MINUTES
GATEWAY City Council Meeting
CITY OF Council Chamber, Chowchilla City Hall
TO 130 S. 2nd Street, Chowchilla, CA 93610
PROSPERIT 1923 Tuesday, March 11, 2025
FEBRUARY
7. Closed Session: 3:00 p.m. | Open Session: 4:00 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL
Mayor: Kelly Smith
Mayor Pro Tem: Jeff Troost
Council Members: Waseem Ahmed, Ray Barragan, John Chavez City staff and contract employees present: City Administrator Rod Pruett, City Attorney Mary Lerner, Police Chief Jeff Palmer, Fire Chief Fred Gaumnitz, Public Works Director Jason Rogers, Community & Economic Development Director Jaime Quintana, Finance Director Kerri Williams, Deputy Director of Recreation & Community Engagement Stacy Wisener, IT System Administrator Carlos Berrocal, City Clerk Joann McClendon
CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Additions and/or Deletions:
PUBLIC ADDRESS - CLOSED SESSION
None.
CLOSED SESSION - 3:04 PM
1. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - ANTICIPATED LITIGATION Significant Exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9 (d) (2) or (3) Number of Cases: 1
2. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6
Agency Designated Representatives: City Administrator Rod Pruett Employee Organizations: City Office Employees Association, Chowchilla Police Officer Association, City Employees Association, Mid Management/Confidential Association, and Unrepresented Employees
OPEN SESSION - 4:00 PM
CLOSED SESSION REPORT: No reportable action.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
INVOCATION: Pastor Rick Pruitt
PRESENTATIONS/WORKSHOP - Section 1
1.1 Chowchilla Rotary Donation for Refurbishing Concession Stand at Ed Ray Park
PUBLIC ADDRESS
City Council Meeting MINUTES March 11, 2025
None.
COUNCIL AND STAFF VERBAL REPORTS - Section 2
2.1 COUNCIL VERBAL REPORTS
Legislative, Collaborative Agency, Ad Hoc
Council Member Ahmed attended a Madera County LAFCO meeting.
Mayor Pro Tem Troost attended the Rotary Crab Feed, the Citizens Advisory Committee at the Valley Air Board meeting.
Council Member Chavez also attended the Rotary Crab Feed.
Mayor Smith also attended the Rotary Crab Feed and the Chowchilla Task Force meeting.
2.2 STAFF VERBAL REPORTS
Community & Economic Development Director Quintana was introduced Police Chief Palmer went over departmental stats since the last council meeting. Juvenile at Ed Ray Park with firearm; another at Veterans Park with firearms as a result of proactive policing.
Unfortunately, we are seeing a lot of young people with guns and gangs recruiting them.
Fire Chief Gaumnitz updated council on February departmental stats.
Public works Director Rogers provide some clarification from our last meeting regarding undergrounding of utility lines for the new subdivision on Washington. Upon further review, we were able to verify that the developer and PG&E will be undergrounding the electrical facilities along the frontage of the subdivision and are about a month out from starting that work.
The Well 16 test well has continued development of the future well. Previous hydrology testing indicated that the well would be able to produce 1,200 gpm. Constant discharge testing now shows that it will be able to produce 1,700 gpm. Once development if the test well is completed, our contractor for the second phase, the permanent well, will start.
Finance Director Williams hired a Utility Billing Clerk, completed mid-year budget, had a meeting with prop 218 meeting with consultant.
Deputy Director of Recreation & Community Engagement Wisener since the last meeting there have been many updates to the City's website, sponsorship outreach is underway for the summer events in the park. Easter event planning is in full swing, hosting the Kiddos Krafts at Ed Ray park building, facility improvements continue and plans to add an ice machine to the concession stand at the softball fields. All bands and movie licenses for the summer programs have been booked, the equipment rentals secured. She attended the latest Chowchilla Task Force meeting, and continuing to plan for the Easter Egg-straveganza and employee bbq.
City Clerk McClendon reminded Form 700 filers of the April 1 deadline.
City Administrator Pruett met with HSR over a more detailed cooperative agreement that is in review by our attorney; completed the HSR reimbursement agreement and MOU for the Fairmead project; Economic Development ad hoc met with HSR regarding potential frontage road along highway 152 to Road 16; currently in labor negotiations; attended the Chowchilla Community Task Force; SHE regarding Maple Meadows off of Washington near Defender who need to pull permits per their federal funding and plan to begin construction in May; continuing to work on CFD refunding of 2006 and a stand-alone CFD for Rancho Calera.
City Council Meeting MINUTES March 11, 2025
CONSENT CALENDAR - Section 3
3.1 Approval of the February 25, 2025 Regular City Council Meeting Minutes (McClendon)
3.2 Consideration and Acceptance of the February 2025 Check Register Report (Williams)
3.3 Consideration, Adoption and Waiving Second Reading of an Amendment to Chapter 18 - Zoning of the Chowchilla Municipal Code Relating to Text Amendment #24-0762 Housing Element HE - 2 (I) - Lower Income Opportunities and the Accompanied Notice of Exemption (Perea
Motion by Council Member Barragan, Seconded by Council Member Ahmed to Approve the Consent Calendar as Presented. Motion passed by roll call vote.
PUBLIC HEARINGS - Section 4
4.1 Consideration and Adoption of a City Council Resolution Approving Adjustments to the Master Fee Schedule Related to Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW) Permit Fees (Williams)
Mayor Smith opened the public hearing at 4:27 p.m. No one came forward for or against the item.
Mayor Smith closed the public hearing at 4:28 p.m.
Motion by Council Member Barragan, Seconded by Council Member Ahmed City Council Resolution #14-25, Approving Adjustments to the Master Fee Schedule Related to Concealed Carry Weapon (CCW Permit Fees. Motion passed by roll call vote.
DEFERRED BUSINESS - Section 5
5.1 Discussion and Request for Direction of the City of Chowchilla's Former Library and Future Use of the Facility (Rogers)
The City Council directed staff to not send in the application and no renewal of MOU between the City and the Chowchilla Historic Society.
NEW BUSINESS - Section 6
6.1 Consideration and Adoption of a City Council Resolution Awarding the Contract for Emergency Services Communication Tower at Edward Ray Park to Howell Communications, Inc. in the Amount of $185,760.00, Authorizing the City Administrator or Designee to Execute Related Documents, and Amending the 2024/2025 Fiscal Year Budget (Rogers)
Spoke:
Michelle Talley
It was the consensus of the City Council to table the item to the next meeting ending staff seeking alternative locations.
6.2 Consideration and Adoption of a City Council Resolution Accepting and Entering into a New Freeway Agreement for the State Route 99/233 Chowchilla Multimodal City Council Meeting MINUTES March 11, 2025
Interchange Project that Replaces the Previous Agreement Between the County of Madera and the State of California Department of Transportation (Rogers) Spoke:
Mike Day
Motion by Mayor Pro Tem Troost, Seconded by Council Member Chavez to Approve City Council Resolution #16-25, Accepting and Entering into a New Freeway Agreement for the State Route 99/233 Chowchilla Multimodal Interchange Project that Replaces the Previous Agreement Between the County of Madera and the State of California Department of Transportation. Motion passed by roll call vote.
6.3 Presentation - Fiscal Year 2024/2025 Mid-Year Budget Review (Williams) ANNOUNCEMENTS - Section 7
MAR 15 LITTLE LEAGUE OPENING CEREMONIES, RC WISENER PARK MAR 19 PLANNING COMMISSION MEETING, COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 5PM MAR 22 CHOWCHILLA GIRLS SOFTBALL OPENING CEREMONIES, ED RAY PARK
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Smith Adjourned the March 11, 2025 Regular City Council Meeting at 5:34 p.m.
ATTEST: APPROVED:
K.
Joann McClendon, CMC, City Clerk Mayor Kelly Smith