CITY OF LOS BANOS
SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES
JANUARY 11, 2023
ACTION MINUTES – These minutes are prepared to depict action taken for agenda items presented to the City Council. For greater detail of this meeting refer to the electronic media (CD and/or audio) kept as a permanent record.
CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Llanez called the City Council Meeting to order at the hour of 4:02 p.m.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: The pledge of allegiance was led by Police Sergeant Mendez.
ROLL CALL – MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL PRESENT: Council Members Doug Begonia, Brett Jones, Kenneth Lambert, Deborah Lewis, Mayor Paul Llanez; Absent: None.
STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: City Attorney Vaughn, City Clerk/Human Resources Director Mallonee, Interim City Manager Souza Elms.
CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Motion by Jones, seconded by Lambert to approve the agenda as submitted. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.
PUBLIC FORUM: MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL
MEMBERS ON ANY ITEM OF PUBLIC INTEREST THAT IS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY; INCLUDES AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS. NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS. Mayor Llanez opened the public forum and invited the public to come forward to speak. ANN McCAULEY, 26 year resident of Los Banos, spoke regarding an item that is going to be in your closed session and she feels that the requirement should be a 4-1 vote to terminate the City Manager to have the requirement to be 5-0 vote for City Manager explaining why she feels that way and that it is a dereliction of duty if it is not 5-0 vote to remove the City Manager; MARK FAHEY, Los Banos, stated that he lives in the Racquet Club development area and spoke regarding the duplexes being proposed off of San Luis Drive and how he feels there needs to be stricter requirement regarding the wall and landscaping along the frontage and sidewalk, how the current wall is getting tagged and repainted and looks bad, the road condition on San Luis Drive is in terrible condition, there have been a great deal of things developed in that area that creates heavy traffic, he has been told that the road is scheduled for repair as soon as possible or in the summer 2023 or it is not on any list to be repaired, and suggested before you approve new 14 duplexes take care of San Luis Drive. Mayor Llanez asked if there were any written comments received and City Clerk Mallonee stated that she had received no comments. No one else came forward to speak and the public forum was closed.
CONDUCT INTERVIEWS FOR THE CITY TREASURER VACANCY AND MAKE A SELECTION TO FILL THE VACANCY; CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION NO. 6603 –
APPROVING AN APPOINTEE TO FILL THE VACANCY IN THE OFFICE OF THE CITY TREASURER. Interim City Manager Souza Elms presented the staff report, which included the process the City Council will go through to interview and select a new City Treasurer.
City Clerk Mallonee pulled the first name out of the box to be interview which was Roy Todd and then Lucy Lawrence will be interviewed second.
Mayor Llanez welcomed Mr. Todd and started the interview process which included two set questions from each Council Member.
Mayor Llanez welcomed Ms. Lawrence and started the interview process which included two set questions from each Council Member.
There was Council Member and staff discussion regarding how it seems like there wasn’t a good understanding of what the job duties of the city treasurer for which staff elaborated on, inquired as to if the investment policy was provided to them, how some of the questions were phrased it would probably be better asked who was in that position than someone new to the position, feels that some of the questions were unfair, moving forward we need to be mindful of asking questions that can be answered, the more expectation we can give them the better, and what pay and benefits the City Treasurer will receive.
City Clerk Mallonee tallied the votes: Lucy Lawrence received four (4) votes: Council Member Lambert, Council Member Begonia, Council Member Jones, Mayor Llanez; Roy Todd received one (1) vote: Council Member Lewis.
Motion by Jones, seconded by Lambert to adopt City Council Resolution No. 6603 – Approving an Appointee to Fill the Vacancy of City Treasurer with Lucy Lawrence. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.
CLOSED SESSION: CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED
LITIGATION, SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE TO LITIGATION PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.9(B): ONE POTENTIAL CASE. No reportable action.
CLOSED SESSION: PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT – CITY MANAGER (RECRUITMENT), PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54957. No reportable action.
CLOSED SESSION: CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED
LITIGATION, SIGNIFICANT EXPOSURE TO LITIGATION PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.9(B): ONE POTENTIAL CASE. On a 5-0 vote, the City Council has approved the Tolling Agreement with the Central California Irrigation District and has authorized the Mayor to execute the agreement.
ADJOURNMENT. Motion by Lambert, seconded by Begonia to adjourn the meeting. The motion carried by the affirmative action of all Council Members present.
APPROVED:
/s/ Paul Llanez_____________
Paul Llanez, Mayor
ATTEST:
/s/ Lucille L. Mallonee_________
Lucille L. Mallonee, City Clerk