ORLAND CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Tuesday, March 5, 2024
CALL TO ORDER
Meeting called to order by Mayor Chris Dobbs at 6:00 PM.
ROLL CALL
Councilmembers present: Councilmembers John McDermott, Bruce T. Roundy, Jeffrey Tolley and Mayor Chris Dobbs
Councilmembers absent: Vice Mayor Matt Romano
Staff present: City Manager Pete Carr; City Clerk Jennifer Schmitke; City Attorney Greg Einhorn; Police Chief Joe Vlach
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
CITIZEN COMMENTS ON CLOSED SESSION – NONE
MEETING ADJOURNED TO CLOSED SESSION AT 6:01 PM
CLOSED SESSION ENDED AT 6:30 PM
RECONVENEVED TO REGULAR SESSION - Called to order by Mayor Chris Dobbs at 6:32 PM.
REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION – No reportable action, direction was given to staff.
PROCLAMATION: Recognizing March 2024 as Volunteer Firefighter Month Mayor Dobbs issued a proclamation acknowledging March 2024 as Volunteer Firefighter Month. First Assistant Fire Chief David Kelly expressed gratitude to the City for recognizing the efforts of the Orland Volunteer Fire Department (OVFD). Councilmember McDermott thanked Supervisor Monica Rossman for her dedication and support of the OVFD and for initiating the recognition of March as Volunteer Firefighter Month at the County level.
CONSENT CALENDAR
A. Warrant List (Payable Obligations)
B. Approve City Council Minutes for February 20, 2024
C. Receive and File Arts Commission Minutes from January 17, 2024 D. Butte College Internship Agreement Councilmember
Councilmember Tolley pulled item 8.D. so that the public could be briefed on the item.
ACTION: Councilmember Tolley moved, seconded by Councilmember McDermott, to approve all consent items except 8.D. Motion carried by a voice vote 4-0.
City Manager Pete Carr provided an overview of Butte College's Learning-Aligned Employment Program (LAEP), highlighting its provision of paid work experience for eligible students.
Councilmember McDermott voiced his support for the LAEP program, highlighting its potential as a valuable opportunity for all parties involved. He emphasized its positive impact on the City, Butte College, and the participating students.
ACTION: Mayor Dobbs moved, seconded by Councilmember Roundy, to approve consent item 8.D.
Motion carried by a voice vote 4-0.
ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS
A. SS4A Grant Application Scope: Complete Streets
Mr. Carr provided an overview of the Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant program, aimed at enhancing road safety through various projects and planning activities. He noted the City's unsuccessful 2023 SS4A application centered on the Streetscapes Master Plan and proposed a shift to implementing the Active Transportation Plan (ATP) for the 2024 funding round, aligning well with SS4A requirements. Mr. Carr also emphasized the City's proactive approach to embracing the Complete Streets concept, exemplified by projects on Tehama Street and East Street.
Councilmembers shared their support for City Staff to proceed with the application for SS4A focusing on implementation of the ATP.
B. Consideration of Fireworks Show or Alternative
Mr. Carr introduced the possibility of organizing either a fireworks show or a drone show, prompted by expressed interest from a councilmember and a commissioner in recent meetings. He briefly outlined information on both types of shows and provided pricing examples. Additionally, Mr. Carr discussed weather hazards for certain times of the year, scheduling considerations, funding options, potential locations for the shows, and suggested types of events where these shows would be successful.
Councilmember Roundy expressed strong support for a fireworks show, suggesting it should coincide with or be close to the 4th of July due to the City's patriotic nature. He proposed a collaborative effort with the County and City of Willows to share the cost burden and recommended utilizing the City's Hotel Tax funds to finance the show.
Mayor Dobbs expressed interest in exploring the Chamber of Commerce's involvement in fundraising for the fireworks show and expressed a preference for the fireworks display over a drone show.
Councilmember Tolley expressed neutrality towards the proposed events but emphasized opposition to using taxpayer money for funding. He favored collaboration with the County and City of Willows, suggesting a rotation system for hosting the event to share costs effectively and fundraising to pay for the shows.
Councilmembers Roundy and McDermott expressed their willingness to contribute and assist with private fundraising efforts for the fireworks or drone show.
Orland resident and Economic Development Commission Chairperson Ron Lane expressed support for the drone show and offered assistance with fundraising. He suggested testing out the drone show at the Queen Bee Festival.
Orland resident and Economic Development Commission Vice-Chairperson Brandon Smith voiced support for the drone show and favored the idea of holding it on a random day.
Chamber of Commerce President and Economic Development Commissioner Dee Dee Jackson expressed a willingness to assist with fundraising for the event. She endorsed the idea of bringing the shows to town as a means of attracting and retaining visitors.
Orland resident Earl Megginson showed his support for fireworks on the 4th of July.
Mayor Dobbs suggested a hybrid of fireworks and drones.
Orland resident and Queen Bee Festival representative Trish Saint-Evens expressed concerns about hosting an event on the 4th of July. She highlighted her efforts in promoting the 4th of July festivities but suggested that the Queen Bee Festival would be a better option due to higher attendance and more open businesses.
Councilmember Roundy proposed forming an ad hoc committee comprising City Staff, Economic Development Commission (EDC) members, Councilmembers, and community members to plan the event. However, Councilmember McDermott suggested removing City Staff from the committee and focusing solely on gathering community members to organize fundraising and plan the event. The Council unanimously agreed that the proposed event should be a community-driven initiative funded and organized privately by citizens including commissioners and councilmembers working with the Chamber of Commerce.
C. Stipends for Commission Members
Mr. Carr presented information in response to Council suggestion about the implementation of stipends for residents serving on City Commissions, noting that not all current commissioners are residents. He highlighted that most small cities do not offer stipends, but it's not uncommon for city planning commissioners to receive compensation, typically around $50 (in smaller cities) to $100 (in larger cities) per meeting attended. In the Orland region, Corning, Williams, Colusa, and Paradise don't provide stipends to their commissioners. Willows offers $50 per meeting to Planning Commissioners, while Glenn County provides $50 per meeting, capped at $100 per month for County Planning Commissions.
LAFCo offers a $50/meeting stipend, and the Glenn Transit Committee and Transportation each pay $50 per meeting.
Councilmember McDermott asked Commissioner in attendance about the time commitment required by Commissioners for preparing and attending monthly meetings, to which Commissioner Jackson responded that it varied based on the agenda items. McDermott expressed his desire to better appreciate Commissioners' time and proposed a $100 stipend for all Commissioners to reflect their commitment.
Councilmember Roundy advocated for reinstating a stipend for the Planning Commission, noting the significant workload involved in reviewing extensive information and making crucial decisions for the community and city. He suggested a $100 stipend for the Planning Commission and $50 for other commissions as a potential option.
Councilmember Tolley expressed his stance to maintain the positions on Commissions as volunteer roles without providing a stipend.
Mr. Smith expressed that his motivation for joining the EDC was not monetary but rather to contribute to the community. He emphasized that he is not concerned about receiving money and is solely focused on making the community a better place.
Ms. Saint-Evens shared her past experience of serving on City Commissions and emphasized that she never sought payment for her service. Her primary motivation was always to give back to the community.
Ms. Jackson expressed her commitment to serving on the EDC as a means of giving back to the community. She made it clear that she does not seek payment for her role on the commission.
Mr. Lane stated that his decision to join the EDC was not motivated by financial gain but rather by a desire to donate his time and efforts to contribute to the improvement of Orland.
Mayor Dobbs voiced support for offering a $50 stipend per meeting attended for each commission to attract more interested individuals to join commissions.
Councilmembers expressed appreciation for commission members and engaged in a discussion on the stipend proposal, with differing opinions. Mayor Dobbs proposed tabling the item for future consideration, a suggestion that all councilmembers agreed upon.
D. City Visioning Process
Mr. Carr discussed previous visioning plans, including the City's 25-year General Plan and a five-year plan developed in 2013 and updated in 2016. The five-year plan served as a roadmap for annual project objectives, many of which were achieved.
Mr. Carr reported that in response to the Council's requests, he collaborated with City department heads to enhance the formatting and content of the plan. Mr. Carr briefly presented the five-category plan for the Council's review and discussion.
Council discussed the topic and directed staff to schedule a study session on the subject.
ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
PUBLIC COMMENTS: None
CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS
Councilmember Tolley:
• Shared that he was contacted by a county constituent regarding AT&T landlines being shut down and he read an email from Assemblyman James Gallagher’s office responding to the situation.
Councilmember McDermott:
• Attended the joint meeting with Glenn County and Willows on February 29th; • Will be attending the Planning Commission meeting March 21st.
Councilmember Roundy:
• Will be attending the League of Cities Meeting in Loomis on March 15th; • Spoke about the different kinds of arts shows that happen on the first Friday of every month; • Shared that the CEO of LAFCo Steve Betts is retiring, and he will be attending the next meeting on March 11th;
• Will be attending Transportation and Transit Committee meetings March 21st.
Mayor Dobbs:
• Attended the joint meeting with Glenn County and Willows on February 29th; • Stated that the Fireman’s Ball will be March 16th.
CITIZENS COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION - None
MEETING ADJOURNED TO CLOSED SESSION AT 8:02 PM
CLOSED SESSION ENDED AT 8:12 PM
REPORT FROM CLOSED SESSION – No reportable action, direction was given to staff.
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:12 PM
Jennifer Schmitke, City Clerk Chris Dobbs, Mayor