Fort Jones City Council
Special Meeting
November 28, 2022
CERTIFICATION OF POSTING AGENDA
•I, Celeste McFall, City Clerk for the Town of Fort Jones, hereby certify that the agenda for the November City uni chamen ache oil Place i or ply anily asure enter, Outside Ace Hardware and at the Post Office Community Church on November 23, 2022.
I declare under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
Celeste McFall, City Clerk
ROLL Call
The Special meeting of the Fort Jones City Council was called to order in person by Mayor Michelle DeCausmaker at 4:00 p.m. In addition to Mayor Michelle DeCausmaker council members present were Bill Beckwith, and Mark Gepford. Mercedes Garcia and Kathye Banks were absent. (Kathye Banks joined the meeting several minutes after roll call).
Also present: City Clerk Celeste McFall, Deputy City Clerk Rachel Agron and Public Works Supervisor Everett Hullquist.
Mayor Michelle DeCausmaker led the flag salute.
Public Comments:
Liz Chandler expressed her disappointment in the decision of three of the Council Members, two of which were not present, to fire Karl Drexel. She questions their knowledge of the amount of work the staff have to add to their already full workloads.
Suze LaMarr questions if the Town will lose all of the grant money Karl brought in. Staff responds that it is possible, as there is a lot to learn and many moving parts.
Other comments are made from the audience directed at Mark Gepford and the now present Kathye Banks regarding their lack of vision and the ramifications of their actions.
Discussion/Reports: Action Items:
1. Ongoing Status Report
City Clerk Celeste McFall provided an overview of the current Grants and projects including: the Waste Water Treatment Planning Grant, the Audit, the Water Meter Replacement Grant, the Drinking Water Grant, the Scout Hall and Little League Park grants and the Central Park grant Deputy City Clerk Rachel Agron provided an overview of the Complete Streets project.
Discussion again turns to the problems created by firing Karl Drexel.
Julia Mason raises the question of possibly hiring a Grant Administrator.
Public Hearing: Ordinances and Resolutions
1. (2) Review and Approve Resolution/Ordinance for Council Stipend McFall explains that at the last regular meeting of the Fort Jones City Council they voted to provide a stipend to those returning Council Members as well as the incoming Council Members.
She relates that the City Attorney indicated that an Ordinance was needed and that she would draft the Ordinance. Despite repeated attempts to contact the City Attorney, no Ordinance had been delivered prior to the meeting.
Deputy City Clerk Agron notes that at 3:55 p.m. that day, five minutes before the meeting was to start, the City Attorney called the office and informed her that an Ordinance requires a first and second reading.
Because this was the last meeting of the present board, this topic cannot be addressed again until after the next regular election of the council.
Discussion/Reports/Action Items
3 Administrative Assistant Job Posting.
McFall explains that after the Council fired the City Administrator and she and the other staff were torced to take on the additional work load, she had posted a job for an Administrative Assistant. The previous week Mayor Pro Tem Mercedes Garcia had taken down one of the postings and told staff that only the City Administrator could post a job for the Town. She also stated that there was no such job description as an Administrative Assistant.
McFall asks the council to approve the Administrative Assistant job description and give the City Clerk permission to fill the position.
William Beckwith makes a motion to establish the position of Administrative Assistant and provide direction to the City Clerk to post the job, interview and hire the most qualified person.
Mark Gepford seconds the motion.
AYES: DeCausmaker, Gepford, Beckwith
NOES: Banks
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT: Garcia
4. Site Update for Central Park Grant
McFall explains that the original site for the $485,000 Prop 68 grant for the Central Park contains three affordable housing units and is not viable. The new proposed site for the Central Park is located on Town of Fort Jones property behind the City Barn. State Prop. 68 grant administrators believe the new site will be approved because it is within near proximity to the original site, and location was a weighted criterion. Staff is moving forward with re-applying for the grant with the new site and will keep the Council informed of progress.
5. Payments for Etna Police Department Contract
McFall informs the Council that no invoices have been received from the City of Etna for the Town of Fort Jones portion of the Police Contract since April 2022. She contacted the City of Etna and was told that the Police Chief and City Administrator Adam Cox were negotiating the contract. According to Mr. Cox, that is not the situation, the lack of invoices is due to shoddy financial systems and an issue with the City of Etna's budget, but that Etna is evaluating its costs. Mr. Cox said the invoices would be forthcoming.
6. Dept. of Transportation Grant Application
Deputy City Clerk Rachel Agron explains the need for the Council approval for the grant application submission. Grant is flexible and can be used for Capacity Building, Economic Development and other needed programs.
Kathye Banks makes a motion for City Staff to pursue the Dept. of Transportation Grant. Mark Gepford seconds the motion.
AYES: Banks, Gepford, Beckwith, DeCausmaker
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT: Garcia
Motion passes
Adjournment:
Meeting adjourned at 5:05 p.m.
Attest:
Celeste McFall, City Clerk
Approved:
Meredu M. bau
Mayor