a unanimous aye vote.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Thomas House asked for a waiver of the Business License late fees.
ORAL REPORTS:
Interim City Manager Crecelius reported on the Christmas event being held at the Recreation Center on December 20th and a Free Tire Collection event being held on December 14, 2024.
Council Member Halby reported on the Christmas Parde and Rotary Tamale Festival. The Temale Festival was amazing, if you didn’t attend, you missed out.
Council Member Spraggins thanked the community for their trust and support. I am honored and humbled. I look forward to working and improving the City.
Mayor DeConinck reported on the Christmas Parade and thanked the Pink Trash Bags for trash pick up after the event. The Tamale Festival had one heck of a turn out. Most of the tamale vendors sold out.
ADJOURN: The City Council meeting was adjourned at 7:18pm. ________________________________
Joseph DeConinck, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________
Mallory Crecelius, City Clerk