Fort Jones City Council
Regular Meeting
[une 12, 2023
I, Adam Cox, Interim Town Administrator for the Town of Fort Jones, hereby certify that the agenda for the June 12, 2023 Regular Meeting of the Town Council was posted at City Hall near the door of the Town Council Chambers, at Ray's Food Place, at Scott Valley Family Resour ce Center, at the Post Office, Outside Ace Hardware and on the Town's website, www.fortjonesca.org on June 9
th
, 2023.
I declare under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
Adam Cox, Interim Town Administrator
ROLL Call
)
The regular meeting of the Fort Jones Town Council was called to order in person by Mayor Mercedes Garcia at 7:00 pm. In addition to Mayor Mercedes Garcia, Council Members present were Kathye Banks, Mark Eayrs, Julia Collie-Mason, and Alex LaRiviere.
Also present: Interim Town Administrator Adam Cox, Public Works Supervisor Everett Hullquist, Fire Chief Joseph Hess, and Police Chief Josh Short.
Mayor Garcia led the flag salute.
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Bill went into Town Hall to pay water bill and wants to know why employees are quitting. Wants to know if the town has done an analysis as to why employees don't want to stay with the town.
Karen doesn't think the city newsletter should have been so nice because they cost too much. She also complained that past due water accounts are not shut down fast enough.
WELCOME NEW COUNCIL MEMBER
1. Mayor introduced new councilmember Alex LaRiviere
DISCUSSION I REPORTS I CORRESPONDENCE: NON-ACTION ITEMS:
A. Police Department Monthly Report: The written report appears in the June Council Packet.
Police Chief Josh Short gives verbal report. Officer Martin is focusing on traffic enforcement in Fort Jones. Many animal control complaints about kittens lately. 19 B. Fire Department Monthly Report: The written report appears in the June Council Packet.
Fire Chief Joseph Hess provides a verbal report experienced another busy month. Ca!Fire is talking about instituting a burn ban within the next couple weeks. Chief is unsure of the exact date at this point and is awaiting comm unication from CalFire.
C. Public Works Monthly Report: The written report appears in the June Council Packet.
D. Town Administrator's Report: Adam Cox gave a verbal report. The financial review has begun; a project matrix has been developed and will be regularly updated and distributed to council; amended an SRF grant request to include the cost of a drinking water rate study.
CONSENT CALENDAR:
Items listed on the consent agenda are considered routine and may be enacted in one motion.
Any item may be removed for discussion at the request of the Council or the Public.
2. a) Approval of Minutes: Regular Meeting June 12, 2023 b) Ratification of Disbursements: May 1 through 31
c) Review Budget vs. Actual for July 1, 2022 through May 31, 2023 Minutes should be amended to reflect that Alex La Riviere spoke at the previous council public comment section to share that he was interested in joining the town council.
Moves: Banks
Seconds: Collie-Mason
Aye: all
No:
DISCUSSION / REPORTS: ACTION ITEMS:
) 3. Fire Chief Job Description
Collie-Mason said that the fire chief is a full-time position and not a part-time one; Garcia asked whether the job description needs to specify that it's full-time.
Moves: Eayrs to approve
Seconds: Banks
Aye:4
No:
Collie-Mason abstains
4. Public Works Director Job Description
Banks would like to
Remove reference to having a civil engineering degree issued prior to 1982.
Add more requirements to reflect possession of tlie requisite water and wastewater treatment certifications for the Town of Fort Jones.
- Advertise as both full- and part-time.
Garcia stated that the council needs to decide whether to have a PW director and a PW supervisor at the same time and specified that the incumbent should - Know how to operate heavy machinery.
Collie-Mason would like to see the director
- Advertised as part-time and a PW manager as full-time (possibility of elevating current supervisor to manager).
Moves: Banks to approve with the changes suggested above Seconds: Collie-Mason
Aye: all
20 No:
5. Public Works Specialist I Job Description
Banks/Garcia want the
- Title changed to Public Works I
- Remove any reference to cemetery work
- Remove use of steel toed boots removed
- ALL of tonight's job descriptions to come back to council for review after changes suggested tonlght have been made.
Moves: Eayrs
Seconds: Banks
Aye: all
No:
6. Salary Schedule
Garcia asked how they could refer this to a council committee for further discussion. Garcia and Banks suggested that the
- crassifications on the salary schedule should be removed if they're not going to be used or if they don't have a job description.
Everett Hullquist volunteered to serve on the policy committee.
Moves: Collie-Mason moves to refer the salary schedule to the town's policv committee; Eayrs moves to approve the fire chief wage at an hourly rate equivalent to '.;,50,000 per annum with a notification sent to the chief outlining the expectations and requirements in the proposal presented by Mayor Garcia with the exception of the Yearly Incentive Bonus section which will be considered at a future time.
Seconds: Banks seconds both
Aye:4
No:
Collie-Mason abstains (o,,\,
1 -f<o,M f,.,e C\,\;e.f o++er le\+e, fa..- 150,000). She voleJ ye5 c;," ) 7. Employee Handbook- Full and Part Time Employees
Mayor Garcia spoke about the item and gave a short history of what the issue to be decided is.
Per Banks
Fu11 time should be considered anything over 32 hours per week.
Moves: Collie-Mason r4
Seconds: Ettrys Ga.yr~·
Aye: all
No:
8. Employee Handbook - Work Schedules
Garcia proposes
- Changing town hall hours to 8am to 5pm with a one-hour lunch.
Banks wants
Public works employees to continue to be able to be flexible depending on need and weather. Agrees with Garcia on the office hours.
Collie-Mason also thinks office hours should be 8-5 with a one hour lunch. La Riviera and Eayrs agreed.
Discussion ensued about the public works hours and consensus was to Adjust PW hours to 7am-3:30pm with a 30 minute lunch.
Moves: Banks to approve town hall hours of 8am to 5pm with a one hour lunch break and a public works hours of 7am to 3:30pm with a 30 minute lunch.
Seconds: Eayrs
21 )
Aye: all
No:
~- Ernployaa Handbook - Holidays
Town Administrator suggested that
Only full time employees, as defined, will receive paid holiday leave.
Strike last paragraph regarding the 8 hour to all employees.
Remove that list from town clerk/administrator. Remove Columbus Day and 12th holiday will be a personal floating holiday.
Moves: Banks moves to approve the changes as listed above.
Seconds: Collie-Mason
Aye: all
No:
10. Employee Handbook - Vacation Leave
Town Administrator suggested that
- First tier shoulcfnot start on first day of employment. Rather it should start on 91st day of employment as probation lasts 90 days.
- Tlie accrual be changed based on hours worked and not as days per year of service so that it will apply equally to part and full time employees. - The section about leave over the cap not being earned based on California law and vacation being earned income be removed because vacation accrued over the cap needs to be paid out on a biweekly basis to the employee.
Moves: Garcia moves to approve the changes as listed above.
Seconds: Eayrs
Aye: all
No:
11. Employee Handbook - Insurance Benefits
- Change eligibility for 457 plan to employees who have past the 90 day probation. - Remove entire formula in the policy and change to the following: all full-time employees after probation will receive a contribution by the town equal to 4% of their pay. - Remove reference to "pretax" 457 plan.
Moves: Banks moves to approve the changes as listed above.
Seconds: Collie-Mason
Aye: all
No:
12. Employee Handbook - Sick Leave
Change accrual to an hourly amount similar to the holiday pay.
All employees, even part time, earn a minimum of 24 hours as provided by California law.
Moves: Eayrs moves to approve the changes as listed above.
Seconds: Garcia
Aye: all
No:
13. Fee Schedule for Non-Event Use of Town Buildings
- Banks gave a background on her work on the item and presented a proposed fee schedule.
Moves: Banks moves to adopt the fee schedule that was included in the May meeting packet.
Seconds: Eayrs
Aye:all
No:
22 14. Fort Jones Library Summer Reading Program
Council discussion about legality of using public funds to purchase gift cards.
Moves: Banks moves to deny the request by the Friends of the Library.
Seconds: Collie-Mason
Aye: all
No:
15. PFAS Lawsuit
- The Administrator gave background on the lawsuit and the risks/benefit to the Town.
Moves: La Riviere moves to approve.
Seconds: Eayrs
Aye: all
No:
16. Public Works Emergency for Sewer Main Project
- . Town Administrator and public works supervisor gave the council background on the project.
Moves: LaRiviere moves to approve.
Seconds: Banks
Aye: all
No:
STAFF COMMENTS:
None.
)
COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS:
Council Member Banks wants to know where town clerk position was posted.
Council Member Garcia wants the town custodian position brought back to council.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON CLOSED SESSION: (This is the time for community members to bring up items they wish to discuss regarding the closed session item only) None.
ADJOURN TO CLOSED SESSION:
The Council adjourned to closed session at 9:50 pm.
CLOSED SESSION:
The Council met pursuant to Section 54954.5( e) of the Government regarding the Public Employee Appointment for the Town Clerk/Town Administrator.
RETURN TO OPEN SESSION:
The Council returned to open session at 10:33 pm.
23 REPORT ON CLOSED SESSION: ANY ACTION TAKEN WILL BE REPORTED IN OPEN
SESSION
Mayor Garcia reported that direction was given to staff.
ADJOURNMENT: The meeting was adjourned at 10:34 pm. The next Regular City Council Meeting is scheduled to be held on July 10, 2023 at 7:00 p.m.
Attest~CtAdam Cox, Interim Town Administrator
Approved:
Mayor Mercedes Garcia
)
24 )