ORLAND CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES
Tuesday, August 20, 2024
CALL TO ORDER
Meeting called to order by Mayor Chris Dobbs at 6:29 PM.
ROLL CALL
Councilmembers present: Councilmembers Bruce T. Roundy, John McDermott, Jeffrey Tolley, Vice Mayor Matt Romano and Mayor Chris
Dobbs
Councilmembers absent: None
Staff present: City Manager Pete Carr; Director of Administrative Services Rebecca Webster; City Attorney Greg Einhorn;
Police Chief Joe Vlach; Fire Chief Justin Chaney; City
Engineer Paul Rabo, Library Director Jody Meza; Public
Works Director Zach Barber, City Clerk Jennifer Schmitke
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
CONSENT CALENDAR
A. Warrant List for August 6, 2024 meeting (Payable Obligations) B. Approve City Council Minutes from August 6, 2024
C. Receive and File Minutes from June 11, 2024 for Economic Development Commission D. Receive and File Minutes from June 20, 2024 for Planning Commission E. Receive and File Minutes from April 9, 2024 for Public Works and Safety Commission ACTION: Councilmember Roundy moved, seconded by Councilmember McDermott, to approve the consent calendar as presented. Motion carried by a voice vote 5-0.
ADMINISTRATIVE BUSINESS
A. Commission Appointments
City Clerk Jennifer Schmitke sought guidance from the Council on filling two vacant City Commission positions, one on the Library Commission (2-year term) and the other on the Economic Development Commission (EDC) (2-year term). Both vacancies are for unexpired terms ending on December 31, 2025. Ms. Schmitke reported that Mary Viegas has applied for the Library Commission opening, which has been advertised for several months. For the EDC, City staff reached out to a past candidate, Tiffany Schulps, who remains interested in the position.
Ms. Schmitke also informed the Council that on August 6, 2024, the City received notice of a resignation from the Planning Commission. This vacant position carries a 4-year term ending on December 31, 2026. The City will advertise the opening in the newspaper.
ACTION: Councilmember Tolley moved, seconded by Councilmember Roundy to approve Mary Viegas for the Library Commission seat and Tiffany Schulps for the EDC seat. Motion carried by a voice vote 5-0.
Councilmember Roundy thanked the candidates for volunteering for these seats.
B. Request from CHIP for Developer Impact Fee Reduction City Manager Pete Carr provided an overview of Developer Impact Fees (DIF) and explained how the revenue is allocated once collected by the City. Mr. Carr noted that Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) is seeking a reduction in DIF for the 64 single-family homes planned for the Orland Park I subdivision. This request aims to improve the financial viability of the project and suggests that many of the subdivision’s residents are expected to come from within the existing Orland community.
Mr. Carr shared a City staff date analysis of this request for the City Councils consideration. Mr. Carr shared that City staff recommends that DIF fees are not reduced for the new development in Orland Park I subdivision.
CHIP representative Jill Quezada provided background information and details about the project’s financing, addressing questions from the Council.
Councilmembers deliberated on housing prices, the timing of development projects, and the value of Development Impact Fees (DIF) on the City.
Councilmember Romano praised CHIP for their work and explained his opposition to fees and taxes.
Orland resident Byron Denton expressed his support for the new project.
Orland resident John Candieas voiced concerns about adding parks to new developments.
Orland resident Trish Saint-Evans asked the City to look at bringing more moderate and upper level homes to the community.
Orland resident Terrie Barr raised concerns about how increased low-income housing and population growth might affect new ambulance services.
ACTION: Councilmember McDermott moved, seconded by Councilmember Tolley to deny the request for the $10k per house fee reduction based on the $650K expense that would be occurred by the City.
Motion carried by a roll call vote 4-1.
Ayes: Councilmembers Roundy, McDermott, Tolley and Mayor Dobbs Nays: Vice Mayor Romano
C. City Council discussion and possible action to award a construction contract for the City of Orland Emergency Groundwater Resource Project – Phase 4: Water Storage Tank City Engineer Paul Rabo presented an overview of the California Department of Water Resources (DWR) project, which is designed to provide safe and reliable drinking water to both city residents and those in the surrounding areas. This extensive project includes the construction of a new municipal groundwater well, a water storage tank, water mains, fire hydrants, and residential water services.
Mr. Rabo focused on Phase 4 of the project, which is situated on the east side of 6th Street between Mill and Yolo Streets. This phase involves constructing a one-million-gallon water storage tank, installing booster pumps, water system appurtenances, and making site improvements.
He noted that on June 20, 2024, the City Council opted to reject all bids received during the initial bid process. On July 2, 2024, the Council directed staff to re-advertise the project, without any changes to the contract documents. The project was re-advertised on July 9, 2024, and bids were opened on August 8, 2024.
Mr. Rabo presented a summary of the new bids and City staff’s recommendation for moving forward.
He reported that while the second round of bids was lower than the initial submissions, they still exceeded the engineer's original estimate.
Councilmembers inquired about MDS. Mr. Rabo responded that he reviews all required bidder information, including DIR numbers, licenses, and references, and confirmed he had spoken with references provided by MDS. He also shared examples of water on MDS has completed.
Chief Chaney discussed public safety and explained how the new booster pumps would enhance the town's water pressure which is critical for fire fighting.
Orland resident and EDC Vice Chairperson Brandon Smith raised concerns and asked about the older, smaller water pipes downtown. Chief Chaney acknowledged the limitations of these smaller pipes but assured that the new booster pump would improve water pressure.
Mr. Denton and Orland resident Jerry Kraemer voiced their support for state funding of the new water tank.
County resident Kristi Rumble inquired about replacing older water pipes. Mr. Rabo explained that the water master plan needs updating to address this issue, and Mr. Carr noted that funds have been allocated in this year's budget for that update. Ms. Rumble also asked about alternative firefighting methods like foam, and Chief Chaney provided an explanation of its use in firefighting.
Vice Mayor Romano clarified that he supports the water tank but emphasized his concern about its appearance. He also expressed concerns about the appearance of the fire training facility behind the fire department.
Mayor Dobbs agreed with the concerns about the water tank's aesthetics and expressed interest in seeing a site plan or "vision" to help both the community and Council better visualize the proposed tank's appearance and asked City staff to have something prepared within the next two meetings.
Councilmember McDermott addressed the fire training facility aesthetics.
ACTION: Councilmember Tolley moved, seconded by Councilmember Roundy to award the contract to MDS approve as proposed and to authorize the City Manager to execute the contract. Motion carried by a roll call vote 5-0.
Ayes: Councilmembers Roundy, McDermott, Tolley, Vice Mayor Romano and Mayor Dobbs Nays: None
D. Citywide Sidewalk Assessment
The City Engineer reminded Council that in October 2023, they authorized a $35,000 study to assess the condition of pedestrian sidewalks and corners throughout the City. The study aimed to identify risks, provide recommendations for improvements based on type and severity, and estimate costs. The goal was to better prepare the City for future grant applications and develop a rational approach to ongoing sidewalk maintenance.
Mr. Rabo reported that the City received the final report, including extensive data, over the summer and is currently reviewing its recommendations.
Mr. Carr suggested that City Engineer and Public Works Director discuss the findings with the Public Works and Safety Commission before preparing a proposal for a sidewalk improvement project and bringing it to the Council.
The Council agreed to have the Public Works and Safety Commission review the project, recommending it be broken into phases. They suggested prioritizing hazardous areas first, followed by downtown areas or heavily walked areas, and then those around schools. Councilmember Tolley also proposed including areas that currently lack sidewalks in the plan.
Mr. Denton spoke about the nice sidewalks in his neighborhood and stated he see a lot of people walking in the street instead of sidewalks.
Ms. Saint-Evans shared her personal experience with needing a sidewalk in front of her home.
County resident and Planning Commissioner Vern Montague inquired whether the City had any costsharing programs or incentives for homeowners needing to update their sidewalks.
Orland resident and EDC Chairperson Ron Lane asked whether the proposal focused on areas with existing sidewalks or also addressed areas without them. Mr. Rabo clarified that the study was based on existing sidewalks, while the county's ATP plan identifies missing ones.
Ms. Rumble stated the downtown area needs more handicapped-accessible curbs.
Orland resident Julie Henderson spoke about her experience working with concrete and questioned why residents would have to pay for sidewalk repairs.
ORAL AND WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS
PUBLIC COMMENTS:
Orland resident Alex Enriquez expressed interest in an item from the cancelled July meeting regarding conceptual improvements to Walker Street and requested it be added to a future agenda.
Mr. Denton shared his appreciation for the City's efforts and the services it provides to the community.
Valerie Johnson inquired whether the old Bucke's building would be torn down, to which Mayor Dobbs replied that the City does not own the building and has no information on its future. Ms. Johnson also raised concerns about the Animal Control contract with the County. Mayor Dobbs thanked her for sharing her concerns and promised to look into Animal Control's response, adding that contracts with the County are being finalized.
Unidentified Orland resident noted that there are many areas in town, including City-owned properties, that are littered with trash. Mayor Dobbs encouraged residents to contact Council members or City Hall, whose phone numbers are listed online, to help address the issue.
Ms. Henderson asked if the City has ordinances or standards regarding the maintenance of storefronts and landscaping, specifically mentioning Walgreens and AutoZone as examples of properties that do not look good when coming into the City.
Ms. Barr agreed with Ms. Henderson and referenced the Orland Municipal Code, which requires proper maintenance of landscaping. She urged that code enforcement officers prioritize these violations over other issues, noting that the worst offenders are large chains and public properties, while smaller businesses generally maintain their properties. Ms. Barr also raised concerns about the City's contract with Caltrans for maintenance along Hwy 32, pointing out that trash and weeds are three feet tall and questioning whether the City is properly fulfilling its responsibilities.
Orland resident and business owner Tammy Olivarez questioned if the Mayor would look into Ms.
Barr's comments, and the Mayor confirmed he would do so.
CITY COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS AND REPORTS
Councilmember Tolley:
• Shared that the Walker Street Conceptual Improvements would be at the September 3rd meeting; • Attended the Planning Commission Meeting August 15th; • Attended the EDC Meeting August 13th.
Councilmember Roundy:
• LAFCo will be hearing the Modoc Annexation at the September 9th meeting; • Attended the 218 process for the water fees, the resolution passed; Councilmember McDermott:
• Missed the Planning Commission Meeting August 15th.
Vice Mayor Romano:
• Nothing to report.
Mayor Dobbs:
• Attended the Fire Commission Meeting.
MEETING ADJOURNED AT 8:36 PM
Jennifer Schmitke, City Clerk Chris Dobbs, Mayor