1 City of Portola
Minutes
Regular Meeting
April 08, 2026 06:00 PM
35 Third Ave, Portola, CA 96122
https://www.cityofportola.com/
1. Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 pm by Mayor Bill Powers.
Mayor Powers announced that Councilmember Morton submitted a letter of resignation due to personal reasons.
A. Roll Call
Present: Mayor Bill Powers, Councilmember Jim Murphy, Councilmember Lauren Miller
Absent: Mayor Pro Tem Mikki Battaglia
Staff Present: City Manager Ryan Bonk, Administrative Services Manager Kristen Schiavone, City Attorney Steve Gross (Zoom), Finance Officer Susan Scarlett (Zoom), Solid Waste Consultant Tom Valentino (Zoom),
B. Pledge of Allegiance
Led by Mayor Bill Powers
2. Public Comments
3. City Communications
A. City Council Communications
Councilmember Miller had nothing to report.
Councilmember Murphy had nothing to report.
Mayor Powers had nothing to report.
B. Reports: Beckwourth Peak Fire Protection District / Plumas County Sheriff / Northern Sierra Air Quality Beckwourth Peak Fire Protection District - No Report
Plumas County Sheriff - No Report. City Manager Bonk advised the council that the Law Enforcement Agreement with the Plumas County Sheriff will go before the County Supervisors next Tuesday, and he plans to attend.
Northern Sierra Air Quality - No Report. City Manager Bonk mentioned that the Green Waste Disposal 2 Program flyers were sent with the April utility billing statements. The flyer can also be found on the City's website as well as the City's Facebook page.
C. Staff Communications
City Attorney Steve Gross commented on the resignation of Councilmember Morton, which is effective 4/8/2026. He provided a brief overview of the next steps regarding the vacancy. He recommended that we agendize this matter for discussion at the next city council meeting.
D. City Manager Report
City Manager Bonk reported that no alarms have been received from the Gulling Street Bridge. He also advised the council that we have not received a report back from the initial Caltrans inspection conducted in January 2026 and that staff will continue to follow up with Caltrans regarding the inspection report and collaborate on the underwater dive inspection schedule.
He also provided an update on community events and outreach. He mentioned that the Big Boy Steam Engine was in Portola today and that many people were out enjoying the event. He also mentioned the upcoming Green Waste Disposal event, sponsored by Northern Sierra Air Quality Management, scheduled for April.
He reported that the Plumas Fire Safe Council (PCFSC) will sponsor a Community Chipping Day for Portola area residents on Saturday, April 25th, from 8am to 5pm, at the Portola Disc Golf Course. This event provides the community to dispose of woody vegetation. He stated that staff is also working with the United States Forest Service to attempt to remove downed trees from a portion of the River Walk in conjunction with this event.
He advised that he will participate in a Town Hall Meeting with Plumas County District 1 Supervisor Dwight Ceresola on Thursday, April 23rd, at the Portola Veterans Hall starting at 6:00pm.
He reported that Pool Manager Amy has been rehired for the upcoming season. He also mentioned that Public Works will begin making repairs to the pool, if needed. He also explained that staffing increases by more than 2x during the pool season.
He provided an update on the Accounting Tech vacancy, stating that he will conduct interviews next week and that the target date to fill this position is the end of April. With the vacancy, staff have been helping with payroll functions, which has been great for cross-training.
He advised that Public Works is preparing Golden Springs for delivery of the water storage tanks provided through a grant, as well as making upgrades to the Riverwalk to prepare for the summer season.
Lastly, he mentioned that Public Works is working on the Taylor Avenue grading this week and should finish this project soon.
4. Consent Agenda
A. Claims:
Adopt Resolution No. 2645 The resolution authorizes payment of payroll from March 7th, 2026 through March 20th, 2026 and accounts payable from March 25th, 2026 through April 8th, 2026 The amount of payroll to be paid is $33,007.54
The amount of accounts payable to be paid is $83,962.51 3 The total amount to be paid is $116,970.05
B. Minutes
Adopt the minutes of the March 25th, 2026 Regular City Council Meeting.
Councilmember Jim Murphy motioned to approve. Councilmember Lauren Miller seconded the motion.
The roll call vote:
Aye Mayor Bill Powers Aye Councilmember Jim Murphy Aye Councilmember Lauren Miller Absent Mayor Pro Tem Mikki Battaglia
5. RFP Evaluation: Consulting Services, Solid Waste Franchise Agreement and Solid Waste Ordinance City Manager Bonk provided an update on the RFP for Consulting Services, sent on January 14th, 2026, as the City seeks to modernize the Solid Waste Franchise Agreement and Solid Waste Ordinance. The City received three responses, and staff evaluated and scored each firm's qualifications and technical package.
Once scoring was complete, the staff received proposal pricing from each firm to avoid biasing the bidding process. He then provided the council with a brief overview of the proposals, recommended that we award the contract to HF&H. He introduced Solid Waste consultant Tom Valentino and opened the discussion.
Tom Valentino joined the meeting and provided an overview of the current Solid Waste Agreement. He went on to state that over the past 25 years, there have been many changes in the solid waste industry, including Senate Bill 1383, which targets organic landfill waste legislation. He stated that, with the current agreement ending soon and with his possible retirement in the near future, it would be beneficial to see what other firms could do to assist the City in developing an updated franchise agreement for Solid Waste collection services for the next 15 to 20 years. He also endorsed HF&H for the consultant job, as they have staff based in Truckee, and their experience would be uniquely beneficial to the City of Portola's solid waste requirements.
Councilmember Murphy commented on the overall consulting proposal, the consulting fee, and whether the outcome would result in significant rate increases once the consultants returned their findings and recommendations. Tom Valentino responded that getting a fresh set of eyes on the City’s current solid waste agreement wouldn’t necessarily lead to rate increases and stated that the City would be best served to have a modernized solid waste agreement that keeps the City in compliance with the state.
City Attorney Steve Gross also made a statement regarding the potential cost increase to the City, whether or not we go out to bid with consultants. He stated that the current franchise agreement will end next year and that the agreement would need to be renegotiated with the current service provider, with the service cost potentially increasing. He added that, with or without the consulting scenario, there was no guarantee the cost would not go up.
Mayor Powers also commented that reviewing the franchise contract with fresh eyes and getting up to speed with California laws would be beneficial.
Councilmember Miller also noted that the consulting agreement would cover bringing the City into compliance with state regulations.
City Council voted to award the Solid Waste Franchise Agreement and Solid Waste Ordinance consulting service to HF&H.
Councilmember Lauren Miller motioned to approve. Mayor Bill Powers seconded the motion.
The roll call vote:
4 Aye Mayor Bill Powers Aye Councilmember Jim Murphy Aye Councilmember Lauren Miller
6. Prop 68 Grant Funds: Riverwalk Upgrades
City Manager Bonk presented the Council with five potential projects to continue the enhancement of the City’s Riverwalk and utilize the remaining $27,730 of the Prop 68 grant funds that were used to install two vault toilets along the Riverwalk. He stated that staff is recommending the Mindful Pause and Ice Wall, as they allow the City to complete two projects that will enhance the natural aesthetics of the Riverwalk. Most of the work can be done “in house” by staff, with the exception of the proposed painting of a mural for a section of the ice wall. Lastly, he stated that the City will need to obtain approval from the State of California to proceed with this project and obtain associated grant deeds, etc. City Council approved moving forward with the Mindful Pause and Ice Wall project.
Councilmember Jim Murphy motioned to approve. Councilmember Lauren Miller seconded the motion.
The roll call vote:
Aye Mayor Bill Powers Aye Councilmember Jim Murphy Aye Councilmember Lauren Miller
7. Public Comments - 2026/2027 Budget Preparation
No public comment.
8. Adjournment
The regular meeting of the Portola City Council adjourned at 6:44pm.