TOWN COUNCIL
Meeting Minutes
6:00 PM – June 10, 2025
1. OPENING
The Regular meeting of the Paradise Town Council was called to order by Mayor Crowder at 6:00 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 Lassonde.
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, 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, and Information Systems Technician Travis Thompson.
1a. Fire Chief Jason Finney presented the 2025 Fire Season Outlook. (440-05-026)
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 an update on the Paradise Sewer Project. (960-70-007)
2. CONSENT CALENDAR
MOTION by Bolin, seconded by Lassonde, approved consent calendar items 2a through 2e. Roll call vote was unanimous.
2a. Approved the minutes of the May 13, 2025 Regular Town Council Meeting and the May 28, 2025 Special Town Council Meeting.
2b. Approved May 2025 Cash Disbursements in the amount of $2,983,293.49. (310-10-035)
2c. 1. Declared equipment as surplus property; and 2. Adopted Resolution No. 2025-45, “A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise, Declaring Certain Town Equipment to be Surplus and Obsolete and Authorizing Disposal by the Town Manager or His Designee.” (380-10-003) 2d. 1. Concurred with staff’s recommendation to extend the HQE Systems Contract for construction of the town Early Warning Sirens to October 31, 2025; and, 2. Approved the fifth amendment between the Town of Paradise and HQE Systems; and, 3. Authorized the Town Manager to execute the contract extension. (510-20-349)
2e. 1. Adopted Resolution No. 2025-46, “A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise Awarding Contract No. 9440, Animal Shelter Roof Replacement Project to Rackley Co. of Orland, CA in the amount of their bid of $63,515”; and, 2. Authorized the Town Manager to execute an agreement with Rackley Co. in the amount of their bid and to approve contingency expenditures not exceeding 15%”; and, 3. Approved a Budget Augmentation to General Fund for $73,042. (510-20-480) (410-50-003)
3. ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT CALENDAR - None
4. PUBLIC COMMUNICATION - None
5. PUBLIC HEARINGS – None
6. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION
6a. Fire Chief Jason Finney provided an overview of a proposed ordinance to allow broadcast burning in the Town of Paradise.
MOTION by Bolin, seconded by Lassonde 1. Adopted Resolution No. 2025-47, "A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise Adopting a Broadcast Burning Permit”; and, 2. Waived the entire first reading of Town Ordinance No. 647, and read by title only; and,
3. Introduced Ordinance No. 647 “An Ordinance of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise Amending Title 15, Adding Chapter 15.09.100 Broadcast Burning Requirements”. Roll call vote was unanimous. (540-16-216) (440-05-276) 6b. Fire Chief Jason Finney provided an overview of the proposed contract with CAL FIRE for a cooperative fire protection agreement.
MOTION by Culleton, seconded by Lange, adopted Resolution No. 2025- 48, “A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Paradise Approving the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) Cooperative Fire Protection Agreement 2CA07232, from July 1, 2025, Through June 30, 2029, for a Maximum Amount Not-to-Exceed $23,623,372”. Roll call vote was unanimous. (510-20-481) 6c. Community Development Director Tony Lindsey provided a status update of the weed abatement implementation plan to date, and Town Attorney Scott E. Huber clarified which fees from the abatement process would be liened vs. assessed on the county tax roll.
MOTION by Bolin, seconded by Lassonde, 1. Confirmed the itemized report of abatement costs; and, 2. Directed staff to record the confirmed assessments against each parcel, as appropriate. Roll call vote was unanimous. (540-15-078)
6d. Community Development Director Tony Lindsey provided an overview of the Exceptions Committee provision in Ordinance No. 624 and requested Council appoint two Members to serve on the Committee.
Council Member Lassonde nominated Mayor Crowder and Vice Mayor Culleton.
MOTION by Lassonde, seconded by Bolin, designated Council Members Culleton and Crowder to serve on the Exceptions Committee in accordance with Town Ordinance No. 624. Roll call vote was unanimous. (540-16-193) 6e. Recovery and Economic Development Director Colette Curtis requested Council appoint two Members to the Working Group for the Downtown Plan Phase 3.
Council Member Lassonde nominated himself and Council Member Lange.
MOTION by Lassonde, seconded by Lange, appointed Council Members Lange and Lassonde to serve on the Working Group for the Downtown Plan Phase 3. Roll call vote was unanimous. (510-20-437) (710-80-013) 6f. Town Attorney Scott E. Huber provided an overview of the proposed contract amendment between Town Manager James Goodwin and the Town of Paradise.
MOTION by Crowder, seconded by Culleton, approved the Amendment to Employment Agreement between the Town of Paradise and James Goodwin. Roll call vote was unanimous. (510-20-390)
7. COUNCIL INITIATED ITEMS AND REPORTS
7a. Council initiated agenda items:
7a1. Vice Mayor Culleton initiated discussion on hosting a State of the Town event.
Council provided direction to staff to bring back a proposed plan and timeline for a Town-hosted State of the Town.
7b. Council reports on committee representation:
Vice Mayor Culleton participated in Sober Grad Night.
Council Member Lassonde attended PATCH’s State of the Arts meeting; a ribbon cutting; the Garden Show; and a prescribed burn tour with Fire Chief Jason Finney.
Council Member Lange attended the Chamber’s Sate of the Town event; Homesteading Fair; Grazing Festival; Sober Grad Night; new dispatcher swear-in; and sewer tours.
Council Member Bolin attended the monthly LAFCo meeting.
Mayor Crowder attended the Chamber’s State of the Town event; participated in a Zoom call with residents from Altadena; participated in the sewer tours; attended the Biz Pro Academy; went on a prescribed burn tour with Fire Chief Jason Finney; attended the PPD dispatcher swear-in; the Grazing Festival; Sober Grad Night and a Finance Committee meeting. 7c. Future Agenda Items – None
8. STAFF COMMUNICATION
8a. Town Manager Jim Goodwin attended the Biz Pro Academy; the quarterly city administrator meeting; and represented the Town at the Chamber’s State of the Town event.
9. CLOSED SESSION - None
10. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Crowder adjourned the meeting at 8:10 p.m.
Date approved: July 8, 2025
By: Attest:
__________/s/_____________ ____________/s/_______________ Steve Crowder, Mayor Melanie Elvis, Town Clerk