City Council Minutes
January 23, 2024
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CITY COUNCIL MINUTES
MEETING OF JANUARY 23, 2024
CALL TO ORDER
Mayor White called the meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
ROLL CALL
PRESENT: Mayor White, Mayor Pro-tem Rodriguez, Councilmembers Martinez, Ortiz and Tipton
ABSENT: None
STAFF: City Manager Wood, Fire Chief Langborg, Community Development Director Mugan, Public Works Director Tugel, IT Director Espinosa, City Attorney Thompson, City Clerk Rathbun
GUESTS: Gail Stewart-White, Pastor Robert Mullen, John Huerta, Jr., Pete and Helen Rocha
INVOCATION
Invocation by Pastor Robert Mullen.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
All recited the Pledge of Allegiance.
AGENDA REVIEW
None
PUBLIC COMMENTS FROM THE AUDIENCE REGARDING ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA Gabriella Serrato stated that last month Councilmember Martinez had announced that she would be gifting several presents; however, there was no information on how someone would be able to obtain these gifts. She stated that all information should be given by Councilmember Martinez when announcing it during a City Council meeting for everyone and not just a selected few. She also stated that she was still waiting for Councilmember Martinez to contact her mother.
CONSENT ITEMS
A MOTION by Councilmember Martinez, seconded by Councilmember Tipton to approve the consent items including Warrants #320442 through #320546 and Bank Drafts #5813 through #5835 in the amount of $1,674,194.19, approve Minutes of the January 9, 2024 City Council Meeting, Receive and File Monthly Reports – Finance / Police Department, adopt Resolution #2024-07, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Greenfield Accepting Grant Funds in the Amount of $957,943.58 from the Department of Homeland Security to Address the Emergency Generator Backup Needs of the Cityof Greenfield”, adopt Resolution #2024-08, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Greenfield Acknowledging the Receipt of a Report Made by the Fire Chief of the Greenfield Fire Department Regarding the Inspection of Certain Occupancies Required to Preform Annual Inspections in Such Occupancies Pursuant to Sections 13146.2 and 13146.3 of the California 29 City Council Minutes
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Health and Safety Code” and adopt Resolution #2024-09, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Greenfield Approving the Attached CAL OES Designation of Applicant’s Agent(s)”. All in favor. Motion carried.
COMMENTS FROM CITY COUNCIL
Councilmember Tipton reminded everyone that was walking or riding bicycles in the dark to not wear dark clothing and for everyone to please turn on their lights at night and when it’s raining. He also stated that people needed to stop at stop signs. He reminded everyone to check on the elderly, children and pets because of the cold weather. He stated that there was an organization called snugsafe.com and people could sign up with them and they would check on you every day to make sure that you were okay. He also reminded everyone to get their pets spayed or neutered. He also stated that there had been a lot on the news about drug and alcohol abuse and reminded everyone to be safe and don’t’ use drugs or drink and drive. He also stated that there had been a lot of posts regarding the Welcome to Greenfield signs and would like to have a status on that. He stated that there was a Narcan give away and that residents could get free Narcan at Rite Aid. He stated that the Mayor and Council Academy, League of California Cities, was this week. He also asked if there was anyone on Council, besides himself, that was Indigenous.
Councilmember Martinez thanked everyone for attending the City Council meeting and stated that translation was available. She requested that the Pest Management Program be placed on the agenda and about getting the signs up stating that the City prohibits glyphosate in all parks. She also stated that the Christmas event was advertised on her Council page and it was a success. She stated that they visited approximately 20 kids on Christmas morning and gave them a gift and breakfast. She stated that she was not able to attend the CDBIO celebration in Greenfield; however, stated that Dr. Martinez was doing a lot of work in Greenfield for the Indigenous community. She stated that she had been receiving a lot of calls regarding drug abuse and stated that everyone needed to get involved with the youth, while they were still young. She also addressed the letter of recommendation that she had sent on behalf of a member of the community and stated that she would be continuing to send letters of recommendation for members of the community.
Councilmember Ortiz stated that she received an email from a taxi service that wanted to come into Greenfield and would like staff to reach out to them. She also stated that MST offered on-call services to residents and it was very important for the City to get that information out to all the residents. She stated that the potholes in the alleys were very bad and asked that Public Works look into fixing them, especially behind the post office. She stated that there would be a TAMC meeting tomorrow; however, she would not be attending because she would be attending the League conference. She asked for a Welcome to Greenfield signs update. She also stated that she would like to have a review of the City Council’s rules and protocols. She requested that the letter that was sent to her regarding Councilmember Martinez be placed on the next agenda.
Mayor Pro-tem Rodriguez stated that she would like to follow up on some items that she had requested such as the criteria for selecting students for the high school banners and the comparison that she requested regarding the fees charged for the Harvest Festival compared to other similar events. She stated that the MST on-call services had been around for some time and would be requesting that they do a presentation at a City Council meeting regarding the service. She stated that she also had seen all the posts on social media; however, sometimes the information was not correct and suggested to the City Manager putting out meeting highlights on Facebook or social media so that residents could be up to date. She addressed the letter that was received and she asked the City Attorney how did this pertain to City business or if it did. She stated that she did not want to waste anymore time talking about personal matters or things that didn’t pertain to City business. She also asked if the letter was a public record and available to the public and City Attorney Thompson confirmed that it was. 30 City Council Minutes
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Mayor White stated that he took a field trip with Councilmember Tipton, City Manager Wood, Public Works Director Tugel and City Engineer Pike to the intersection of Apple/El Camino Real to investigate the flooding problem that occurred there. He stated that staff would be working on some solutions and hopefully would be coming back with them soon. He stated that he would like to have the Team Building on the next agenda and would like the Council to work together. He announced the unclaimed funds and stated that residents could check the City website or the newspaper to see if they were on the list to receive any funds.
MAYOR’S PRESENTATION, PROCLAMATIONS, COMMUNICATIONS, RESOLUTIONS RECOGNITION – GUSTAVO RIVAS, PG&E UTILITY GAS TECHNICIAN Fire Chief Langborg gave a brief background of the situation regarding Gustavo Rivas. Mayor White presented Mr. Rivas with a certificate of appreciation.
PRESENTATION – GREENFIELD HIGH SCHOOL VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM – P.C.A.L. SANTA
LUCIA DIVISION CHAMPIONS
Mayor White read the proclamation and presented it to the coaching staff and players.
PRESENTATION – GREENFIELD CROSS COUNTRY RUNNER FABIAN SERRANO Mayor White read the certificate. Mr. Serrano was unable to attend.
UPDATE – TOM ROGERS MUSEUM / VISITORS CENTER
Community Development Director Mugan gave an update on the Tom Rogers Museum/Visitors Center.
PRESENTATION – GREENFIELD POLICE DEPARTMENT DUI PRESENTATION Sgt. de la Torre and Officer Ruelas gave a power point presentation regarding DUIs.
PUBLIC HEARING
ADOPT A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GREENFIELD ADOPTING A
MITIGATED NEGATIVE DECLARATION AND MITIGATION MONITORING REPORTING PROGRAM FOR A NEW 37-LOT SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION AT A ~4.6-AC PROPERTY AT 296 APPLE AVENUE AND
ADOPT A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GREENFIELD
APPROVING A VESTING TENTATIVE MAP, DESIGN REVIEW, AND PLANNED DEVELOPMENT FOR A NEW 35-LOT SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL SUBDIVISION AT A ~4.6-AC PROPERTY AT 296 APPLE AVENUE; (APN: 109-082-013-000 RESOLUTION #2024-10 / RESOLUTION #2024-11
Staff report was given by Community Development Director Mugan.
Mayor White opened the public hearing at 7:17 p.m.
Sherlyn Flores, applicant, gave a power point presentation. 31 City Council Minutes
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Paul Davis, architect, gave a report regarding the design of the development.
Jesus Estrada, CCA, stated that everyone was very interested in this project. He stated that it didn’t matter whether they wanted to rent the homes or sale them, they were all needed and he was here in support of the project.
Veronic Leon stated that she was here in support of this project and asked that the Council support it as well.
Ms. Ochoa thanked everyone here and asked that the Council support the project. She stated that there was a great need for housing in Greenfield.
Jeff Morgan, President of CHISPA, stated that he was in full support of this project and complimented the Council and staff for the City meeting its RNHA numbers.
Matt Huerta, senior advisor for the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, stated that he was in full support of the project.
John Huerta stated that he was in full support of the project. He stated that he was thankful for self help housing. He asked about the non-citizen status and the US citizen requirement for these lots so that the families could build there. He asked who would be applying for these homes because there would be at least 500 applications for these homes. He also stated that the City had a long history of working with a non-profit organization on self-help housing and there were many in Greenfield.
Jurgeun Smith stated that the school district had just approved 4 new classrooms, one for each site, for preschool and then 4 additional classrooms for older students so the district was ready for the additional students. He stated that he was concerned with the City’s infrastructure, sewer plant, and the old pipes around the town.
Laura Mireles asked that some of the homes be designated for teachers. She stated that teachers shouldn’t have to commute and the City should try to provide housing for them.
Beatriz Diaz stated that she was happy to have self-help housing and supported the project.
Mayor Whtie closed the public hearing at 7:51 p.m.
Mayor White stated that he was glad the applicant addressed the Council’s concerns. Councilmember Ortiz stated that the community deserved good housing. Mayor Pro-tem Rodriguez stated her mother was able to become a homeowner through the self-help housing program. She stated that her mother along with her and her siblings would go to work every day on the housing. She stated that all the people building their homes became a family. Councilmember Martinez thanked everyone for coming to the meeting and supporting the project.
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A MOTION by Councilmember Martinez, seconded by Mayor Pro-tem Rodriguez to adopt Resolution #2024-10, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Greenfield Adopting a Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring Reporting Program for a New 37-Lot SingleFamily Residential Subdivision at a ~4.6-AC Property at 296 Apple Avenue”. All in favor. Motion carried.
A MOTION by Councilmember Martinez, seconded by Mayor Pro-tem Rodriguez to adopt Resolution #2024-11, as amended, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Greenfield Approving a Vesting Tentative Map, Design Review, and Planned Development for a New 35-Lot Single-Family Residential Subdivision At A ~4.6-Ac Property At 296 Apple Avenue; (APN: 109-082-013-000)”. All in favor. Motion carried.
CITY COUNCIL BUSINESS
Mayor White stepped down due to a conflict of interest at 7:58 p.m.
ADOPT A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF GREENFIELD AWARDING
CONSTRUCTION FOR A PUBLIC WORKS CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT IN THE AMOUNT OF $1,080,436.00 TO ANDERSON PACIFIC ENGINEERING CONSTRUCTION, INC. TO CONSTRUCT
THE APPLE AVENUE WATER SYSTEM CONSOLIDATION PROJECT AND AUTHORIZING THE
CITY MANAGER TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE THE CONTRACT AND ASSIGN ADDITIONAL
WORK IN ACCORDANCE WITH THIS RESOLUTION AND TO SUPPLEMENTALLY APPROPRIATE $1,188,479.60 TO THE PROJECT FOR CONSTRUCTION AND CONTINGENCY RESOLUTION #2024-12
Staff report was given by Public Works Director Tugel.
Pete Rocha stated that the City had been working on this project for many years and supported the project. He asked that the Council pass it.
Councilmember Martinez stated that it was great to have this project and supported it. Councilmember Ortiz asked when the project would be completed. Public Works Director Tugel stated that it would be completed by June 30, 2024. Councilmember Tipton asked if there was enough water for this project.
Public Works Director Tugel stated yes and that it was in the City’s Water Master Plan.
A MOTION by Councilmember Martinez, seconded by Councilmember Tipton to adopt Resolution #2024-12, “A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Greenfield Awarding Construction for a Public Works Construction Contract in the Amount of $1,080,436.00 to Anderson Pacific Engineering Construction, Inc. to Construct the Apple Avenue Water System Consolidation Project and Authorizing the City Manager to Negotiate and Execute the Contract and Assign Additional Work in Accordance with this Resolution and to Supplementally Appropriate $1,188,479.60 to the Project for Construction and Contingency”. AYES: Mayor Pro-tem Rodriguez, Councilmembers Martinez, Ortiz and Tipton. ABSTAIN: Mayor White. Motion carried.
Mayor White returned to this seat at 8:11 p.m.
DISCUSSION AND REVIEW – COUNCILMEMBER ALLEGATION OF MISCONDUCT Staff report was given by City Attorney Thompson.
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Beatriz Diaz asked that the Council look into this matter and that everyone should be transparent and the Council needed to be fair.
Gabriella Serrato stated that any misuse of authority by any Councilmember should be investigated.
Mayor Pro-tem Rodriguez stated that the report was like an non-answer report because FPPC couldn’t issue an informal opinion, it hasn’t been investigated and there won’t be unless there was a formal complaint. City Attorney Thompson stated that the FPPC would not take action on allegations of violation of Government Code Section 1090 unless there was a form complaint. She stated that the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority Board did not take any further action.
Councilmember Martinez stated that the letter stated that he received legal advice from the City Attorney and wanted to know why that was allowed and that it was very concerning. City Attorney Thomspon stated that it was true that she does not give advice to individual councilmembers and she stated that she never has.
Councilmember Ortiz stated that she did not see any of the allegations; however, if the FPPC had done something then she would have requested to move forward with an investigation.
Mayor Pro-tem Rodriguez stated that there were two areas of concerns: first the allegation that a lie was told regarding getting legal advice from the City Attorney and second, that a Councilmember could not use his position to benefit financially and getting a job because he was on a board because he was on Council would be doing that. She stated that the intent was there and the action to pursue financial gain even though he did not get the position was there and that was why she had asked that this item be placed on the agenda.
Councilmember Tipton addressed getting legal advice from the City Attorney. He stated that he was addressing his appointment to the Council not what the allegation was.
Mayor Pro-tem Rodriguez stated that she wanted it on record that there was no investigation done on this allegation. City Attorney Thompson stated that was correct. She stated that the Salinas Valley Solid Waste Authority had options and one was an investigation; however, they decided not to pursue an investigation because everything was said at their meeting therefore they decided not to move forward with an investigation.
BRIEF REPORTS ON CONFERENCES, SEMINARS, AND MEETINGS ATTENDED BY MAYOR AND
CITY COUNCIL
Mayor White reported on the AMBAG meeting and stated that they approved the final growth forecast.
Councilmember Tipton reported on the SVSWA meeting and stated that they discussed the rate increase and budget and extending a contract for 5 years with Tri-Cities Disposal.
Mayor White reported on the Monterey County Mayors’ Association meeting. He stated that there was a PG&E representative there and they discussed power outages.
City Manager Wood reported on the Salinas Valley Managers/Mayors meeting. He stated that they discussed ag mitigation and LAFCo board making clarifications. 34 City Council Minutes
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CITY ATTORNEY REPORT
None.
CITY MANAGER REPORT
None
ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 8:36 p.m.
_________________________
Mayor of the City of Greenfield
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City Clerk of the City of Greenfield
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