MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ESCALON
MEETING OF JUNE 17, 2024
City Council Chambers, 2060 McHenry Avenue -7:00 P.M.
Beginning Resolution No. 32-24
Beginning Ordinance No. 597
Beginning Minute Order No. 35-24
PRESENT: Mayor David Bellinger
Mayor Pro Tem Andrew Thomas Hagan
Councilmember Jeremy Engle
Councilmember Malinda Walker
Councilmember Shawn Strohman
STAFF PRESENT: Jaylen French, Interim City Manager
Jenny Thompson, Deputy City Clerk
Celinda Bickner, Finance Director/HR Administrator (FDHRA) Jose Zambrana, Police Sergeant
Juston Collins, Public Works Superintendent/Manager (PWSM) Frank Splendorio, City Attorney
PRESENTATIONS
Sergeant Badge Pinning Ceremony – Nathan Vieira
Interim City Manager, Jaylen French, noted that the scheduled badge pinning for Sergeant Vieira would be postponed to September due to conflicts with the Sergeant’s family.
CONSENT CALENDAR
These items are considered routine in nature and are acted upon by a single action unless requested by an individual Council Member or member of the public for special consideration.
1. Approve the Minutes from the Meeting of May 20, 2024.
2. Approve the Register of Demands for June 17, 2024 in the amount of $1,298,460.86.
3. Adopt Resolution XX-24 Declaring that an Election be held in our Jurisdiction; Requesting the Board of Supervisors to Consolidate this Election Conducted on said Date; and Requesting Election Services by the Registrar of Voters.
4. Approve Appointment of Applicants to the Escalon Planning Commission.
5. Adopt Resolution XX-24 Confirming the Selection of City of Escalon’s Poet Laureate 2024.
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6. Award the Crossroads Plaza Sidewalk Repair Project to Dirt Dynasty, Inc of Farmington, CA in the amount of $142,573.20, which includes 10% contingency.
7. Adopt Resolution No. XX-24, Approving the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Appropriations Limit.
8. Adopt Resolution No. XX-24, Approving the City of Escalon User Fees as adjusted by Consumer Price Index (CPI).
9. Authorize the Interim City Manager to execute an Agreement with MTM Transit, LLC, to Operate and Maintain the eTrans Transit System upon receipt of Caltrans concurrence.
Councilmember Strohman requested to pull items 1 and 8 for further discussion.
MOTION – It is moved/seconded by ENGLE/HAGAN that items 2-7 AND 9 of the consent calendar be approved as presented. Motion carried (5-0) MINUTE ORDER 35-24 Item 1 was pulled from the Consent Calendar for discussion. Councilmember Strohman noted that the Minutes truncated a statement he made during Council Communications, stating it should have read “…freedom is never free.” Deputy City Clerk, Jenny Thompson, acknowledged the error and informed council that the minutes file would be updated.
Item 8 was pulled from the Consent Calendar for discussion. Councilmember Strohman felt that user fee increases, even based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) annual increase, should be frozen due to the toughening economic times, which Councilmember Walker agreed with. Mayor Bellinger stated concerns with freezing user fee increases, stating it could make for an even bigger jump if the City were to catch up in later years. Mayor Pro Tem Hagan felt that, based on the budget and state of City finances, it would not be prudent to freeze fee increases. Councilmember Engle agreed.
MOTION – It is moved/seconded by STROHMAN/WALKER that item 1 of the consent calendar be approved as amended. Motion carried (5-0) MINUTE ORDER 36-24 MOTION – It is moved/seconded by HAGAN/ENGLE that item 8 of the consent calendar be approved as presented. Motion carried (3-2; STROHMAN, WALKER Nay) MINUTE ORDER 37- 24 STAFF COMMUNICATIONS & UPDATES
10. May Staff Updates
a. Treasurer’s Report for May
b. Police Department Report for May
c. Animal Control Report for May
d. Recreation May
e. Development Services Report for May
f. Public Works Report for May
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g. Building Department Report for May
h. Water Department Report for May
i. Waste Water Treatment Plant Report for May
j. SJCOG Citizens Advisory Committee (CAC) Quarterly Report k. City Manager’s Report
Mayor Pro Tem Hagan inquired regarding what staff member handled Human Resources at the City.
Finance Director/HR Administrator (FDHRA), Celinda Bickner, responded that she was the Human Resources Administrator.
Sergeant Zambrana informed the council that Officer Figone had accepted a position with the City of Ripon. However, a new officer was recently cleared from training, and a second officer was currently in training. He also informed the council that there had been an increase in burglaries on the north side of town during the month of May, and that patrols had been increased in the area, which seemed to be helping. Finally, he noted that Officer Palomino led the department with 12 arrests and 44 citations last month.
Public Works Superintendent/Manager (PWSM), Juston Collins, advised that the Phase 2 McHenry Sewer Project was nearly complete. He also noted that the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Biosolids Removal Project was set to start tomorrow, with the industries beginning their operations on July 1st. He then politely reminded the public to ensure care of their overgrown lots for safety reasons, and encouraged everyone to attend the next Farmer’s Market on Wednesday.
Councilmember Strohman commended Public Works for their quick work during Memorial Day weekend fixing a major water leak on Yosemite Avenue. He noted that there seemed to be an increase in water leaks lately, inquiring if that was normal for this time of year. PWSM Collins responded that it was normal for summer time, as more water was used, and that Public Works staff was doing a sizable portion of this work in-house, which helps reduce delays and reduce costs. He praised the team for their hard work and thanked the Police Department for being a great partner during water leaks. Interim City Manager French noted that Public Works staff tracks all water leaks, and that this information is used to determine which lines were needed more than periodic repairs and would incorporate this information into the City’s Capital Improvement Program (CIP) for line replacements.
MATTERS PRESENTED FROM THE AUDIENCE
The public may address the City Council on any item that is on the Agenda at the time the item is called. The public may also address the City Council on any item not on the Agenda that is within the subject matter of the City of Escalon. Each speaker is limited to a maximum of five (5) minutes. Unused time may not be yielded to another speaker. You may state your name and address for the record; however, it is not required. Due to state law, action will not be taken on an item that is not on the Agenda and except for brief responses, the Council is prohibited from discussing any item not on the agenda. If it requires action, it will be referred to staff and/or placed on a future Agenda. The determination of whether an item is within the subject matter of the City is a discretionary decision made by the Mayor.
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Escalon resident, Gabriella Vargas, brought forth several issues, acting as an advocate on behalf of residents, as the owner of the Escalon Residents Facebook page. These included the trees on Sophie Lane needing to be trimmed and the aphid problem dealt with, the nuisance excessive feral cats in town, particularly on First Street near James Street, and her concerns with police officers having an attitude and possibly profiling drivers based on the cars they drive, rather than focusing on the speeding problem on First Street between Pioneer Drive and El Portal Middle School.
Escalon resident, Ed Alves, thanked Interim City Manager French for his help in providing information to him and PWSM Collinsfor taking care of things in town. He inquired if the solar system installed for the city was as efficient as promised and encouraged staff to reach out to Engie to subsidize the difference if it was not. He also highlighted issues which could be improved with the budget format, including indexing and a larger print size, although he commended staff for the great job on the budget.
Escalon resident, Betty Bennett, inquired if the trees referenced on Sophie were crepe myrtles, and if so, that a treatment would need to be applied early in the year to mitigate aphids.
Escalon resident, Vance Nielsen, expressed concern regarding the number of overgrown lots in the neighborhoods and suggested having the senior patrol drive around and make note of which ones need to code enforced.
PWSM Collins noted that Public Works was gathering bids to do a full tree trimming for the Westwood Country Landscape Maintenance District and staff would be treating for the aphids on the infected trees themselves.
ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS
11. Adopt Resolution No. XX-24, approving the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Proposed Budget, including the Capital Improvement Plan.
FDHRA Bickner presented the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Proposed Budget, with support from Interim City Manager French.
Mayor Bellinger opened the item for public comment.
Ms. Vargas thought that there could have been better communication regarding the budget workshops, including sharing on the Escalon Residents page.
Mr. Alves questioned what the balance of funds collected for the SSJID Surface Water Project was and where it was located in the budget. FDHRA Bickner responded that she would get that information to Mr. Alves.
Mayor Bellinger closed the item for public comment.
Mayor Pro Tem Hagan stated that the City needed to prioritize finding an inflation hedge and be
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proactive. FDHRA Bickner responded that this was why fund management was so important.
Mayor Bellinger thanked staff for all of the hard work they put into creating a balanced budget.
Councilmember Walker questioned the South McHenry to Jones CIP Project. Interim City Manager French noted that, per previous CIP decisions, that that item would be dropped from the budget and that the City Council should include removing it as part of the motion.
Councilmember Strohman noted that he asked Chief Hardgraves what he thought of the budget cuts to the Police Department during the budget workshop. Chief Hardgraves responded that it was putting equipment and new police vehicle purchases on hold, but the budget was a real budget for the Police Department and Chief Hardgraves was not concerned with the cuts. Councilmember Strohman wanted the residents to know that all departments had made a commitment to this budget and, while it was lean, there should be no disruption to the level of service normally provided by the City. He praised staff for presenting a balanced budget, prior to July 1st, with no excess spending.
Councilmember Engle also gave his appreciation to staff for the budget presentation from two weeks ago and tonight, noting the Council and community would be tracking the progress of the budget throughout the year.
Councilmember Strohman inquired if staff would be presenting quarterly updates on the budget, which FDHRA Bickner confirmed.
MOTION – It is moved/seconded by WALKER/STROHMAN to Adopt Resolution No. XX-24, approving the Fiscal Year 2024-25 Proposed Budget, including the Capital Improvement Plan, as amended to remove the South McHenry to Jones CIP Project. Motion carried (5-0) MINUTE ORDER 38-24
COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS & FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Mayor Bellinger asked for a consensus from the council for going dark on July 1st for the holiday week, which he received.
Councilmember Walker thanked staff for a balanced and on-time budget and wished everyone a fun and safe 4th of July. She encouraged the public to report overgrown lots in town through code enforcement and to attend the upcoming Farmer’s Market.
Councilmember Strohman asked if council could request increased fireworks patrols for the holiday.
Mayor Bellinger agreed that more patrol would be good. Sergeant Zambrana noted that patrol is always increased for the 4th of July holiday.
Councilmember Strohman informed the council that he had been approached by the San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office asking if the City had interest in applying for an asset forfeiture grant. He noted that the application process was to submit a written request, outlining the proposed
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use of the grant money, which should include productive youth activities, and that up to $25 thousand dollars were available. He asked for consent from the council to bring this item beforeCouncil for further discussion and a decision. Consent was received.
Councilmember Strohman noted that a balanced budget was very important and thanked FDHRA Bickner for her efforts. He also asked for a status update on a potential Murphy Ranch town hall meeting, which Interim City Manager French provided. Next, Councilmember Strohman informed everyone that the senior lunch program had lost one day of programming, so it would only be held on Tuesday afternoons, and asked staff to try to find funding to bring back that second day.
Next, Councilmember Strohman stated that the Escalon Fire Protection District was looking to have regular meetings with the City, much like the City already had with the Escalon Unified School District, and asked for a consensus from council to have staff start the process of forming a 2x2 committee, which was received. Councilmember Strohman then asked for a transportation update for seniors, which Interim City Manager French provided.
Finally, Councilmember Strohman wished everyone a safe 4th of July and encouraged everyone to support the Escalon Chamber of Commerce by attending the upcoming Farmers Market, as it was events like these that make Escalon what it is.
Councilmember Engle questioned where someone could find the budget on the City of Escalon website, which Deputy City Clerk Thompson explained.
Mayor Pro Tem Hagan asked that staff work on the weedy lots in town, and encourage everyone to maintain decorum during the election this year. He noted that staff was doing a great job and he appreciated what they did for the budget. He encouraged the public to read about the Saudi petrodollar and wished everyone a Happy 4th of July.
Mayor Bellinger praised staff for the great work on the budget. He hoped residents would support the Farmers Market and support the local non-profits by buying fireworks locally. He wished everyone a safe and sane 4th of July.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Bellinger adjourned the meeting at 8:23 pm.
Respectfully Submitted,
Jenny Thompson, Deputy City Clerk