Agendas are available on the City Website
https://www.ridgecrest-ca.gov/council-agendas
Ridgecrest City Council
Successor Redevelopment Agency
Financing Authority
Housing Authority
AGENDA
August 16, 2023
Regular Session 6:00 p.m.
City Hall, Council Chambers
100 100 West California Avenue
Ridgecrest CA 93555
Ricca Charlon, CMC
City Clerk
[email protected]
(760) 499-5002
In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you are a disabled person and you need a disability-related modification or accommodation to participate in the meeting, please contact Ricca Charlon at (760) 499-5002. Requests must be made as early as possible and at least one full business day before the start of the meeting.
Watch meetings on-line:
All of our meetings are streamed live at https://ridgecrest-ca.gov/369/Watch or on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/cityofridgecrest/live and are also available for playback after the meeting.
Call in for public comments:
To participate with verbal comments, please call (760) 499-5010. This phone line will allow only one caller at a time, so if the line is busy, please continue to dial. We will be allowing a 20-30 second delay between callers to give time for media delays and callers to dial in. If you wish to comment on multiple items you will need to call in as each item is presented.
CITY COUNCIL
Eric A. Bruen, Mayor
Solomon P. Rajaratnam, Mayor Pro-Tem
Kyle Blades, Vice Mayor
L. Scott Hayman, Council Member
John ‘Skip’ Gorman, Council Member
Ron Strand, City Manager
Keith Lemieux, City Attorney
Martin Koczanowicz, City Attorney
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RIDGECREST CITY COUNCIL
SUCCESSOR REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
FINANCING AUTHORITY
HOUSING AUTHORITY
AGENDA
Wednesday, August 16, 2023 Regular Session – 6:00 p.m.
CALL TO ORDER
• Roll call
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
REGULAR SESSION
• Pledge Of Allegiance
• Invocation
PRESENTATION
Measure V Annual Report Measure V Committee Members
PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA - Persons wishing to address the Council on matters that are within the Council’s jurisdiction and DO NOT ALREADY APPEAR ON THE AGENDA, may do so at this time.
COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS/DIRECTION
CONSENT CALENDAR – All Matters Listed Under The Consent Calendar Are To Be Considered Routine And Enacted By One Motion Unless Pulled By A Council Member Or A Member Of The Public.
1. Proposed Action To Approve Draft Minutes Of The Ridgecrest City Council Regular Meeting Dated August 2, 2023 Charlon
2. Approve Of Staff’s Use Of Placer.ai Analytical Software To Assist In Economic Development Activities To Improve The Quality Of Life Within The Ridgecrest Community Strand
3. Request for Sponsorship of the Petroglyph Rock Art Festival Nov. 4-5, 2023 Charlon
4. Proposed Approval Of Increased Appropriations To The Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Budget For The Design, Bid And Construction Services For The New Sgt. Pinney Memorial Pool Aquatic Complex Strand
COMMITTEE REPORTS
City Organization and Services Committee (‘City Org’)
Members: Mayor Eric A. Bruen and Skip Gorman
Meeting: 1st Thursday each month at 5:30 p.m.
Location: City Hall Council Chambers
➢ Report from 8/3/23
AGENDA - CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY / FINANCING AUTHORITY / HOUSING AUTHORITY REGULAR – August 16, 2023
Economic Development Committee
Members: Kyle Blades and Solomon Rajaratnam
Meeting: 1st Monday of the month @ 5:15 p.m.
Location: City Hall Council Chambers
➢ Report from 8/7/23
Finance Committee
Members: Mayor Eric A. Bruen and Scott Hayman
Meeting: 2nd Tuesday each month at 5:30 p.m.
Location: City Hall Council Chambers
➢ Report from 8/8/23
Ridgecrest Area Convention and Visitor Bureau (RACVB)
Members: Solomon Rajaratnam and Megan McKenzie (staff)
Meeting: 4th Wednesday each month at 9:00 a.m.
Location: California Welcome Center
➢ Next meeting 8/23/23
Infrastructure Committee
Members: Solomon Rajaratnam and Kyle Blades
Meeting: 4th Thursday each month at 5:00 p.m.
Location: City Hall Council Chambers
➢ Next meeting 8/24/23
Parks, Recreation, and Quality of Life Committee
Members: Mayor Eric A. Bruen and Skip Gorman
Meeting: 1st Tuesday each month at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Kerr McGee Center Meeting Rooms
➢ Next meeting 9/5/23
OTHER COMMITTEES, BOARDS, OR COMMISSIONS
CITY MANAGER REPORT
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMENTS
ADJOURNMENT
Citizen’s Oversight
Committee
August 02, 2023
Committee Members:
Chair: Holly Staab
Vice Chair: Vu Ngo
Chip Holloway
Nicole Harper
Chris Hill
Measure L and Measure V
Annual Report
Spotlight!
Revenue from a local tax measure can never be taken by the state.
Spotlight!
Oversight Committees, such as this, ensure funds are spent exactly as proposed. 1 Introduction
The fiscal year 2021‐2022 (FY22) report is the tenth annual report prepared by the Oversight Committee regarding the use of revenue from Measure L and Measure V sales taxes. City of Ridgecrest Ordnance 12‐ 02 Chapter 3 Article 2 (2012), and the City of Ridgecrest Ordinance 16‐02 Chapter 3, Article 2 (2016) requires a report be generated annually by the Oversight Committee.
What are Measure L and Measure V?
Measure L was a local sales and use tax measure approved in 2012 for the City of Ridgecrest to adopt a 1% tax on general sales. Measure L’s five-year term expired in 2017, but funds continue to trickle in due to previously unpaid tax bills.
Measure V, also a 1% sales and use tax, was voted in by the citizens of Ridgecrest in 2016 with an eight‐ year term (expiring in 2024).
Measure V funding is a General Fund Tax. General Fund Taxes have no legal obligation to be allocated to any specific department. However, Measure V was approved based on a commitment from the City Council that the funds would be used to retain city services for streets and public safety.
Measure V Citizen’s Oversight Committee
The three duties of the Committee are listed in Chapter 3 Section 2.117 of the Ridgecrest Municipal Code. • Review all appropriations of revenues received by the City from the sales and use tax • Review the City’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR) • Prepare and issue the committee’s report on their findings Tracking Measure L and Measure V Funds
As a General Fund Tax, all Measure L and V funds are initially deposited in the General Fund. Measure L and V funds are tracked separately to provide visibility within the financial system. Public Safety (police) and Public Works (street maintenance) expenditures from Measure L and V funding have unique tracking accounts. For FY 22, Public Safety funds were used for equipment and labor. Public Works expenditures included equipment, labor, material, and contract services.
Source of Report Data
The Committee reviewed financial data from the City of Ridgecrest ACFR and the City of Ridgecrest Finance Department. The ACFR includes the results of the independent audit. This report and audit results are available to the public by visiting: https://www.ridgecrest-ca.gov.
Spotlight!
The City has a plan through 2030 to address 100% of our street infrastructure.
Spotlight!
Having a plan is only one piece of the puzzle, funds are needed to see it through. 2 Executive Summary for FY 22
• Total Tax Revenue for FY22: $18,088,658
• Total from Measure V: $6,293,726
• Total from Measure L: $1,255
The Committee’s expectation was that the Measure L and V funds would be spent, as promised, on Public Safety and Public Works.
Thanks to Measure V, Ridgecrest has felt less of an impact from the ever-decreasing availability of funding streams. Measure V accounts for 60% of Ridgecrest Police Department's budget and 40% of Public Works' streets budget with the remainder primarily being gas tax, SB1, Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA), and Transportation Development Act (TDA) Article 3 funding.
Measures L and V generated 35% of the
City of Ridgecrest’s tax revenue for FY 22.
Spotlight!
The City has more than 126 miles of aging street infrastructure.
Spotlight!
In 2017, the estimated total cost to repair Ridgecrest’s aging streets was $145 million.
Today, it’s closer to $210 million.
3 Due to the multitude of legislative measures that reclassified felonies as misdemeanors, mandated early release, and reduced the enforcement powers of public safety officers, California cities are faced with a growing burden on municipal budgets to maintain public safety. Measure V continues to fund a large portion of the Ridgecrest Police Department’s budget, lessening this burden on the City of Ridgecrest.
A majority of the City's General Fund (roughly 60%) pays for salaries, electricity for street lights, and street sign maintenance. That leaves only 40% to cover nearly 90% of Public Works costs to maintain all of Ridgecrest’s streets. Without Measure V funds, the City would not be able to cover the most basic level of maintenance on our streets.
Concerning Public Works, the city’s current Five‐Year Pavement Rehabilitation Plan laid a road map to resurface 99.2 centerline miles of the city’s 126.1-mile street infrastructure (77% of the city’s streets).
In the out‐years, the continuance of Measure V (or similar revenue source) will be essential to sustained funding of road maintenance and improvements to the City’s $137 million-dollar transportation infrastructure. With the conclusion of FY22, the city is ahead of schedule and has successfully rehabilitated approximately 63% of the aging road infrastructure. With the Five-Year Pavement Rehabilitation Plan nearing its end, the City is already preparing the wave of new projects and expects to publicize an updated plan in January of 2024.
Findings for Fiscal Year 2022
General
FY22 began with a carryover of $6,322,178 from the prior year. Sales tax revenue from Measure L was $1,255, and Measure V was $6,293,725. These combined for a total of $12,617,159 available for expenditures. Revenue unspent at the end of FY22, $7,695,245, is already budgeted into future City projects, and will be spent in FY23. Measure V continues to provide a stable and increasing funding source each year and is heavily relied upon by both Streets and Public Safety.
Financial data and details of expenditures were readily provided to the committee to support review of the types of efforts Measure L/V funded.
10th Year FY 2021-2022
Amended Budget
FY 2021-2022
Actual Amounts
Percentage Utilized
Prior Year Carry Over $6,322,178
Sales Tax – Measure L $1,256
Sales Tax – Measure V $6,293,725
Expenditures:
Police Department $ 2,891,198 $1,798,091 62%
Engineering $220,840 $85,013 38%
Street Maintenance $2,194,223 $1,139,935 52%
Capital Projects $4,076,454 $1,898,874 47%
Total Expenditures $9,382,715 $4,921,913 52%
Revenue Over Expenditure $(4,389,715) $1,373,068
Amount to Carry Over
$7,695,246
Spotlight!
Increased reporting requirements, combined with staffing shortages, resulted in a 23% drop in officer-initiated incidents. RPD needs more officers to keep our streets safe.
Spotlight!
RPD struggles to attract, hire, and retain officers.
Modern equipment and workforce satisfaction are imperative to acquire and retain 4 Public Safety (Ridgecrest Police Department) Expenditures Summary In covering approximately 60 percent of the
entire public safety budget, Measure V
expenditures of $1,798,091 funded multiple
Department positions, officer training and
background investigations, and the purchase of
ten vehicles.
During FY22, the Police Department received 24,058 calls for service, which averaged to 66 calls per day (a slight increase from FY21’s 65 calls per day). Officer initiated incidents decreased by 23 percent, which corresponded with lack of staffing during the same time period. Due to a recent change in state RPD purchased 8 fullyoutfitted Ford Patrol Vehicles
which replaced vehicles that
were 6-8 years old with over
150k miles as well as 2
electric vehicles for use by
PACT.
Spotlight!
RPD competes nationally to attract, recruit and retain officers. Competitive wages are a must.
Spotlight!
Proper maintenance, like slurry seals, increase a street’s life span by 33%, and add 7-10 years of usable life.
5 reporting requirements, it is impossible to accurately compare FY22 crime reporting statistics with FY21 statistics as the reporting metrics are drastically different. When comparing the first 4-month period of FY22 with the same 4-month period of FY23 using the new reporting metrics, there is a 23% reduction in what was previously called Part One Crimes (murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, arson, human trafficking).
The drastic change in reporting requirements caused each officer to spend significantly more time completing and processing crime reports. This takes away valuable tome from their day, which otherwise could be directed to patrolling our streets and responding to calls.
Despite this many other challenges, the Police Department continued to monitor crime trends, while adjusting their focus and priorities to best address public safety in the City of Ridgecrest. By using Measure V funds to maintain the number of sworn officers and support staff, the Department has been able to meet the community’s public safety needs by providing neighborhood patrols, responding quickly to 9-1-1 calls, and continued crime prevention programs.
Spotlight!
In 2013 a new Police vehicle was $40,000.00, today the cost exceeds $75,000.00.
Spotlight!
Modern equipment will get maintenance to your street faster! 6 Public Works Department Expenditures Summary
For the Public Works Department, Measure L and V funds continue to provide matching funds for numerous Federal and State Capital Improvement projects. In FY22 Measure V provided matching, and contract funds for more than 1.5 million dollars of competitive grant funding. These funds were expended on the FY21 Measure V paving project, preliminary engineering (PE) for the Ward Avenue Phase I and II rehab project, the City Design Standards Update, FY 22 Measure V Paving PE, FY 22 Measure V Chip Seal PE, and Franklin Ave PE.
Measure V continues to fund the majority of the City’s Hot Mix Asphalt (HMA) paving projects and slurry program on local streets. In FY22 alone, approximately 5.0 centerline miles of roads were replaced/repaired/ maintained. This was a far cry from last year’s 9.2 miles, but construction throughout town by outside contractors derailed the City’s work plans for the entire year. The 5.0 miles of work did raise Ridgecrest’s Pavement Condition Index (PCI), an objective and repeatable method for assessing pavement conditions, to an estimated 64. This score has Ridgecrest firmly in the Fair range, and slightly above the California average of 63 (the scoring index can be seen below).
PCI RATING CLASS
85-100 Good
70-85 Satisfactory
55-70 Fair
40-55 Poor
25-40 Very Poor
10-25 Serious
0-10 Failed
In 2011 Ridgecrest’s score was only 23.5,
and in 2020 it was 63. Measure V funds
contribute to the average yearly rising cost
of $2,100,000 per centerline-mile to
replace road infrastructure, and are the
primary funding source for all Street
Infrastructure Projects.
This Street Sweeper and Bobcat was purchased using
FY22 Measure V funds. Having modern equipment
saved the City more than 13,000 on equipment
maintenance. This equipment is used for slurry
preparation, street sweeping, median grading etc.
Spotlight!
The City is working to complete the current five-year plan two years early, and has already made progress toward another 5-year plan.
Spotlight!
The cost to locate, background check, hire and train a new officer is more than $45,000. 7 With every year a street is not maintained, the maintenance cost increases roughly 12% due to inflation and the additional material and labor involved. This does not account for the worsening condition of the street. Measure V funds are imperative in the City’s goal to not undo progress made, and to reach the sustainability point where each City street is maintained once every seven years.
Spotlight!
The City has a ten-year track record of investing your tax dollars exactly as promised! Spotlight!
At the end of FY 2022 the City’s condition rating exceeded 64. 8 It is common to see a carryover of Measure V funds budgeted to Public Works. Multiple factors drive this situation, but Public Works uses an aggressive, forward-looking strategy, bidding projects which will complete all of the Five-Year Pavement Rehabilitation Plan paving and chip seal projects projected through 2025 by the end of FY24.
Note: The City’s FY is July 1 through June 30. However, the paving year is approximately April through October. Consequently, paving contracts often overlap fiscal years and final expenditures are subject to adjustment in the subsequent year’s ACFR.
Spotlight!
Public Works improved five center-line miles during FY22, with another 13 planned for FY23.
Spotlight!
Citizens can learn more about how Measure V revenues and other city funds are expended by reading the ACFR or watching the annual Budget Workshop. 9 Spotlight!
Measure V has grown from 14% of total revenues to 36%; further illustrating how Federal, State and County revenues continue to be a less reliable source of funding.
Spotlight!
This year marks the 10th oversight committee report. We can conclusively say this Council, and all previous Councils, have held to the promise made to taxpayers. 10 Conclusion and Recommendations
The Measure V Committee has analyzed all relevant expenditures from FY22 and concludes that the intentions as expressed in the original compact with the citizens of Ridgecrest have been fulfilled in the best manner possible.
The Committee applauds the proactive and diligent way the Public Works department continues to utilize Measure V funds to effectively improve the City of Ridgecrest’s streets. The Committee also applauds the manner in which the Ridgecrest Police Department utilizes Measure V funds to maintain public safety and position the department to serve the community in years to come.
The Measure V Committee encourages the City Council to continue to educate the community on the increasing demands and costs of not only maintaining, but growing our Public Works and Public Safety resources to best meet the needs of our growing community. City events, such as the recently held Budget Workshop, are excellent ways of communicating current status and future needs to concerned citizens. In addition, the utilization of technology is imperative to stretch the Measure V dollars. The committee looks forward to the recent Crack Mapping project completion so streets can have better targeted repairs.
Based on the Measure V Committee’s analysis, the City of Ridgecrest has utilized Measure V funds as promised, validating that this Measure is an imperative lifeline to preserve and improve city services and infrastructure. Without Measure V, or other version of a revenue measure in place, the City of Ridgecrest would not be able to maintain current or develop future public works or public safety resources.
The Bottom Line
The original impetus for a local tax measure was the stated fiscal emergency created when the State of California eliminated Redevelopment Agencies. That elimination resulted in a nearly 4-million-dollar hit to the city, which was already suffering from the state raiding more than $50 million between 1985 and 2012. One of the biggest benefits of a local generated tax measure is the state can never steal those funds.
In the current budget cycle the amount of sales tax the City sees from non-local measures is 4.3 million, Measure V exceeds 6 million. With the Wayfair decision, it is imperative to have a local sales tax measure so Safety and Streets can be maintained. Ridgecrest’s City Council committed to use Measure L, and now Measure V revenue specifically for streets and public safety. This year marks the 10th oversight committee report and we can conclusively say this council, and all previous councils, have held to that commitment. The City of Ridgecrest’s citizens and visitors continue to benefit greatly from the maintenance and improvements made possibly by these funds.
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Ridgecrest City Council
Successor Redevelopment Agency
Financing Authority
Housing Authority
STAFF REPORT
SUBJECT: Proposed Action To Approve Draft Minutes Of The Ridgecrest City Council Regular Meeting Dated August 2, 2023
PRESENTED BY: Ricca Charlon, City Clerk
SUMMARY:
Draft Minutes of the City Council / Successor Redevelopment Agency / Housing Authority / Financing Authority Regular Meeting Dated August 2, 2023 FISCAL IMPACT: None
ACTION REQUESTED: Approve minutes
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION: Action as requested
Submitted by: Ricca Charlon Action Date: August 16, 2023 This Page Intentionally Left Blank
RIDGECREST CITY COUNCIL
SUCCESSOR REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY
FINANCING AUTHORITY
HOUSING AUTHORITY
DRAFT MINUTES
Wednesday, August 2, 2023 Closed Session – 5:00 p.m.
Regular Session – 6:00 p.m.
This meeting was recorded and will be on file in the Office of the City Clerk for a certain period of time from date of approval by the Ridgecrest City Successor Agency/Financing Authority/Housing Authority. Meetings are recorded solely for the purpose of preparation of minutes.
ROLL CALL – 5:00 p.m.
Council Present: Mayor Eric A. Bruen; Mayor Pro-Tem Solomon P. Rajaratnam; Council Member Skip Gorman
Absent: Council Member L. Scott Hayman; Vice Mayor Kyle Blades Staff Present: City Attorney M. Koczanowicz; City Manager Strand; City Clerk Charlon; Captain Dampier; PW Director/Deputy City Manager Reed; Parks & Rec Director Wegener; Finance Director Cheri Freese
APPROVAL OF AGENDA
Motion To Approve - Rajaratnam - Gorman: 3 Ayes; 2 absent NOTE: The vote is displayed in bold below each item. For example, Blades-Rajaratnam denotes Council Member Blades made the motion and Council Member Rajaratnam seconded the motion. Ayes, Noes, Absents, Abstentions follow.
*Blades came in prior to public comment
PUBLIC COMMENT ON CLOSED SESSION - None
CLOSED SESSION *Hayman came in at 6:08
CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – Potential Litigation - Gov. Code § 54959.9(b) - Three Cases CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL - Existing litigation – Gov. Code § 54956.9 Todd v. Dilda & City of Ridgecrest Kern County Sup Court Case # BCV-23-101356 TCS CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – Potential Litigation – Gov. Code § 54959.9(c) - One Case REGULAR SESSION – 6:00 p.m.
ATTORNEY REPORT OUT OF CLOSED SESSION – Denials unanimously agreed for McCormick and Watkins cases– attorney to send denials
PRESENTATION
Placer.ai Strand
Public comments unknown speaker; J. Weston; M. Sinnott; M. Neel; unknown speaker; S. Rajtora; T. Wiknich; L. Lewis
PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA – M. Sinnott; T. Wiknich; S. Rajtora; M. Neel; L.
Lewis; unknown speaker
COUNCIL ANNOUNCEMENTS/DIRECTION – Direction given to bring Placer.ai back to council as an agendized item before approval
DRAFT MINUTES - CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY / FINANCING AUTHORITY / HOUSING AUTHORITY REGULAR – August 2, 2023
CONSENT CALENDAR
1. Proposed Action To Approve Draft Minutes Of The Ridgecrest City Council Regular Meeting Dated July 19, 2023 Charlon
2. A Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Ridgecrest Approving The Hiring Of A Retired Annuitant As Interim Police Chief For A Limited Duration Under Government Code Sections 7522.56(C) And 21221(G) Strand
3. A Resolution Of The City Council Of The City Of Ridgecrest Reenacting And Adopting A Position Description For Fleet Mechanic I Into The Classification Plan Reed
4. A Resolution Of The City Of Ridgecrest Designating An ADA Coordinator And Adopting Procedures In Compliance With The Americans With Disabilities Act Reed
5. Authorization For The City Manager, To Sign The Notice Of Completion; The City Clerk To File Said Notice Of Completion; And City Staff To Release Retention In The Amount Of Seventy- Four Thousand Five Hundred Eighty-Four Dollars And One Cent ($74,584.01) To The Contractor, Bowman Asphalt, Thirty (30) Days After Recordation For The Franklin Ave. Street Improvement Project Reed
6. Proposed Approval Of Increased Appropriations To The Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Budget For Gas Tax Fund-Streets Utilities Electric Reed
Motion To Approve Consent Calendar - Rajaratnam - Blades: 5 Ayes
COMMITTEE REPORTS
Ridgecrest Area Convention and Visitor Bureau (RACVB)
Members: Solomon Rajaratnam and Megan McKenzie (staff)
Meeting: 4th Wednesday each month at 9:00 a.m.
Location: California Welcome Center
➢ Report from 7/26/23
Infrastructure Committee
Members: Solomon Rajaratnam and Kyle Blades
Meeting: 4th Thursday each month at 5:00 p.m.
Location: City Hall Council Chambers
➢ Report from 7/27/23
Parks, Recreation, and Quality of Life Committee
Members: Mayor Eric A. Bruen and Skip Gorman
Meeting: 1st Tuesday each month at 5:30 p.m.
Location: Kerr McGee Center Meeting Rooms
➢ Report from 8/1/23
City Organization and Services Committee (‘City Org’)
Members: Mayor Eric A. Bruen and Skip Gorman
Meeting: 1st Thursday each month at 5:30 p.m.
Location: City Hall Council Chambers
➢ Next meeting 8/3/23
DRAFT MINUTES - CITY COUNCIL / SUCCESSOR REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY / FINANCING AUTHORITY / HOUSING AUTHORITY REGULAR – August 2, 2023
Economic Development Committee
Members: Kyle Blades and Solomon Rajaratnam
Meeting: 1st Monday of the month @ 5:15 p.m.
Location: City Hall Council Chambers
➢ Next meeting 8/7/23
Finance Committee
Members: Mayor Eric A. Bruen and Scott Hayman
Meeting: 2nd Tuesday each month at 5:30 p.m.
Location: City Hall Council Chambers
➢ Next meeting 8/8/23
OTHER COMMITTEES, BOARDS, OR COMMISSIONS
CITY MANAGER REPORT
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
*placer.ai
MAYOR AND COUNCIL COMMENTS
ADJOURNMENT - 8:35 p.m.
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Ridgecrest City Council
Successor Redevelopment Agency
Financing Authority
Housing Authority
STAFF REPORT
SUBJECT: Approve Of Staff’s Use Of Placer.ai Analytical Software To Assist In Economic Development Activities To Improve The Quality Of Life Within The Ridgecrest Community PRESENTED BY: Ron Strand, City Manager
SUMMARY:
Staff is interested in using Placer.ai software to assist in the economic development activities in an effort to improve the quality of life within our community. Placer.ai is an advanced location analytics platform describing physical locations, the people and businesses that interact with them, and the markets they inhabit. Placer.ai empowers local governments to analyze consumer behavior, understand market trends, and optimize critical business decisions, in such areas as:
Retail Recruitment
• Discover retail demand
• Reveal leakage
• Target best fit retailers
• Drive revenue
Event Analysis
• Optimize Marketing
• Increase Sponsors and Vendors
• Measure Performance
• Reveal economic impact
Marketing & Reports
• Optimize marketing to reach target
audiences
• Expand marketing based on new
insights
• Receive monthly reports on
visitation trends
• Share reports with stakeholders,
and the public
Travel and Tourism
• Discover visitation to any destination,
attraction, convention center, etc
• Discover demographic profile of
visitors
• Discover origin market and visitor
journey
• Gain insights into economic impacts
• Look at Competitor Locations
Placer.ai has been discussed at the Economic Development Committee twice and the City Council budget meeting in May. On August 2, 2023, Placer.ai made a presentation at City Council allowing City Council and the community to ask questions regarding the use of Placer.ai. City Council requested staff bring this resolution back to City Council for a vote on staff’s use of the analytical software for economic development purposes.
FISCAL IMPACT: Annual cost of $19K
ACTION REQUESTED: Approval for staff use of Placer.ai
CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Action as requested
Submitted by: Ron Strand Action Date: August 16, 2023
(Revised Jan2019)
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RESOLUTION NO. 23-XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE RIDGECREST CITY COUNCIL TO APPROVE
STAFF’S USE OF PLACER.AI ANALYTICAL SOFTWARE TO ASSIST IN
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF
LIFE WITHIN THE RIDGECREST COMMUNITY
WHEREAS, staff is interested in using Placer.ai analytical software to assist in the economic development activities in an effort to improve the quality of life within our community; and,
WHEREAS, Placer.ai is an advanced location analytics platform describing physical locations, the people and businesses that interact with them, and the markets they inhabit; and, WHEREAS, Placer.ai empowers local governments to analyze consumer behavior, understand market trends, and optimize critical business decisions, in such areas as retail recruitment, event analysis, marketing reports and travel and tourism; and, WHEREAS, Placer.ai has been discussed at the Economic Development Committee twice and the City Council budget meeting in May; and,
WHEREAS, on August 2, 2023, Placer.ai made a presentation at City Council allowing City Council and the community to ask questions regarding the use of Placer.ai; and, WHEREAS, City Council requested staff bring this resolution back to City Council for a vote on staff’s use of the analytical software for economic development purposes.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the City Council approves staff’s use of the Placer.ai analytical software for economic development purposes.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED, this 16th day of August 2023, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSTAIN:
ABSENT:
Eric A. Bruen, Mayor
ATTEST:
Ricca Charlon, CMC
City Clerk
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Ridgecrest City Council
Successor Redevelopment Agency
Financing Authority
Housing Authority
STAFF REPORT
SUBJECT: Request for Sponsorship of the Petroglyph Rock Art Festival PRESENTED BY:
Ricca Charlon, City Clerk
SUMMARY:
The Petroglyph Rock Art Festival will be held November 4-5, 2023. Business leaders from the Ridgecrest community are planning the Petroglyph Rock Art Festival to highlight the rock art in the area and to brand the Ridgecrest area as the rock art capital of North America. With the Petroglyphs in Little Petroglyph Canyon, the area is widely known for having some of the finest Petroglyphs in North America and Little Petroglyph Canyon is designated as a national historic landmark.
The festival has been established as an annual event and is a tremendous draw to bring tourists to the Ridgecrest area to stay in our hotels, eat in our restaurants and shop at local businesses. Once tourists have been to Ridgecrest, we envision many of them coming back again because there is much to see within a short drive of the Ridgecrest area.
The Petroglyph Education Foundation has been actively raising donations to fund the event and this year has made a request for the City of Ridgecrest to sponsor the event through in-kind services including traffic and crowd control.
FISCAL IMPACT: In-kind contributions to be determined
ACTION REQUESTED: Approve a resolution authorizing in-kind services CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION:
Action as requested
Submitted by: Ricca Charlon Action Date: Aug 16 2023
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RESOLUTION NO. 23-Xx
A RESOLUTION OF THE RIDGECREST CITY COUNCIL SUPPORTING THE 2023 PETROGLYPH FESTIVAL AS A SIGNATURE EVENT OF THE CITY AND
AUTHORIZE IN KIND SERVICE TO SUPPORT THE EVENT
WHEREAS, the City recognizes and acknowledges the importance of public events that serve to enrich the civic, charitable, cultural, economic, athletic, and education of the community; and,
WHEREAS, the City encourages support of public events that provide the community and visitors these enrichments; and,
WHEREAS, the City desires to support the 2023 Petroglyph Festival as a signature event and the allocating of in-kind services to assist with costs associated with holding a signature event in the community; and,
WHEREAS, the City can benefit from a successful signature event, with increased revenues from tourism.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of Ridgecrest does hereby:
1. Declare that the 2023 Petroglyph Festival is a Signature Event for the City of Ridgecrest; and,
2. Commit to providing in-kind services in an amount to be determined.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED this 16th day of August, 2023 by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
Eric A. Bruen, Mayor
ATTEST:
Ricca Charlon, CMC
City Clerk
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Ridgecrest City Council
Successor Redevelopment Agency
Financing Authority
Housing Authority
STAFF REPORT
SUBJECT: Proposed Approval Of Increased Appropriations To The Fiscal Year 2023-2024 Budget For The Design, Bid And Construction Services For The New Sgt. Pinney Memorial Pool Aquatic Complex
PRESENTED BY: Ron Strand, City Manager
SUMMARY: In November 2022, the citizens of Ridgecrest approved Measure P enabling the funding to rebuild the Sgt. Pinney Memorial Pool, which was closed in 2017.
In February 2023, the City hired consultants Aquatic Design Group and Flewelling & Moody Architects to assist in receiving public input through Town Hall format meetings to assist in the design, features and programs of a new Sgt. Pinney Memorial Pool Aquatic Complex for the community. Prior to hiring the consultants, the City conducted several public meetings and community surveys to prioritize local funding needs for City services. According to public input, a new pool was one of the top priorities of the community.
In March of this year, the City began a series of Town Hall meetings led by City staff and consultants from Aquatic Design Group and Flewelling & Moody Architects. Through those meetings a concept design for the new Sgt. Pinney Memorial Pool Aquatic Complex was developed with an estimated cost of $12-13M. Recently, Flewelling & Moody Architects submitted a cost estimate to the City for full design, bid and construction services for $1.2M. There will be an additional cost of $50K for geotechnical services needed for the full design of the pool complex separate from the work provided by Flewelling & Moody Architects – total funds needed $1.25M.
Flewelling & Moody Architects’ estimated project timeline:
September 2023 – 100% design development
November 2023 – 100% construction documents
Construction begins – Second quarter 2024
Project completion – Summer 2025
When the FY24 budget was submitted, staff did not yet know the estimated cost for the full design of the new Sgt. Pinney Memorial Pool Complex. In FY23, staff budgeted $500K for the initial design, which $444K still remains. In FY24, staff budgeted an additional $250K totaling $694K in available funds. The project is short $556K of the needed $1.25M. Measure P is estimated to have $4.3M in unallocated funds for FY24. Staff recommends increasing appropriations in the FY24 budget by $556K to fund the full design of the new Sgt. Pinney Memorial Pool Complex.
Staff requests an increase in appropriations in account 101.62.6202.5101.302 (Professional Services Engineering Services) from $250K to $806K.
FISCAL IMPACT: $556K in unallocated Measure P funds
ACTION REQUESTED: Approval of increased appropriations as requested CITY MANAGER’S RECOMMENDATION: Action as requested
Submitted by: Ron Strand Action Date: August 16, 2023
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RESOLUTION NO. 23-XX
A RESOLUTION OF THE RIDGECREST CITY COUNCIL APPROVING AN INCREASE IN APPROPRIATIONS TO THE FISCAL YEAR 2023-2024 BUDGET
FOR THE DESIGN, BID AND CONSTRUCTION SERVICES FOR THE NEW SGT. PINNEY MEMORIAL POOL AQUATIC COMPLEX
WHEREAS, in November 2022, the citizens of Ridgecrest approved Measure P enabling the funding to rebuild the Sgt. Pinney Memorial Pool, which was closed in 2017; and, WHEREAS, in February 2023, the City hired consultants Aquatic Design Group and Flewelling & Moody Architects to assist in receiving public input through Town Hall format meetings to assist in the design, features and programs of a new Sgt. Pinney Memorial Pool Aquatic Complex for the community. Prior to hiring the consultants, the City conducted several public meetings and community surveys to prioritize local funding needs for City services; and, WHEREAS, in March of this year, the City began a series of Town Hall meetings led by City staff and consultants from Aquatic Design Group and Flewelling & Moody Architects. Through those meetings a concept design for the new Sgt. Pinney Memorial Pool Aquatic Complex was developed with an estimated cost of $12-13M; and,
WHEREAS, recently, Flewelling & Moody Architects submitted a cost estimate to the City for full design, bid and construction services for $1.2M with an additional cost of $50K for geotechnical services needed for the full design of the pool complex separate from the work provided by Flewelling & Moody Architects – total funds needed $1.25M; and, WHEREAS, when the FY24 budget was submitted, staff did not yet know the estimated cost for the full design of the new Sgt. Pinney Memorial Pool Complex. In FY23, staff budgeted $500K for the initial design, which $444K still remains. In FY24, staff budgeted an additional $250K totaling $694K in available funds. The project is short $556K of the needed $1.25M.
Measure P is estimated to have $4.3M in unallocated funds for FY24.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, authorize the Finance Director to increase appropriations in account 101.62.6202.5101.302 (Professional Services Engineering Services) from $250K to $806K from unallocated Measure P FY24 funds.
APPROVED AND ADOPTED, this 16th day of August 2023, by the following vote:
AYES:
NOES:
ABSENT:
Eric A. Bruen, Mayor
ATTEST:
Ricca Charlon, CMC
City Clerk
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