Town Council - December 06, 2023
1. CALL TO ORDER AND ROLL CALL
The Mayor called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m. in the Council Chamber, 437 Old Mammoth Road, Suite Z, Mammoth Lakes.
2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Pro Tem Sauser led the flag salute.
3. PUBLIC COMMENTS
The Public Comment portion of the agenda provides the public with an opportunity to address the Town Council on matters not otherwise listed on the agenda. Under California law the Town Council is prohibited from generally discussing or taking action on items not included in the agenda; however, the Town Council may briefly respond to comments or questions from members of the public. Therefore, the Town Council will listen to all public comment, but will not generally discuss the matter or take action on it. Requests for service from the Town may also be made at the Town offices during regular business hours. Members of the public desiring to speak on a matter appearing on the agenda should ask the Mayor for the opportunity to be heard when the item comes up for Council consideration.
Sarah Walsh announced that she would be running for Mono County District 3 Supervisor in the upcoming election.
4. ADDITIONS TO THE AGENDA
Opportunity to add urgency items pursuant to Government Code Section 54954.2(b)2, if necessary.
There were no additions to the agenda.
5. REPORTS FROM COMMISSIONS AND/OR DEPARTMENTS (AS NEEDED) Town Manager Daniel C. Holler announced actions taken at the last STR Advisory Committee meeting. There was discussion among members of Council and staff.
5.1 December 2023 Public Works Engineering CIP Update.
1. December 2023 Public Works Engineering CIP Update.pdf
2. Capital Project Update for December.pdf
6. WORKSHOP
6.1 Joint Meeting with Mammoth Lakes Tourism – Annual Recap.
1. MLT Q1 Joint Meeting (1).pdf
2. MLT FY 2022-23 Deliverable Recap 12-6-23.pdf
3. MLT_2023 Annual Wrap Report V2.pdf
Mammoth Lakes Tourism Board Chair Pat Foster, Vice Chair Eric Clark, Treasurer John Morris, Board Member Bill Sauser, Board Member Jess Karell, and Board Member Cristi Quesada-Costa were in attendance.
John Urdi, Mammoth Lakes Tourism (MLT) Executive Director, and members of MLT staff gave a presentation regarding MLT's Annual Recap.
There was discussion among members of Council, members of the Board, and staff.
The Mayor called a recess at 4:58 and the Council reconvened at 5:03 p.m.
7. COUNCIL PRESENTATIONS
7.1 Recognition of Mayor's Spirit of Mammoth Award.
This item was taken out of order.
Mayor Wentworth presented his Mayor's Spirit of Mammoth Award to Janet Hatfield.
7.2 Recognition of outgoing Mayor John Wentworth.
Members of the Council thanked Mayor Wentworth for his service as Mayor in the past year.
8. COUNCIL REORDGANIZATION
8.1 Appointment of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem.
1. Agenda Action Sheet appointment of Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem.pdf Moved by
Mayor John Wentworth
Seconded by
Councilmember Amanda Rice
Appoint Mayor Pro Tem Sauser as the Mayor.
For (5)
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Sauser, Mayor John Wentworth, Councilmember Sarah Rea, Councilmember Chris Bubser, and Councilmember Amanda Rice Carried (5 to 0)
Moved by
Councilmember Amanda Rice
Seconded by
Councilmember Sarah Rea
Appoint Councilmember Bubser as the Mayor Pro Tem.
For (5)
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Sauser, Mayor John Wentworth, Councilmember Sarah Rea, Councilmember Chris Bubser, and Councilmember Amanda Rice Carried (5 to 0)
8.2 Town Council Appointments to Commissions, Committees, and Boards.
1. Agenda Action Sheet Town Council appointments.pdf
2. Liaison Committee summaries 2023.pdf
There was discussion among members of Council.
Moved by
Councilmember Chris Bubser
Seconded by
Councilmember Amanda Rice
Appoint Councilmember Rice in place of Councilmember Wentworth on the Local Transportation Commission (LTC). Appoint Councilmember Wentworth in place of Mayor Sauser on the Mammoth Lakes Tourism (MLT) Board. All of the other Council appointments will remain the same.
For (5)
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Sauser, Mayor John Wentworth, Councilmember Sarah Rea, Councilmember Chris Bubser, and Councilmember Amanda Rice Carried (5 to 0)
9. CONSENT AGENDA
Moved by
Councilmember Amanda Rice
Seconded by
Councilmember Chris Bubser
Approve the Consent Agenda.
For (5)
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Sauser, Mayor John Wentworth, Councilmember Sarah Rea, Councilmember Chris Bubser, and Councilmember Amanda Rice Carried (5 to 0)
9.1 Approve the minutes of the regular meeting of November 15, 2023.
1. November 15, 2023 Minutes.pdf
9.2 Accept Check Register 11/8/23 in the amount of $285,037.35. Accept Check Register 11/16/23 in the amount of $899,234.39. Accept Check Register 11/21/23 in the amount of $899,234.39. Accept Check Register 11/29/2023 in the amount of $2,613,834.90.
1. Check Register 11082023.pdf
2. Check Register 11162023.pdf
3. Check Register 11212023.pdf
4. Check Register 11282023.pdf
10. POLICY MATTERS
10.1 Consider approval of a request for an additional $700,000 in funding for the Eastern Sierra Community Housing Access Apartments project.
1. Access Apts Funding Request.pdf
2. Melissa Swan Email.pdf
Town Manager Daniel C. Holler outlined the information in the staff report. There was discussion among members of Council and staff.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Patricia Robertson, Executive Director of Eastern Sierra Community Housing, spoke in support of additional funding for the project.
Michael spoke in support of low income housing.
A member of the public spoke in support of the Access Apartments Project and providing additional funding for the project.
Jennifer Kreitz, Mono County Board of Supervisors and member of the Eastern Sierra Community Housing Board, spoke in support of funding for regional housing.
Tom Hodges, Eastern Sierra Community Housing Board, spoke in support of funding the project.
Sandy Hogan spoke in support of additional funding for the project.
There was discussion among members of Council and staff.
Moved by
Mayor John Wentworth
Seconded by
Councilmember Chris Bubser
Approve the allocation of an
additional
$700,000 in
funding to be committed to the Access Apartments project .
For (5)
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Sauser, Mayor John Wentworth, Councilmember Sarah Rea, Councilmember Chris Bubser, and Councilmember Amanda Rice Carried (5 to 0)
10.2 Request to Caltrans to complete a Relinquishment Assessment Report for State Route 203.
1. Request to Caltrans to conduct study report on the relinquishment of SR 203 within the Town of Mammoth Lakes.pdf
2. Draft Letter to Caltrans on SR 203 RAR request.pdf
Town Manager Daniel C. Holler outlined the information in the staff report. There was discussion among members of Council and staff.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Tom Hodges, Vice President of Planning and Development at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, said that they were concerned about the length of time it would take to study multiple parts of the highway instead of just the part through their Main Lodge Redevelopment project. There was discussion among members of Council and Mr. Hodges.
Moved by
Mayor John Wentworth
Seconded by
Councilmember Amanda Rice
Approve letter to Caltrans requesting a Relinquishment Assessment Report be complete d
for all or a portion of State Route 20
3 in the Town of Mammoth Lakes.
For (5)
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Sauser, Mayor John Wentworth, Councilmember Sarah Rea, Councilmember Chris Bubser, and Councilmember Amanda Rice Carried (5 to 0)
10.3 E-Bike Ordinance and Municipal Code Update.
1. E-Bike Ordinance and Municipal Code Update.pdf
2. Vehicles on trails ordinance 112823.pdf
Office of Outdoor Recreation Manager Lawson Reif outlined the information in the staff report. There was discussion among members of Council and staff.
10.4 ESCCRP (Wildfire Fuels Reduction Project) Engagement & Public Comment.
1. ESCCRP (Wildfire Fuels Reduction Project) Engagement and Public Comment.pdf
2. TownCouncil_ESCCRP_Support_Comments120623.pdf
Town Manager Daniel C. Holler outlined the information in the staff report. There was discussion among members of Council and staff.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Ales Tomaier, Mammoth Lakes Fire Protection District Fire Chief, spoke in support of the letter.
Janet Hatfield, Whitebark Institute, spoke in support of the letter.
Moved by
Mayor John Wentworth
Seconded by
Councilmember Chris Bubser
Approve submission of public comment as presented regarding the Eastern Sierra Climate & Communities Resilience Project (ESCCRP).
For (5)
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Sauser, Mayor John Wentworth, Councilmember Sarah Rea, Councilmember Chris Bubser, and Councilmember Amanda Rice Carried (5 to 0)
Moved by
Mayor John Wentworth
Seconded by
Councilmember Sarah Rea
Direct staff to submit a letter as a separate comment the California Joint Strategy for Sustainable Outdoor Recreation and Wildfire Resilience as a reference document to help inform the environmental assessment.
For (5)
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Sauser, Mayor John Wentworth, Councilmember Sarah Rea, Councilmember Chris Bubser, and Councilmember Amanda Rice Carried (5 to 0)
10.5 Council Strategic Priorities and Key Objectives Update for 2024.
1. Council Strategic Priorities and Key Objectives Update for 2024.pdf Town Manager Daniel C. Holler outlined the information in the staff report. There was discussion among members of Council and staff.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
Tom Hodges, Vice President of Planning and Development at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, asked the Council to add an item regarding centralized public parking.
10.6 Presentation of Pre-Audit Financial Results for Fiscal Year 22-23, Fund Balance, Projects and Continuing Commitments.
1. Fund Balance FY22-23.pdf
2. Presentation.pdf
3. Resolution.pdf
4. Attachment A - Budget Amendment.pdf
Administrative Services/Finance Director Rob Patterson outlined the information in the staff report. There was discussion among members of Council and staff.
Moved by
Mayor John Wentworth
Seconded by
Councilmember Sarah Rea
Adopt the resolution amending the FY23-24 budget as recommended on Attachment A.
For (5)
Mayor Pro Tem Bill Sauser, Mayor John Wentworth, Councilmember Sarah Rea, Councilmember Chris Bubser, and Councilmember Amanda Rice Carried (5 to 0)
11. COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS
1. Councilmember Reports.pdf
Informational reports from Councilmember representatives on committees, commissions, and organizations; general reports on Councilmember activities Councilmember Rice has been attending STR Advisory Committee subcommittee meetings.
Councilmember Wentworth attended the STR Advisory Committee meeting, Councilmember Bubser has also been attending STR Advisory Committee subcommittee meetings.
Mayor Sauser attended the JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle) Sierra Nevada Region Recreation Focus and the Mammoth Lakes Tourism Board meeting. regional strategic tourism plans
12. CLOSED SESSION
At 7:06 p.m. the Mayor announced that the Council would be entering into closed session for the purposes as stated in the agenda.
12.1 CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL--EXISTING LITIGATION (Paragraph 1 of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9) Name of case: Main Street Taxpayer Association v. Town of Mammoth Lakes (Case No. : 23UCM82)
12.2 CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL--EXISTING LITIGATION (Paragraph 1 of subdivision (d) of Section 54956.9) Name of case: Main Street Taxpayer Association v. Town of Mammoth Lakes (Case No. 23UCM12)
13. ANNOUNCEMENT OF ACTION TAKEN AFTER CLOSED SESSION
The Council reconvened from closed session at 7:19 p.m. and announced that there was no reportable action taken.
14. ADJOURNMENT
The Town Council will adjourn to a regular meeting to be held on Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 4:00 p.m.
The Council adjourned the meeting at 7:19 p.m.