CLOVIS CITY COUNCIL MEETING
October 9, 2023 6:00 P.M. Council Chamber
Meeting called to order by Mayor Ashbeck
Flag Salute led by Councilmember Pearce
Roll Call: Present: Councilmembers Basgall, Bessinger, Mouanoutoua, Pearce Mayor Ashbeck
PUBLIC COMMENTS - 6:01
Michaela Silva, invited the City Council to a Clovis Community College speech and debate fundraising event.
Nicky Stellar, resident, shared concerns regarding conceal carry laws and public safety.
CONSENT CALENDAR - 6:09
Motion by Councilmember Basgall, seconded by Councilmember Pearce, that the items on the Consent Calendar be approved. Motion carried by unanimous vote.
1. Administration - Approved - Minutes from the October 2, 2023, Council Meeting.
2. Finance - Approval - Res. 23-95, Amending the 2023-24 Budget to reappropriate carryover funding from the 2022-23 budget.
3. Finance - Received and Filed - Investment Report for the Month of June 2023.
4. Finance - Received and Filed - Treasurer's Report for the Month of June 2023.
COUNCIL ITEMS - 6:10
6:10 ITEM 5 - CONTINUED - THE ADOPTION OF CITY COUNCIL PROTOCOLS.
Brent Berdine, resident, shared a question on how citizens could continue communicating with the City Council.
David Rall, resident, encouraged the City Council to thoroughly discuss the proposed protocols.
Motion to continue to November with changes by Councilmember Bessinger, seconded by Councilmember Basgall. Motion carried by unanimous vote. 7:51 ITEM 6 - APPROVED - CHANGE OF COUNCIL MEETING SCHEDULE.
Motion for approval by Councilmember Bessinger, seconded by Councilmember Basgall.
Motion carried by unanimous vote.
CITY MANAGER COMMENTS - 7:52
COUNCIL COMMENTS - 7:52
CLOSED SESSION - 7:55
ITEM 7 - GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.9(D)(1) CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - EXISTING LITIGATION CASE NAME: DESIREE MARTINEZ V. CITY OF CLOVIS, ET AL., CASE NO. F082914
No action was taken by the City Council during the closed session. Y OF CLOVIS
Mayor Ashbeck adjourned the meeting of the Council to November 6, 2023 Meeting adjourned: 9:10 p.m.
Mayor
Rebecca Simonian
From: Public Comments < [email protected]>
Sent: Friday, October 6, 2023 9:34 PM
To: Karey Cha; Andrew Haussler; Rebecca Simonian
Subject: [External] Public Comment for City Council
Council Meeting Date: 2023-10-09
Item Number (put "0" if your comment is regarding an item not on the agenda): 0 Full Name: Elise and Stephen Howell
Email: [email protected]
Comment: We would like to urge the city to be more proactive in addressing mosquito issues in east Clovis. Despite wearing big spray, and trying various kinds of mosquito solutions, our property is virtually unusable. Even 10 minutes of hard work results in several bites (while wearing big spray). We legitimately fear for our health just sitting in our own backyard. My brother who lives down the street has to put bug spray on his baby indoors because she gets bitten during naps. Mosquito abatement consistently reports that the city approved drainage system is to blame for this issue.
Because of the magnitude, it is not reasonable to expect homeowners to resolve this without support from the city or county. We not only fear for our health, but our property values as word spreads about this issue.
Supporting Files (2 Max.):
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Date: October 6, 2023
Time: 9:33 pm
Remote IP: 45.25.83.154
Public Comments
October 9, 2023
1 Rebecca Simonian
From: Public Comments < [email protected]>
Sent: Friday, October 6, 2023 3:54 PM
To: Karey Cha; Andrew Haussler; Rebecca Simonian
Subject: [External] Public Comment for City Council
Council Meeting Date: 2023-10-06
Item Number (put "0" if your comment is regarding an item not on the agenda): 0 Full Name: Jenna Buckley
Email: [email protected]
Comment: Hello City Council,
My comment is not pertaining to anything on your agenda, rather something that your council had been complacent and silent about. My house is in one of the new growth areas of Clovis, as most areas of Clovis now are. My home has French drains, also known as yard drains, that have created a perfect breeding ground for mosquitos.
The mosquitos in this neighborhood have been a nuisance, at best, making it nearly impossible to enjoy our backyard or front yard. These mosquitos get into our homes by the dozen each day the doors are opened. Consolidated Mosquito Control had been to my property twice this year and witnessed our issues. They have visited my neighbors as well.
Consolidated Mosquito have stated the yard drains in the neighborhood are the issue. Every house in this neighborhood has a yard drain and unless the neighbors, in addition to us, screen their yard drains, it won't make much difference in the number of mosquitos. Hence I have spent my own time and my own money talking to my neighbors about screens for these yard drains, and providing them with screens. It is astounding to me that many of my neighbors had no idea these yard drains were in their yards, let alone that they are breeding grounds for mosquitos.
It is my understanding that our drain systems around our homes are approved by City of Clovis. The landscaping subcontractors who installed these yard drains came back one year later to move them a few feet closer to the house due to them being non compliant with City of Clovis code. City of Clovis has essentially approved a breeding ground for mosquitos yet has not done anything to fix the situation. Why should I, as a private citizen, have to go out and fix what your city code has created?
As l've said, these mosquitos are, at best, a nuisance, which does not allow us the enjoyment of utilizing our property. At worst, they are a health hazard. You may be aware of the disease tracking website https://link.edgepilot.com/s/c540a2b5/T2fwNDHN3USrqAMJW8cLQw?u=https://www.mosquitobuzz.net/disease- monitoring that shows we have St. Louis Encephalitis and West Nile Virus positive mosquitos in nearly every neighborhood in Clovis. Dengue and Yellow fever carrying mosquitos are not currently tracked visa that website but that variety is plentiful in our neighborhood as well. As these numbers increase and as these major illnesses get diagnosed and often undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, the City of Clovis remains silent and complacent over an infestation their code has created.
Although the City of Clovis has the addresses of every house of each affected neighborhood, no educational material has been mailed out nor has inexpensive screening material or mosquito dunks been offered to your taxpayers. Cities across the United States have done this for their residents for years, yet in Clovis we have the sound of crickets from our city's leadership, despite increased tax revenue with all of that precious new growth. Of course I understand that distribution of educational material, screens and mosquito dunks would be an added cost to the city. This may be something the City has not budgeted for but should budget for in the future.
One wrongful death lawsuit or one personal injury lawsuit of someone diagnosed with a mosquito borne illness filled against the City would be much more expensive for the City of Clovis than mailers, dunks and screens. At this point in 1 time, the City of Clovis has been complacent, silent and any decent attorney could argue negligent in creating mosquito infested neighborhoods. Proving City of Clovis approved these drains would be simple. Proving that there are infected mosquitos in the Clovis area would be as easy as opening the map:
https://link.edgepilot.com/s/c540a2b5/T2fwNDHN3USrqAMJW8cLQw?u=https://www.mosquitobuzz.net/disease- monitoring.
Proving that City of Clovis has not made an attempt to improve this mosquito infestation through education and distribution of dunks and screens would be easy. Not one piece of physical mail addressing the mosquito issues have been in my mailbox from the City of Clovis. The social media reach that City of Clovis has would make a massive impact on this issue. I have not seen even the smallest attempt to address mosquito prevention on a free social media platform.
Doesn't City of Clovis have a far reach every week at their Farmer's Market? I have never seen the City there trying to explain ways to reduce mosquito infestation to their residents. I have never seen the City trying to educate the public at any event in Old Town.
We pay enough in annual taxes that Clovis residents deserve their council to do better. You work for us. Our taxes pay your paychecks. You have entire neighborhoods tired of this issue, you have heard them addressing this issue in the past. Yet still we only get silence and a proliferating nuisance and health hazard due to yard drains that City of Clovis has approved. City of Clovis created a code pertaining to yard drains and approved these drain systems. Now it's time for the council to step up and fix the issues the city itself created by approving these systems.
It's currently October, the new mosquito season begins in a few months. In the meantime, I highly suggest your council begins addressing mosquito prevention in the neighborhoods with yard drains proactively before the next high mosquito season; or before a City of Clovis resident or group of residents hires a very creative attorney for a potential nuisance case or worse, an attorney for a personal injury case or wrongful death lawsuit.
Kind Regards,
Jenna Buckley
Supporting Files (2 Max.):
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Date: October 6, 2023
Time: 3:53 pm
Remote IP: 99.67.67.173
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