MEETING MINUTES
The City Council/Successor Agency of the City of Firebaugh Vol. No. 23/06-19
Location of Meeting: Andrew Firebaugh Community Center
1655 13th Street, Firebaugh, CA 93622
Date/Time: June 19, 2023/6:00 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER Meeting called to order by Mayor Pro Perez at 6:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL Mayor Felipe Pérez
Mayor Pro Tem Elsa Lopez
Council Member Silvia Renteria
Council Member Brady Jenkins
Council Member Freddy Valdez
ABSENT:
OTHERS: City Attorney James McCann; City Manager, Ben Gallegos, Deputy City Clerk, Rita Lozano; Public Works Director, Michael Molina; Finance Director, Pio Martin; Police Chief, Sal Raygoza, & others.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE Council Member Silvia Renteria led pledge of Allegiance.
APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Motion to approve agenda by Council Member Valdez, second by Council Member Jenkins, motion passed by 5-0 vote.
PRESENTATION None
PUBLIC COMMENT None
CONSENT CALENDAR
1. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – The City Council regular meeting on June 5, 2023.
2. WARRANT REGISTER – Period starting May 1 and ending on May 31, 2023.
May 2023 General Warrants #44328 - #44449 $ 1,588,080.58 Payroll Warrants #72021 - #72043 $ 206,925.22
TOTAL $ 1,795,005.80
Motion to approve consent calendar by Council Member Valdez, second Council Member Jenkins; motion passed by 5-0 vote.
PUBLIC HEARING None
NEW BUSINESS
3. THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FIREBAUGH TO CONSIDER USE OF THE A.F. COMMUNITY
CENTER AND WAIVER OF RENTAL FEES FOR A BINGO FUNDRAISER TO SUPPORT THE CLASS OF 2024 ON AUGUST 24, 2023.
Motion to charge the hourly non-profit fee, which includes the tables & chairs at no additional cost, additional required charges are the $25 processing fee, Insurance stating the City is additional covered on the policy and $300 refundable cleaning deposit by Council Member Lopez, second Council Member Perez; motion passed by 3-0 vote.
Renteria and Jenkins – abstain.
City Council Minutes
June 19, 2023
4. RESOLUTION NO. 23-22 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FIREBAUGH ADOPTING ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS LIMIT FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2023-24.
Motion to approve Res. No. 23-22 by Council Member Jenkins, second Council Member Lopez; motion passed by 5-0 vote.
5. RESOLUTION NO. 23-23 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FIREBAUGH APPROVING THE CITY OF FIREBAUGH’S BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 – 2024.
Motion to approve Res. No. 23-23 by Council Member Jenkins, second Council Member Valdez; motion passed by 5-0 vote.
6. RESOLUTION NO. 23-24 - A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF FIREBAUGH RENEWING ORDINANCE 22-03 AND POLICY 708 OF THE FIREBAUGH POLICE DEPARTMENT
POLICY MANUAL AUTHORIZING THE USE MILITARY EQUIPMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 7070, ET SEQ.
Motion to approve Res. No. 23-24 by Council Member Lopez, second Council Member Valdez; motion passed by 5-0 vote.
7. FIREBAUGH POLICE DEPARTMENT 2022 ANNUAL REPORT.
Informational item only.
STAFF REPORTS
Adam Gray – introduced himself & offered his services to the community. Police Chief Sal Raygoza – individuals/activist visited with cameras, stating they were doing an audit of the first amendment, the post the video on YouTube. I learned things from it, both thing we did correct and things we did wrong, and things that need to be corrected.
Public Works Director, Michael Molina - Finishing a few projects, raising iron on Zozaya, alley project was paved there is a punch list with some corrections, installing handicap approaches on Thomas Conboy for the concrete project.
Fire Department responded to calls, trying to get the wildlife equipment familiarized by staff, and getting updated needed equipment. Council Member Perez reported the lights at the splash park are not working and there have been a lot of kids fighting at the park. Council Member Jenkins asked if the flooded area where the lights are at the skate park has been fixed. Staff replied they would fix them, Molina will direct staff to address it, but the city does not have a boom truck so city will need to rent one and public works staff is shorthanded with two employees out on medical leave and others requesting vacation.
City Manager, Ben Gallegos – working with two companies for a possible solar project, wants to lease out the landfill for this project, $50,000 up front, and $50,000 upon completion, for about $1000 an acre. On Friday, City Manager was notified of an awarded a grant for him to attend a Brownfield Conference, including hotel, city is responsible for the flight. It is a five-day conference, August 7th through 11th, would like to recommend someone else attend, if possible, but if not, City Manager will go by himself. If anyone is interested, city can apply for the grant. Council Member Valdez stated is the past a Council Member has attended with a City Manager to conferences, so he is in favor of it, if the money is allocated to do so.
Deputy City Clerk, Rita Lozano – will be on vacation June 28th through July 9th, so any agenda items for the next meeting must be submitted early, so the agenda can be delivered on Wednesday, June 28th instead of the Thursday. City Manager Gallegos added, if there is no urgent,/emergency or pending items for July 3rd, since staff members will be off, considering cancel that meeting.
Finance Director, Pio Martin – nothing to report, will start working on the audit.
City Council Minutes
June 19, 2023
City Attorney, James McCann – nothing to report.
Council Member Jenkins – nothing to report.
Council Member Lopez – nothing to report.
Council Member Renteria - spoke with Ben about the city hosting a league of cities regional meeting & will collaborate with him on it.
Council Member Valdez – Mayor Perez setting up a zoom meeting with Jeanne Marie Caris-McManus (Executive Director of Westside Family Preservation Services Network) a non-profit organization, to discuss bring a resources center to our community, a center which we could bring current items that aren’t currently hear in our community, things that we had in the past at the old offices were the library was, so great meeting, great opportunities. There’s a planning and development grant for $500,00 to $ 5 million in funds to build out such a resource center, so preliminary sites were mentioned, great ideas but we need to kind of see something in action & we were able to visit Las Casitas de Lola (Domestic Violence Shelter) in Huron, which is a resource center with a lot of great amenities to offer to their residents. Some of those things we could have used during COVID, funding assistance & other services. Things that are great for rural area communities, which can’t or don’t know how to access, which provides a great opportunity to our citizens.
Council Member Perez – I have been working with this organization since 2020, they have different kind of amenities like Councilmember Valdez stated, the have RIC services too and the acknowledge/recognize their volunteers, and hold special events: Día de Madres, Father’s Day, and have about seven to eight things running, classes for literacy and heat prevention, different resources for all communities in the westside.
PUBLIC COMMENT None
Motion to enter close session at 7:05 pm by Council Member Valdez, second by Council Member Jenkins, motion passes by a 5-0 vote.
CLOSED SESSION
8. Government Code Section 54957.6.
CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS: ALL REPRESENTED & UNREPRESENTED EMPLOYEES City Negotiator: Ben Gallegos
Employee Organizations: Police & Public Works bargaining units and all unrepresented positions. Motion to return from close session at 7:57 pm by Council Member Valdez, second by Council Member Lopez, motion passes by a 5-0 vote.
ANNOUNCEMENT AFTER CLOSED SESSION
No reportable action, no action taken.
ADJOURNMENT
Motion to adjourn at 7:58 pm by Council Member Valdez, second by Council Member Jenkins, motion passes by a 5-0 vote.