Special Meeting Workshop - Amended
Thursday, April 30, 2026 at 4:00 pm
Monday Club - 610 Main Street, Fortuna CA
• We May Disagree, But We Will Be Respectful of One Another • All Comments Will Be Directed to the Issue at Hand, and Addressed to the City Council • Personal Attacks are Unacceptable
• The City Council May Take Action on any Item on this Agenda.
CALL TO ORDER / FLAG SALUTE / ROLL CALL
Council
Staff
• Council Member Kyle Conley
• Council Member Carlos Diaz
• Council Member Abe Stevens
• Mayor Pro Tem Tami Trent
• Mayor Mike Johnson
• City Manager Amy Nilsen
• Deputy City Clerk Buffy Gray
1. ORAL COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
Members of the Public may be heard at this time on any item within the subject matter jurisdiction of the City that is not on the Public Meeting Agenda. It is the practice of this Council to hold public comment for every item of business on the agenda at the time that item is heard. If a speaker cannot stay for a particular item of business, they may be heard during this time. Comments concerning the Consent Calendar may also be heard at this time. Speakers addressing the Council will be limited to 3 minutes per speaker. Be advised that, by law, the City Council can only deliberate or take action on items that are included on the agenda.
2. 3. CONSENT CALENDAR
Contact: Siana L. Emmons ([email protected] 7077251409) | Agenda published on 04/28/2026 at 10:38 AM
Ratification of Amended Resolution No. 2026 07 — State Community Development Block Grant Program, 2025 Funding Year
a.
DISCUSSION
a. Strategic Plan and General Plan Priorities Workshop
4. ADJOURN
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.5, any non-confidential documents or writings that the City distributes, less than 72 hours before a regular meeting, to all or a majority of the legislative body's members must be made available to members of the public at the same time as the distribution. Documents and information related to the agenda topics are available for review at City Hall, 621 11th Street, between the hours of 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Members of the public are invited to come to the meeting and comment. In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in this meeting, please contact the City Clerk at (707) 725-7600. Notification prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements to ensure accessibility to this meeting
5. Consent Agenda Item 3a
STAFF REPORT
Consent Agenda Item
DATE: April 30, 2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and Council Members
FROM: Katey Schmidt, Senior Planner
THROUGH: Amy Nilsen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Ratification of Amended Resolution No. 2026-07 — State Community Development Block Grant Program, 2025 Funding Year
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommend that the City Council:
1. Ratify the amended Resolution No. 2026-07, approving the submission of the City’s State Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application under the 2025 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA); and
2. Confirm that the amendments reflect updated resolution requirements issued by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and are nonmaterial and do not change the City Council’s previously authorized projects, funding amounts, or policy direction.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
On March 16, 2026, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2026‑07 authorizing submission of a State CDBG application for the 2025 funding year. Following Council action, staff received updated clarification from the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) regarding required resolution language and structure necessary for application acceptance.
The amended resolution incorporates HCD‑required changes related to:
• Change the language designating the authorized representative in Section 5 of Resolution 2026-07 from “City Manager” to “Mayor”.
The amendments are administrative and technical in nature, and were made to ensure application eligibility and compliance, and do not modify the projects approved by Council, the funding amounts authorized, or the intent or substance of the original Council action.
On April 28, 2026, the California Department of Housing and Community Development notified the City of the need for the minor change, hence why ratification of the non-material changes to the resolution are necessary.
Consent Agenda Item 3a
Staff are requesting Council ratification of the amended resolution to ensure a clear legislative record and continued compliance with State CDBG requirements.
RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION:
Motion to approve:
1. Ratify the amended Resolution No. 2026-07, approving the submission of the City’s State Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application under the 2025 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA); and
2. Confirm that the amendments reflect updated resolution requirements issued by the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and are nonmaterial and do not change the City Council’s previously authorized projects, funding amounts, or policy direction. Consent agenda vote.
ATTACHMENTS:
• Amended Resolution No. 2026-07
Resolution of the Governing Body
RESOLUTION NO. 2026-07
A RESOLUTION APPROVING AN APPLICATION FOR FUNDING AND THE
EXECUTION OF A GRANT AGREEMENT AND ANY AMENDMENTS
THERETO FROM THE 2025 FUNDING YEAR OF THE STATE CDBG
PROGRAM
BE IT RESOLVED by the City Council of the City of Fortuna as follows:
SECTION 1:
The City Council has reviewed and hereby approves the submission to the State of California of one or more application(s) in the aggregate amount, not to exceed, of $4,000,000 for the following CDBG activities, pursuant to the and 2025 CDBG NOFA:
List activities and amounts
Activity (e.g. Public Services,
Infrastructure, etc.)
Dollar Amount Being Requested for the
Activity
Program-Economic Development - Acquisition loan to
Fortuna Theater Foundation utilizing existing CDBG PI
funds and new CDBG funding
$ 1,000,000
Project- ADA Barrier Removal - City-wide ADA Barrier
Removal project (sidewalks, curb ramps, driveways, etc.) $ 1,500,000
Planning- General Plan Elements - Funding for eligible
portions of the upcoming comprehensive General Plan
Update including housing, economic development, and
infrastructure planning
$ 1,500,000
$
$
SECTION 2:
The City Council hereby approves the use of Program Income in an amount not to exceed $910,469 for the CDBG activities described in Section 1.
SECTION 3:
The City Council acknowledges compliance with all state and federal public participation requirements in the development of its application(s).
SECTION 4:
The City Council hereby authorizes and directs the City Manager or designee*, to execute and deliver all applications and act on the City’s behalf in all matters pertaining to all such applications.
SECTION 5:
If an application is approved, the Mayor or designee*, is authorized to enter into, execute and deliver the grant agreement (i.e., Standard Agreement), any recordable or nonrecordable contract documents, and any and all subsequent amendments thereto with the State of California for the purposes of the grant.
SECTION 6:
If an application is approved, the City Manager or designee*, is authorized to sign and submit Funds Requests and all required reporting forms and other documentation as may be required by the State of California from time to time in connection with the grant.
PASSED AND ADOPTED at a regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Fortuna held on 4/30/2026 by the following vote:
AYES: Conley, Diaz, Stevens, Trent,
Johnson
NOES: 0
ABSENT: 0
ABSTAIN: 0
Mike Johnson, Mayor
City Council
STATE OF CALIFORNIA
City of Fortuna
I, Buffy Gray, Deputy City Clerk of the City of Fortuna, State of California, hereby certify the above and foregoing to be a full, true and correct copy of a resolution adopted by said City Council on this 30th day of April, 2026 and that said resolution has not been amended, modified, repealed, or rescinded since its date of adoption and is in full force and effect as of the date hereof.
Buffy Gray, Deputy City Clerk of the City of Fortuna, State of California
______________________________________
By: Buffy Gray, Deputy City Clerk
Future Fortuna Strategic Priorities
Staff + Council Workshop | April 30, 2026
A Note to Council Before We Gather
On April 30, you will join City senior staff for a two-hour working session built on nearly a year of listening — to community members, business owners, teens, Spanish-speaking neighbors, each of you, and all City departments.
This packet is a short orientation, so you arrive ready to engage, not catch up.
The work you will see is first-draft thinking from staff who know these priorities better than anyone. Some presentations will be polished; others will be works in progress. That is appropriate — these are living documents, and April 30 is the moment when your engagement shapes them. The goal is not to evaluate presentation or content polish. It is checking in to confirm a shared direction before we dig into draft documents.
What You Contributed to This Process
Each of you was interviewed as part of the listening campaign. Your observations, frustrations, and hopes are woven into the priorities staff will present. You attended one or both of the two public workshops, where 150+ participants confirmed the same themes you named in your interviews. This is not a staff wish list — it reflects what Fortuna asked for, across groups that often are assumed to not agree.
The rare thing that happened: Community members, City staff, and Council members were interviewed separately, asked open-ended questions, and came back with strikingly similar answers that were repeatedly validated and emphasized during public workshops. When resources are thin and decisions are necessarily challenging, local governments do not often have this type of clarity about the future as a guide.
When that happens across months, ages, departments, and backgrounds, it is a mandate – or political cover – to make tough decisions with strong backing.
How April 30 Is Designed
The session is designed so staff leads and Council responds. You will hear from staff first, ask clarifying questions, and then engage with direction and support. The agenda will move through six segments:
Time What happens Your role
4:00–4:15 Welcome & framing: why this workshop, what was built from Listen 4:15–4:30 The Compass: guiding principles, how they arose, how to use them Questions, confirm 4:30–4:50 Applied Compass Scenario: test the decision filters on a real situation Engage 4:50–5:30 Staff Priority Presentations: each team presents current reality, future ideal, and direction (2 min each). Clarifying questions only, after each.
Listen, note and ask
clarifying questions
5:30–5:45 Council Role: staff requests of Council, open discussion Listen, ask questions 5:45–6:00 Timeline, next steps, and close Questions, close Documents that will follow in early May, to be finalized in June, include a Draft Strategic Plan and Draft GPU Recommendations. Our workshop on Thursday, April 30 is the moment to shape them, before they are written.
Staff & Council Workshop Preparation Packet: April 30, 2026 2 of 4 How to Engage on April 30
About Staff Presentations
Each team or individual will summarize you three points in two minutes each:
1. Where things stand now (current reality)
2. Where we want to be in 5-10 years (future ideal), and
3. The proposed near term and longer term steps to get us to that ideal – including Strategic Plan priorities and (if relevant) what staff need from the General Plan Update in a list we will provide to Planwest.
We will ask for clarifying questions only at the end of each presentation — please save substantive responses for the Council Role discussion that follows.
As you listen, consider two questions we will work from in the discussion segment:
● Where, when, and how can I champion this publicly?
● Where do I need more information before I can?
A Preview: What Staff Will Ask of Council
At the end of the session, staff will share two categories of requests. Here is a preview so nothing lands as a surprise.
Make the call — and champion it
• Use the Compass for transparent decisions
— lead with the shared principles, not
individual preferences
• Name economic development as a City
priority and give staff dedicated time and
capacity to pursue it
• Champion the tax measure: canvass door to
door, support correct messaging, establish a
volunteer committee. The ballot language
was tested through polling — do not alter it.
• Competitive pay is essential — acknowledge
it and support it in the budget
• Allocate and/or allow time for
infrastructure funding/grants to attract
development, starting with the Mill Site
Support staff to lead execution
• Set broad policy direction, then let staff
implement — trust staff diligence and
ministerial decisions on design standards
• Hold developers accountable for application
quality at the dais – the community
overwhelmingly wants to protect Fortuna’s
character and attract the right kind of
growth
• No handshake deals on project costs or
conditions – we must be fair, transparent,
and honor what came up again and again in
this process
• When pulling agenda items: give staff
maximum advance notice and name the
driving question and Compass principle
What comes next: The Strategic Plan will then be finalized in June and back to you for adoption. The GPU Recommendations will be provided to the Planwest team at that time.
The beginnings of these documents that you will inform on April 30 will guide City decisions, budgeting, hiring, and land use planning for the next five years and beyond.
Staff & Council Workshop Preparation Packet: April 30, 2026 3 of 4 Fortuna’s Compass: A Preview A tool for confirmation on April 30 The Compass is the most durable output of this planning process. It is not a mission statement to laminate on a wall — it is a working navigation tool designed to help staff and Council make consistent decisions, no matter how challenging, whoever is at the helm. Every element emerged from the listening campaign and was tested during the public workshops.
On April 30, staff will share how they have begun using the Compass and how they request that Council use it.
Council will be asked to confirm the elements, not adopt them as a final document — that comes with the Strategic Plan.
Draft City Vision
Fortuna is a vital economic engine and a thriving, connected community for people of all ages. The City leads with clear direction, delivers capable services, and finds a way forward — together.
Core Values
• Quality of life — Safety, family life, care for
youth, cleanliness, parks, forests, and river
• Community connection and care — Closeknit feel, showing up for each other • Economic resilience — Building a
foundation that can sustain the Fortuna we
want
• Clear direction — Consistent decisions based
on shared principles that outlast any one
leader
• Community character — Keeping the historic
feel and access to outdoors with room for
growth
• Dedicated service — Recognizing that staff
work hard, care, and deserve support
Council-Level Policy Decision Filters
Questions staff and Council use when facing difficult decisions. Not a checklist — a discipline. This tool helps staff and Council members keep the City on course: does this decision move us toward our vision? Reflect our values and priorities? Striking the right balance between strategic tensions? Staff-Level Operational Decision Filters
We have been experimenting with these “decision-making criteria” since November and find them to be a very helpful mindset as we develop proposals collaboratively and prepare to bring them to you. The more we practice them, the more the questions become automatic and give us a better result for Fortuna.
See the draft Compass on the following page.
Why this matters for Council: Every Council member interviewed said a version of the same thing: Fortuna needs a clear, consistent direction that doesn’t leave when a City Manager does.
The Compass is that direction — not a personality, not one leader’s priorities, but shared principles the City owns together and can use to transparently make decisions the community is watching for. On April 30, make it yours.
Staff & Council Workshop Preparation Packet: April 30, 2026 4 of 4