Minutes of the Blythe City Council Meeting
August 26, 2025
The August 26, 2025 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 and Council Members Halby, Burton and Spraggins. Staff in attendance included: Interim City Manager and City Clerk Crecelius, City Attorney Roberto, Finance Director and City Treasurer Elms, Chief Building Official Brown, Public Works Director Elegores, Fire Chief Hasler and Police Chief Dale.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor DeConinck.
The Invocation was led by Councilman Burton.
REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION:
City Attorney Roberto stated there was no reportable action from Closed Session.
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.
1. Posting of the Agenda.
The agenda was 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 and on the City’s website on Friday, August 22, 2025.
2. Approval of the Warrant Register.
Recommendation: Approve 8/26/25, warrants numbered 11154 through 11169 and 79839 through 79896 in the amount of $459,053.92; 8/26/25, warrants numbered 11170 through 11182 and 79897 through 79932 in the amount of $2,829,696.30; 8/26/25, Utility Billing Refund warrants numbered 79933 through 79944 in the amount of $1,613.28; 8/26/25, warrants numbered 11190 through 11199 and 79445 through 79953 and 79970 through 80024 in the amount of $612,746.39, 8/26/25, warrants numbered 11183 through 11189 and 79954 through 79969 in the amount of $193,114.23; 8/26/25 warrants numbered 80025 through 80033 in the amount of $23,608.13; 8/26/25 warrants numbered 11200 through 11215 and 80034 through 80078 in the amount of $1,176,719.02, and 8/26/25 Utility Billing Refund warrants numbered 80079 through 80087 in the amount of $566.45.
3. Approval of the Payroll Register.
Recommendation: Approve 8/26/25, warrants numbered 55251 through 55262 and Direct Deposits warrants numbered 62426 through 62525 in the amount of $91,419.22; 8/26/25, warrant numbered 55263 and Direct Deposits warrants numbered 62526 in the amount of $3,289.30; 8/26/25, warrants numbered 55264 through 55265 in the amount of $923.11; 8/26/25, warrants numbered 55266 through 55284 and Direct Deposits warrants numbered 62527 through 62604 in the amount of $302,855.98; 8/26/25, warrant numbered 55285, and Direct Deposits warrants numbered 62605 through 62612 in the amount of $6,587.22; 8/26/25, warrants numbered 55286 through 55302 and Direct Deposits warrants numbered 62613 through 62690 in the amount of $323,019.58; 8/26/25, warrants numbered 55303 through 55314 and Direct Deposits warrants numbered 62691 through 62791 in the amount of $98,163.70; 8/26/25, warrants numbered 55315 through 55332 and Direct Deposits warrants numbered 62792 through 62869 in the amount of $302,055.53, and 8/26/25, warrants numbered 55333 through 55334 in the amount of $1,403.60.
4. Minutes of the July 8, 2025, City Council Meeting.
Recommendation: Approve the Minutes of the July 8, 2025 Meeting.
5. Minutes of the August 5, 2025, Special City Council Meeting.
Recommendation: Approve Minutes of the August 5, 2025 Special Meeting.
6. City of Blythe Permits Issued in the Month of July 2025.
Recommendation: Receive and file the monthly report.
7. City of Blythe Fire Department Monthly Activity Report for July 2025.
Recommendation: Receive and file the monthly report.
8. City of Blythe Police Department Monthly Activity Report for July 2025.
Recommendation: Receive and file the monthly report.
9. Quality of Life Program Activity Report for July 2025.
Recommendation: Receive and file the monthly report.
10. Agreement between City and Tripepi Smith & Associates for Communications and Marketing Services.
Recommendation: Authorize the Interim City Manager to execute Agreement No. 2025-049 A with Tripepi Smith & Associates, Inc. for continued communication support services in such final form as approved by the City Attorney.
11. Ratification of Agreement for Abatement Services with R&L Watkins, Inc. for the Emergency Abatement at 316 W. Hobsonway.
Recommendation: Ratify the Agreement for Abatement Services with R&L Watkins, Inc. for the emergency abatement at 316 W. Hobsonway.
12. Authorization to Apply for Multiple Grants, Seeking Grant Funding Totaling $780,000, From the Palo Verde Irrigation District/Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Community Enhancement Collaborative.
Recommendation: Council adopt Resolution No. 2025-023:
RESOLUTION NO. 2020-023. A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BLYTHE, CALIFORNIA,
AUTHORIZING THE APPLICATION FOR GRANT FUNDS FROM THE PALO VERDE IRRIGATION DISTRICT AND
THE METROPOLITAN WATER DISTRICT OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY ENHANCEMENT
COLLABORATIVE AND AUTHORIZING THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER OR HER DESIGNEE TO EXECUTE ALL GRANT APPLICATION DOCUMENTS.
City Clerk Crecelius stated that the first page of Resolution No. 2025-023 is missing from the Agenad. Copies of the full Resolution have been made available to the Council and public.
Council Member Halby asked to pull item No. 12 from the Consent Calendar.
Public Comment. Leslie Jessop-Watkins with R&L Watkins Inc. wanted to speak on Item No. 11.
First and foremost, I would like to thank the Blythe Fire and Police Departments and all other responders of the initial fire. The Fire Department’s hard work saved the four adjacent buildings.
They are to be commended for their quick response and efforts. I would like to recognize the entire team that made the project possible: Richard Hoover, Jonathan Hoover and Jacob Hoover with RE Hoover, Cody and Kelly Addington with Addington Land Management, Julie Padilla, Ruben Morales, Gustavo Alcala and Teddy Palmaris with CR&R, Roberto Flores, Earl Sonner, Terry Churchwell, Mark Barth Jr., Jacob Lopez and Morgann Brown with Public Works, Jason Brown, Adrian Ramirez, Lauren Ray and Michelle VanDyke with the Building Department and of course Mallory Crecelius. Your city staff were incredible to work with. Also, CB Plumbing, Officer Luis Landeros with Blythe PD, and Jim Morris and Dalton Churchwell with the Fire Department who were on standby while we took the unstable walls down. The staff at our business, Abigail Alday, Molly Rodriguez and Fernando Mejia Jr and Tim and Rob Holt with the Holt Group. Our names are on a piece of paper, but these are the people that made this happen. I was so proud of our community for pulling together the way they did.
Council Member Halby moved approval of Consent Calendar Items 1-11. The motion was seconded by Council Member Burton with a unanimous aye vote.
Authorization to Apply for Multiple Grants, Seeking Funding Totaling $780,000 from the Palo Verde Irrigation District/Metropolitan Water District of Southern California Community Enhancement Collaborative. Councilman Halby stated MWD and PVID have come together to do another grant like the CIF. That is to enhance the community for non-profits and the private sector. I don’t feel that the City should be applying, it’s for the community. These items should be part of a budget study session. The spirit of the grants is for the private sector and community and none of the things here do that.
Public Comment. Ryan Copple recognized the Blythe Police Department and the role they take in keeping our community safe. My concern is not about the value of law enforcement, but how we as a city should prioritize and allocate funds. The City has requested $780,000 from the Community Enhancement Fund for the Blythe Police Department. The key word here is community enhancement. We are overlooking our youth and the critical condition of our parks.
We have teams that want to host tournaments here if the fields are better. This is an opportunity not only for our children but for local businesses and the City’s economy. What policy was used to decide where these funds would go? Were there alternatives? I am asking the Council to table Item No. 12 and go back to the drawing board, to get the community involved and consider using these funds for our parks.
Leslie Jessop-Watkins stated she is the Chair of the Community Advisory Committee who makes recommendations to the CEC for funding. The committee is a nine-person committee that is very broad and have a wealth of knowledge and are interested in some of the things Mr. Copple said, including economic viability. Our Bylaws are not even approved yet, so approvals are not happening yet. We are going through the process of getting the grant policy completely done and by October will start reviewing the grant applications in the file. I want to assure the community that the committee charged with making recommendations to the CEC will do it diligently and carefully.
Interim City Manager Crecelius stated each department is responsible for their own grants. This is the first one brought by the Police Department, but there will be more. I am working with a community member to present an application to purchase new Christmas Decorations for the downtown. We’ve had conversations about Miller and Todd Parks. We’ve received requests to put playground equipment in Bommer Park. I would like to leverage CDBG funding with this fund to do that. So yes, this is the first initial application but there are a lot of other things in the works that have a community benefit and that will benefit the youth.
Councilman Halby reiterated that the City should not be applying for these funds. We as a City have plenty of grant opportunities to apply for things. It’s rare when things come across for the non-profits and private sector.
Chief Dale said I have been waiting for this opportunity for two years. When the applications were distributed, we went right to work on applications and applied right when they opened.
Anyone can apply and I don’t know why the school wouldn’t or other organizations wouldn’t. I would be glad to help anyone with the forms form what I have learned.
Steve Goad started the Pink Trash Bags. I have sprayed the weeds around the City. I don’t think anyone gives a damn about the children. I have been trying to get lights on at West Side Park for two years so the kids can play basketball there. All of the money should go towards the parks and the children.
Vice Mayor Rodriguez stated the Chief had been speaking to MWD long before this money was available to try to get them to donate other money. We would all benefit from public safety equipment, indirectly and our officers would benefit directly. The Chief was asked by MWD to present things to them before this funding became available. I also had conversations with our Congressman to take it away from them and to give it directly to our community and I thought it should be more money. If you look at the legislation we got the bottom dollar. That upset me and our Congressman. The City. or at least I did try to get that up to benefit the community. Not everyone will be happy or get what they want but I hope everyone gets something.
A community member reported her son fell in a gopher hole in the park and lost his front teeth.
Vice Mayor Rodriguez moved approval of staff’s recommendation. The motion was seconded by Council Member Spraggins with aye votes from DeConinck, Rodriguez, Burton and Spraggins and a no vote from Halby.
CONTINUED BUSINESS:
Palo Verde Hospital Ad Hoc Committee Update. Interim City Manager Crecelius stated staff continue to work with the County and the working groups they formed to address the issues at Palo Verde Healthcare District. We are waiting on the results of the LAFCO Municipal Service Review which should be presented to the Board at the September 25th meeting.
Vice Mayor Rodriguez reported that the County CEO stated in our last meeting that they will work with us to keep the hospital open. They do not want to see it closed. They will commit funds to keep current operations until the MSR is done.
No public comment. The item was received and filed.
ORAL REPORTS:
Council Member Burton stated I have been an umpire for the past 20+ years and have refereed. I don’t want the narrative to be that we don’t care about the kids because we do. Parents are involved when their kids are in school but then they leave. We want to commend the people that stay and continue. I want to commend our Interim City Manager Mallory Crecelius, Council Member Summer Spraggins and Assembly Member Gonzalez’s Chief of Staff Ashley Yanez for attending a musical competition at Ironwood State Prison. The Inmate population is part of the City and for them to take their time to come out makes a positive impact.
Council Member Halby recognized the Office Jerry White who assisted with the recent drowning.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Ryan Copple made comments related to unsafe and outdated parks and fields and sports leagues and sign-ups. This season one of my players tripped and fell and lost his front teeth. At Miller Park flooding happens and there are unsanitary restroom conditions and no shade. Solutions exist but are told that the City has stopped volunteers from addressing these issues. Our Interim City Manager is stretched too thin and needs support. Blythe needs a full-time City Manager with a team that can focus on the needs of the community.
Interim City Manager Crecelius stated last year there were conversations about extending signups, taking them through skills assessments and the late fee. This year changes were made. There are no late fees. Sign-ups were extended by 1 week to this Friday. Skills assessments are on Tuesday with Monday being a holiday. By the time signups end on Monday night at 7:30pm we have Tuesday to get everything ready for sills assessment. Sign-ups lasted for 8 weeks, starting in June and ending this Friday. Little League maintains the ball fields. Yes, let’s help them if they have needs, but their Board is good about emailing me if they have issues. Parks are under Public Works, and I am not aware of some of these issues; but would be happy to work with Public Works to get them addressed. Things are happening as fast as they can and we are willing to work with everyone. I am unaware of a situation in which we told someone they couldn’t volunteer. Yes, there are certain things we must do, you can’t just bring a tractor into the park and get to work but our staff is willing to work with you. I think there is a lot of miscommunication when you year the “City said”. That is very broad; and unless you hear it from me or Mirasol it is not the rule and it’s not what happened. Mirasol and I would be happy to work with the Council and the community to address these issues if they are not already in the works.
David Goad said you have a police employee in an unmarked car driving like a maniac.
Shelly Soto of 251 Mariposa Trail stated we must remember it is more than what the City can do to clean the restroom. For many years I was there, and we would clean the restrooms every day and by the end of the night they were trashed by the players and parents. We redid one restroom and that very night someone went in and smashed the sink. I understand the City needs to do something but parents and the kids at these games need to be more responsible too.
ADJOURN: The City Council meeting was adjourned at 7:04pm. ________________________________
Joseph DeConinck, Mayor
ATTEST:
________________________
Mallory Crecelius, City Clerk