TOWN COUNCIL
Meeting Minutes
6:00 PM – April 08, 2025
1. OPENING
The Regular meeting of the Paradise Town Council was called to order by Mayor Crowder at 6:05 p.m. in the Town Council Chamber located at 5555 Skyway, Paradise, California who led the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. An invocation was offered by Council Member Culleton.
COUNCIL MEMBERS PRESENT: Greg Bolin, Steve “Woody” Culleton, Heidi Lange, Ronald Lassonde, and Steve Crowder, Mayor
COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: None
STAFF PRESENT: Town Manager Jim Goodwin, Town Attorney Scott E. Huber, Town Clerk/Elections Official Melanie Elvis, Community Development Director Tony Lindsey, Community Development Director Susan Hartman, Public Works Director/Town Engineer Marc Mattox, Recovery and Economic Development Director Colette Curtis, Finance Director Aimee Beleu, Police Chief Eric Reinbold, Fire Chief Jason Finney, Information Systems Technician Travis Thompson.
1a. Biochar Coalition Executive Director Kenneth Scherer presented the benefits of biochar for vegetation management.
1b. Camp Fire Recovery Updates - Written reports are included in the agenda packet. (110-60-061)
Colette Curtis, Recovery and Economic Development Director - recovery projects, advocacy, economic recovery and development, communications, emergency operations and Housing updates.
Marc Mattox, Public Works Director/Town Engineer -infrastructure and sewer updates.
Tony Lindsey, CDD-Building and Code Enforcement- Code Enforcement update.
1c. Town Engineer Marc Mattox presented project updates on the Paradise Sewer Project. (960-70-007)
1. Mark Thorp asked for narratives from the Paradise Sewer Ad Hoc Committee and offered the Chamber’s membership list to survey business owners on the project’s projection.
2. Cliff Jacobson would like more transparency within the sewer project and for more frequent updates on the project’s website.
2. CONSENT CALENDAR
MOTION by Bolin, seconded by Culleton, approved consent calendar items 2a through 2g with item 2d removed from the consent calendar. Roll call vote was unanimous. 2a. Approved the minutes of the March 11, 2025 Special and Regular Town Council meetings, and the March 17, 2025 Special Town Council meeting. 2b. Approved March 2025 Cash Disbursements in the amount of $4,791,560.74. (310-10-035)
2c. Adopted Resolution No. 2025-21, “A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise Rescinding and amending Resolution No. 18-33 and Adopting Administrative Policy 330, a Credit Card Policy.” (110-10-020) 2d. ITEM REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT CALENDAR BY COUNCIL
MEMBER BOLIN.
2e. Concurred with staff recommendation to rescind and amend Resolution No. 2024-32 and adopted Resolution No. 2025-22, “A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise, “A Resolution Approving an Application for Funding and the Execution of a Grant Agreement and any Amendments Thereto from the 2023-2024 Funding Year of the State CDBG Mitigation (CDBG-MIT) Resilient Planning and Public Services (MIT-PPS) Program.” (710-10-107)
2f. 1. Approved Credit Application for Tri-Counties Bank to move town credit cards from US Bank to Credit Card Treasury Services provided by TriCounties Bank; and, 2. Adopted Resolution 2025-23 "A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise Transitioning Credit Card Vendors From US Bank to Tri-Counties Bank." (510-20-417)
2g. Adopted Resolution No. 2025-24 “A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise Adopting a Title VI Implementation Plan, Designating the Public Works Director to Execute all Necessary Documents Associated with the Plan.” (930-20-003)
3. ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT CALENDAR
2d. Council Member Bolin removed item 2d from the consent calendar and recused himself from the dais due to a potential conflict of interest.
Recovery Project Manager Brian Solecki provided an overview of the proposed amendments to the management contracts for the Category 4 Hazardous Tree Program.
MOTION by Lassonde, seconded by Crowder, 1. Approved an amendment to the management contract between the Town of Paradise and the Butte Fire Safe Council (BCFSC); and, 2. Approved an Amendment to the contract between the Town of Paradise and Mountain Engineering for biological survey services; and, 3. Approved an Amendment to contract between the Town of Paradise and Mountain Engineering for archaeological survey services. Roll call vote was unanimous with Council Member Bolin absent and not voting. (420-25-009, 510-20-432, 510-20-433, 510-20-381)
4. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION
1. Melissa Schuster shared a construction update on Hope Plaza.
2. Jon Remalia spoke on the current year’s fuel loading and the expense to homeowners to maintain their properties.
3. Ben Spragge spoke in favor of a zoning change to allow maintenance structures without a primary residence.
5. PUBLIC HEARINGS
5a. Police Chief Eric Reinbold provided an overview of the proposed renewal of the military equipment use ordinance.
Mayor Crowder opened the public hearing at 7:02 p.m.
There were no public comments.
Mayor Crowder closed the public hearing at 7:02 p.m.
MOTION by Culleton, seconded by Lassonde, 1. Waived the first reading of the Town of Paradise Ordinance No. 645 and read by title only; and, 2.
Introduced Town of Paradise Ordinance No. 645 “An Ordinance Adding Section 9.70 to the Paradise Municipal Code Relating to Miliary Equipment Use” as part of the military equipment use ordinance annual renewal requirements. Roll call vote was unanimous. (480-05-013) (540-16-214)
6. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION
6a. Community Development Director Susan Hartman provided an overview of proposed Ordinance No. 646 to adopt the updated CAL FIRE 2025 Local Response Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map for the Town of Paradise.
1. Ken Scherer asked if there was an appeal process for the Fire Hazard Severity Zone rating.
MOTION by Bolin, seconded by Lassonde, 1. Waived the first reading of the entire Town Ordinance No. 646 and read by title only; and, 2. Introduced Town Ordinance No. 646 “An Ordinance of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise adopting the updated CAL FIRE 2025 Local Response Area Fire Hazard Severity Zone Map for the Town of Paradise”; and provided direction to staff to investigate the appeal process for the Fire Hazard Severity Zone rating. Roll call vote was unanimous. (540-16-215) 6b. Town Engineer Marc Mattox provided an overview of the proposed contract award to RCI General Engineering for the Camp Fire Hydrant Repair Project.
MOTION by Bolin, seconded by Lassonde, adopted Resolution No. 2025-25, “A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise Awarding Construction Contract No. 8404 CON, Camp Fire Hydrant Repair Project, to RCI General Engineering in the amount of their base bid and designating authority to the Town Manager to Execute an Agreement with RCI General Engineering and to approve contingency expenditures not exceeding 10%”. Roll call vote was unanimous. (440-30-006) (510-20-475) 6c. Town Engineer Marc Mattox provided an overview of the proposed Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery – Infrastructure Action Plan Amendment.
1. Al McGreehan spoke in favor of this item.
MOTION by Bolin, seconded by Lassonde, 1. Approved the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery – Infrastructure Action Plan Amendment 3. Roll call vote was unanimous. (710-10-099) 6d. Finance Director Aimee Beleu provided an overview of the proposed addition to the Finance Department personnel structure to add a limitedterm Accounting Assistant.
MOTION by Bolin, seconded by Lassonde, 1. Authorized an Accounting Assistant I/II Full Time Equivalent (FTE) to be added to the Finance Department with the correlating budget adjustment; and, 2. Adopted Resolution No. 2025-26 “A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise Amending the Salary Pay Plan for the Town of Paradise Employees for the Fiscal Year 2024-2025.” Roll call vote was unanimous. (610-10-020) (610-10-018)
7. COUNCIL INITIATED ITEMS AND REPORTS
7a. Council initiated agenda items- None
7b. Council reports on committee representation:
Council Member Bolin attended the monthly LAFCo meeting.
Council Member Lange attended multiple Paradise Sewer Ad Hoc Committee meetings; a grazing workshop; and the Paradise Citizen Alliance meeting.
Council Member Lassonde attended a grazing workshop; the Boys & Girls Club cookoff; and the Men’s Ministry Volunteer meeting.
Vice Mayor Culleton attended the quarterly Town of Paradise/Paradise Recreation and Park District Liaison meeting, and the soft opening at Paradise Community Center.
Mayor Crowder attended the quarterly Town of Paradise/Paradise Recreation and Park District Liaison meeting; the soft opening at Paradise Community Center; hosted Ukrainian citizens with the Paradise Rotary Club and “City to City” group; visited Altadena with the Assemblyman; and attended the Paradise Ridge Chamber of Commerce/Rotary Club mixer. 7c. Future Agenda Items -None
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
8a. Town Manager Jim Goodwin shared that he participated in multiple employee contract negotiation meetings and Sewer Ad Hoc Committee meetings last month.
8b. Community Development Director Susan Hartman provided status updates on current building permits within the Town of Paradise.
9. CLOSED SESSION - None
10. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Crowder adjourned the meeting at 8:13 p.m.
Date approved: May 13, 2025
By: Attest:
_________/s/______________ ____________/s/_______________ Steve Crowder, Mayor Melanie Elvis, Town Clerk