MINUTES
JOINT MEETING OF THE
GONZALES CITY COUNCIL AND
GONZALES SUCCESSOR AGENCY
MONDAY, APRIL 1, 2024
5:30 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER
The meeting was called to order at 5:30 PM by Mayor Jose L. Rios.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Council Member Worthy led the flag salute.
ROLL CALL
Attendee Name Title Status
Jose L. Rios Mayor/Chair Present
Scott Funk Mayor Pro Tem/Vice Chair Present
Liz Silva Council/Agency Member Present
Lorraine Worthy Council/Agency Member Present
Maria Orozco Council/Agency Member Present
YOUTH COMMISSIONERS
Valeria Cardenas.
STAFF PRESENT
City Manager Carmen Gil, City Attorney Michael F. Rodriquez, Community Development Director Taven Kinison Brown, Executive Assistant to the City Manager/Deputy City Clerk Mary Villegas, Administrative Assistant II Marisol Gomez, Public Works Director/City Engineer Patrick Dobbins, Fire Chief Jason Muscio, and Police Chief Keith Wise.
* Successor Agency Item
PUBLIC NOTICE
This meeting is being conducted consistent with State of California Executive Order N-29-20 dated March 17, 2020, regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. The public may participate in person or online via zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87020263943 or call 1 (669) 900-6833 and use Meeting ID: 870 2026 3943. If you wish to make either a general public comment or to comment on a specific agenda item, please use the Raise Hand function. You will be allowed three minutes for your comments.
If you choose not to attend the City Council meeting but wish to make a comment on a specific agenda item, please submit your comment limited to 250 words or less by 12:00p.m. on the day of the meeting to the City Clerk at [email protected]
PRESENTATIONS
2. Heavenly Valley Ranch
Randy Pura, TAP Agricultural Partners, introduced the participants involved in the Heavenly Valley Ranch Renewable Energy Project. He went over the City's priorities which included housing, the Community Center, Wastewater Treatment expansion, and jobs all done in an environmentally sustainable manner. He elaborated on the meeting with PG&E last August and what was determined as to the current demand and additional demand for future projects; and PG&E's limited supply of power available. He also showed the regional map.
Patrick Mathews, Salinas Valley Recycles General Manager, explained the local benefits of the Gonzales landfill, State Mandate SB 1383 infrastructure, future organics recovery projects, Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority roles and responsibilities, and CEQA lead for the Heavenly Valley Ranch Energy Park Phase I.
Tim Israel, Ameresco Inc. Project Developer, gave a background on the company, the different clean energy and efficiency projects developed worldwide, and their role in this project.
Sean Kilgrow, Machado & Sons Construction Project Executive, gave a background on the company, and elaborated on the organic processing at Johnson Canyon and Salinas Valley biogas producing renewable electricity.
Mr. Pura elaborated on Taylor Fresh Foods, one of the largest employers in Gonzales, who were a 50% partner with him, and their support of this project. He also talked about the Phase II consisting of generating solar renewable energy, and shared a map of the complete build out. He concluded with the next steps on how the City could support this project.
BUSINESS FROM THE PUBLIC
3. Business from the Public not on the Agenda; any member of the Public may address the Council for a period not to exceed three minutes on any subject not on the Agenda. The Council will listen to all communications, but may take no action.
There was none.
CONSENT AGENDA
4. Approve the Joint City Council and Successor Agency - Regular Meeting - March 18, 2024 Minutes
5. Approve City Accounts Payable Warrants #49984-50065
6. Consider Renaming the Public Works Operations Technician I/II Position to Public Works Technician and Approve the Revised Job Description
7. Consider Approval of Resolution No. 2024-10, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Authorizing and Providing for the Incurrence of Indebtedness for the Purpose of Providing a Portion of the Cost of Acquiring, Constructing, Enlarging, Improving, and/or Extending Its 2023 Community Center (Library and Teen Center) Facility to Serve an Area Lawfully Within Its Jurisdiction to Serve
Mayor Rios inquired about the warrant for Swinerton.
Public Works Director Dobbins responded that the transition between Harris & Associates and Swinerton was taking longer than anticipated, and there were items that pre-dated Harris & Associates' involvement that they needed to close out. One of them was the baseline schedule that staff wanted to see before construction began and the other one was the trend log which are things that we were adding or taking out of the project, and we're wrapping things up.
Mayor Rios asked if this would be the last one we would see.
Public Works Director Dobbins responded that he would have to look but he believed the invoices were for services for more than one month.
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS] Consent Agenda Items 4-7
MOVER: Maria Orozco, Council Member
SECONDER: Liz Silva, Council Member
AYES: Jose L. Rios, Scott Funk, Liz Silva, Lorraine Worthy, Maria Orozco
REGULAR AGENDA
8. Monterey-Salinas Transit's Gonzales Circulator Project Staff Report: Public Works Director Dobbins presented the staff report.
Michelle Overmeyer, Monterey Salinas Transit Director of Planning/Innovation, presented information via powerpoint updating the City on the fixed route service in Gonzales, the current fixed route service Line 23, Line 31, prior work, outreach efforts, and project schedule.
Public Comment: There was none.
Council Discussion: None.
The Council received the presentation.
9. Consider Approval of Resolution No. 2024-09, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Gonzales Authorizing the City Manager to Submit a Grant Application to the California Department of Water Resources for the Flood Emergency Response Program Upgrade Staff Report: Fire Chief Muscio presented the staff report.
Public Comment: There was none.
Council Discussion: None.
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Liz Silva, Council Member
SECONDER: Lorraine Worthy, Council Member
AYES: Jose L. Rios, Scott Funk, Liz Silva, Lorraine Worthy, Maria Orozco
10. Public Hearing to Adopt, Waive Reading and Read by Title Only Ordinance No. 2024-142, An Ordinance of the City Council of the City of Gonzales, California, Amending Chapter 4.56 Taxicabs of Title 4 Business and License Regulations of the Gonzales City Code Staff Report: Community Development Director Kinison Brown presented the staff report.
Mayor Rios opened the public hearing at 6:30pm.
Public Hearing: No comments came forward.
Being there no comments from the public, Mayor Rios closed the public hearing at 6:30pm.
Council Discussion: None.
RESULT: APPROVED [UNANIMOUS]
MOVER: Lorraine Worthy, Council Member
SECONDER: Liz Silva, Council Member
AYES: Jose L. Rios, Scott Funk, Liz Silva, Lorraine Worthy, Maria Orozco
GONZALES YOUTH COUNCIL UPDATES
11. Oral Communication
Ambassador Valeria Cardenas reported on the workshop at the Gonzales High School Mental Health Summit which was very successful; Tenants Rights Survey regarding housing; continuing the survey for the Mental Health Project focused on parents perspective; and a planned Youth Forum in Soledad with the Gonzales, Greenfield and Soledad Councils in the near future.
BUSINESS FROM CITY COUNCIL
12. City Council Board/Committee Reports
a. Transportation Agency for Monterey County
Mayor Rios reported on a nature trail project along Del Rey Oaks and Seaside and cost going up 45%; and getting a lot of nimbyism on the Highway 68 corridor about the roundabouts. b. Mayor Selection Committee
Mayor Rios announced the meeting this Friday.
c. Salinas Valley Recycles
Council Member Silva announced the Education Center Grand Opening this Saturday at the Johnson Landfill at 11:00am; and next Board meeting is April 18th at 6:00pm here. d. Central Coast Community Energy
No report.
13. Oral Communications
Council Member Worthy announced the essay contest winners Joel, Jacob, and Celest and said the assembly was a great event. She also asked to put on the agenda a cleanup project here in town which she talked to City Manager Gil about. She also announced an American Legion Fundraiser
on April 18th at 4:30pm which was a hamburger take out and anyone interested could contact her or Council Member Silva.
Council Member Silva was excited to see a third planter at the Community Garden area. She also reminded everyone that April was the month that we celebrated Earth Day, and wanted to remind everyone to do their part on recycling.
Council Member Orozco hoped everyone had a great Easter. She mentioned people were asking her if the City could do an Easter Egg Hunt for the kids and said she had someone that could sponsor for next year. She also announced the St. Theodore's Church Annual Reverse Draw on June 14th and she and Council Member Silva have tickets. She also asked if we could bring back to Council an appraisal of City owned properties like we had discussed before about the property next to Canyon Creek which was appraised to bring back cost for what we should be charging for that property. She said we’ve also had discussions about other City-owned properties on the leases that are coming up and we should really take a look at what we have been charging for rental of these properties. She mentioned the lease next door is coming up pretty soon and believed it would be a good time to contact an Appraiser or Commercial Realtor to see what they would suggest for rental of our properties.
Mayor Rios believed the one next door, Rene and with Michael’s approval, extended it from three years to five years because of how much of an investment they were making to the property.
Council Member Orozco asked if it came back to the Council for approval.
Mayor Rios responded it didn’t have to because Rene and Mike had set that up so that they had the discretion to be able to allow to give them additional time.
Council Member Orozco asked if that discretion was allowed on other properties or other issues that come before Council when they passed a resolution to approve certain conditions. She found that to be strange since they had approved it, it became before Council, and we had a public hearing.
Mayor Rios mentioned if she read the whole thing, there was that provision that Mr. Mendez had the discretion to extend the lease an additional two years. He said he didn’t read the entire contract, but he was certain that Michael and Rene did. And they asked for additional time because of the amount of money they were investing in that property. He agreed with her, they got a heck of a deal and in two years he would definitely and highly encourage staff to re-look at the cost and charge appropriately, and obviously it has been quite successful for them so he doubted that they’re hurting for money. He said he wanted to bring this up now rather than say why we haven’t increased the price on them, but Mr. Mendez shared with him that they had asked for an additional two years and they granted them because of the amount they invested on the property.
Council Member Orozco said what that did was set a precedent for any other company or individual who wanted to come in and rent one of our facilities to want to do the same thing.
Mayor Pro Tem Funk suggested we should return to Council updates since this was turning into a discussion that was not agendized.
Mayor Rios shared that Mr. Martinez brought to his attention the last time we had heavy rain there was no flashing yellow warning signs on Tenth and Alta Streets since it got flooded there.
He also asked the Council how they felt about moving the meeting time up half an hour, to 5:30pm rather than 6:00pm. He asked if this was something the Council wanted to consider, we could ask staff to bring this back to us since the ordinance stated 6:00pm. He mentioned there were a few staff members that commuted quiet away, especially the City Attorney who commutes the farthest.
Council Member Orozco mentioned that people worked in Salinas that live in Gonzales who attend meetings and are stuck in traffic so it was even challenging to get here at 6:00pm.
Mayor Rios said he would understand if he saw the room completely full on a regular basis with folks coming from Salinas but it wasn’t.
Council Members Silva, Worthy and Mayor Rios said they were ok with that.
Mayor Pro Tem Funk suggested directing staff to bring it back so we can consider it then.
City Attorney Rodriquez indicated that we could do this change by way of a resolution as opposed through an ordinance change, so staff will bring a resolution back for Council discussion, take public comment, and decide whether or not to take action.
Mayor Rios asked staff to bring it back before the Council.
BUSINESS FROM CITY MANAGER
14. Oral Communications
City Manager Gil reminded everyone about the Car Show on April 20th, and cars will show up as early as 9:00am and the streets would need to be cleared by then; Groundbreaking Ceremony on April 27th at 1:00pm and the School Band will kick off the festivities; and Cinco de Mayo on May 5 th
.
Council Member Silva asked if there will be a Dia del Niño event in April.
City Manager Gil responded yes, the last Sunday in April, which was April 27th.
Public Works Director Dobbins reported on the status of the Fifth Street truck ban. He stated that the Council adopted resolution establishing Fifth Street from US101 to Alta Street as a truck ban and engaged a consultant to prepare the sign package. Staff received the Caltrans encroachment permit and went out to bid about a year ago, and the engineer's estimate was in the order of $35,000. In mid-August, staff received a single bid that was submitted in the amount of $72,000.
He mentioned that unfortunately, we don't have the funding in our road or districts funds to pay for that. He highlighted that there were $25,000 in the bid received for traffic control on US101. He talked to consultants and said an option was that the City could buy the signs and Public Works staff could install them within the City, and find a contractor to install them on US101. He mentioned one of the constraints to deliver Public Works projects was the City Manager's signature authorization for services over $5,000 and anything over that required to come before the City Council, the RFP process, and it was time consuming.
Mayor Rios said this may be something we need to look at to authorize the City Manager to sign for a higher amount.
Mayor Pro Tem Funk agreed this should come back and believed we were at a good point when we can increase that.
Community Development Director Kinison Brown announced the Planning Commission meeting on April 8th where they will consider a revised sign ordinance and hoped to get a recommendation to the City Council on May 6th.
Fire Chief Muscio announced Lieutenant Christian Avina had moved on and his last shift was last week. He mentioned that Captain Vasquez was picking up his shifts. He also reported on the applications received and the selection process planned for next week.
CLOSED SESSION
15. The City Council will recess to closed session pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(A) to confer with its Attorney regarding pending litigation which has been initiated formally and to which the City is a party: Madera v. City of Gonzales et al.
The Council conferred with its Attorney. No other reportable action taken.
ADJOURNMENT
The meeting was adjourned at 7:12 PM.
ATTEST:
Mary Villegas, Deputy City Clerk