DISCUSSION AND DIRECTION REGARDING CONTRACTING WITH LEGAL COUNSEL TO
REVIEW THE SHAFTER MUNICIPAL CODE FOR COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW - 2 -
• Identify provisions that conflict with, are preempted by, or are inconsistent with current State law;
• Identify outdated or unenforceable provisions;
• Recommend amendments to align the SMC with State requirements while preserving local intent where legally permissible; and
• Reduce the City’s exposure to legal risk and improve clarity for the public and staff.
BBK or outside counsel could be tasked with reviewing the SMC, preparing a memorandum summarizing findings, and drafting recommended ordinance amendments for City Council consideration.
Regular review of the SMC is an important tool to ensure consistency with State law, reduce legal risk, and support effective implementation of City policies. City Council discussion and direction will guide staff on whether and how to proceed with a SMC compliance review and the potential use of outside legal counsel or BBK.
FISCAL IMPACT
The fiscal impact would depend on the scope of work and the attorney or law firm selected. If directed to proceed, staff would return with a not-to-exceed contract amount and proposed funding source for City Council consideration.
CEQA ANALYSIS
This item does not require discretionary action as it is for informational purposes only.
Therefore, it does not trigger CEQA review. Any future ordinance amendments resulting from the review would be subject to separate CEQA review, as appropriate.
APPROVED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY
ATTACHMENTS
None
MANAGEMENT REPORT
CITY OF SHAFTER
CITY COUNCIL REPORT
MEETING DATE: March 3, 2026
DEPARTMENT: Johnny Rubio, IT Director
SUBJECT: APPROVAL FOR THE ADDITION OF A GIS COORDINATOR
POSITION
RECOMMENDATION
Council find that the action is not defined as a “project” per Section 15378(b)(5) of the CEQA Guidelines; approve the addition of one (1) GIS Coordinator position to the City’s staffing allocation to ensure continuity of GIS operations, provide technical oversight of GIS infrastructure, and support the City’s expanding infrastructure and fiber initiatives.
BACKGROUND
The City’s GIS program has historically been supported by an existing staff member who provided both technical and strategic oversight of GIS operations. This role includes supervision of the GIS Specialist, long-range project planning, and maintenance of the City’s GIS systems and data.
That staff member has since been promoted and is now overseeing a major citywide fiber expansion project. While this transition strengthens the City’s broadband and infrastructure efforts, it has created a critical gap in GIS leadership, system oversight, and project coordination. In addition, provisioning this role will allow our Deputy IT Director to focus on maintaining our existing network infrastructure, reviewing new and existing contracts, advancing fiber expansion efforts, and conducting mainline and trunk-level inspections in the field.
The GIS Coordinator role is essential to both the operational and strategic success of the City’s GIS program. In addition to serving as the primary technical lead, the GIS Coordinator provides direct oversight and direction to the GIS Technician, ensuring consistency, accuracy, and timely delivery of GIS-related services across departments.
Key responsibilities of the GIS Coordinator include:
• Providing supervision, guidance, and workload prioritization for the GIS Specialist
• Planning and coordinating GIS projects in advance to support departmental and capital initiatives
• Overseeing the City’s GIS servers, including maintenance, troubleshooting, and system updates
APPROVAL FOR THE ADDITION OF A GIS COORDINATOR POSITION - 2 -
• Ensuring data integrity, system availability, and continuity of GIS services; collaborate with ESRI support
• Manage the City’s RTK GPS correction system and ensure that monitoring and upgrades are done on a routine basis with EOS.
• Providing analytical and mapping support for Public Works, Police, Planning, Engineering, and IT
• Manage the City’s role in responding to the US Census Bureau’s Boundary and Annexation Survey every other year.
• Supporting long-term infrastructure planning and future smart city initiatives, including the evaluation, integration, and support of new or existing software systems such as LMS integrations and Police Department CAD systems.
Without a dedicated GIS Coordinator, these responsibilities would be distributed across staff whose primary focus is now infrastructure and project management, increasing the risk of service delays, data inconsistencies, and system-level issues.
FISCAL IMPACT
The proposed GIS Coordinator position has a fully burdened annual cost of approximately $190,000 at Step E, inclusive of salary, retirement contributions, payroll taxes, and benefits.
The estimated fiscal impact for FY 25/26 is approximately $50,000, which can be absorbed within the current approved budget; therefore, no budget amendment is required. The full annualized cost of the position will be incorporated and formally allocated in the upcoming FY 26/27 budget. Beginning next fiscal year, the cost allocation will reflect the City’s cross-departmental use of GIS services:
▪ Approximately 70% ($133,000) will be funded by the General Fund to support core services such as Public Works, Police, Planning, Engineering, and administrative operations.
▪ Approximately 30% ($57,000) will be allocated to applicable Enterprise Funds, including utilities and infrastructure-related operations that rely on GIS system maintenance and data management.
This allocation methodology is consistent with enterprise cost-sharing principles and ensures that departments benefiting from GIS services contribute proportionately. The position restores dedicated technical oversight and leadership to the City’s GIS program following the reassignment of prior staff to major fiber expansion initiatives.
Failure to fund the position may result in operational inefficiencies, data integrity risks, delayed project delivery, and potential reliance on higher-cost consulting services.
CEQA ANALYSIS
The action is not defined as a “project” per Section 15378(b)(5) of the CEQA Guidelines because the action is approval of the addition of a GIS coordinator position and
APPROVAL FOR THE ADDITION OF A GIS COORDINATOR POSITION - 3 -
therefore, it is organizational and administrative activity that will not result in direct or indirect physical changes to the environment and not subject to CEQA.
APPROVED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY
No
ATTACHMENTS
None
MANAGEMENT REPORT
CITY OF SHAFTER
CITY COUNCIL REPORT
MEETING DATE: March 3, 2026
DEPARTMENT: Michael James, Assistant City Manager, Alex Gonzalez, Public Works Director
SUBJECT: LERDO HIGHWAY VEGETATIVE BARRIER TREE PLANTING
PROJECT
RECOMMENDATION
Council find that the action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act; approve the establishment of a new Capital Improvement Program project for the AB 617 Shafter Vegetative Barriers Project with a budget of $253,000; authorize Staff to utilize the City’s existing bidding and procurement procedures for implementation of the project; and direct staff to return to the City Council for approval of any purchase or contract awards, as applicable, and to provide future project updates.
BACKGROUND
The San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District (District) awarded the City of Shafter a grant in the amount of $253,000 for the AB 617 Shafter Vegetative Barriers Project (Agreement No. G-242493-A1). The project provides funding to plant approximately 50 trees within the existing street median along Lerdo Highway, between Cherry Avenue and Zerker Road, to create vegetative barriers that mitigate air quality impacts from nearby pollution sources. Reimbursement will be provided for eligible project expenditures following completion and District post-inspection in accordance with the funding agreement .
On November 19, 2024, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2996 approving participation in the Vegetative Barriers Emission Reduction Program and authorizing submittal of a grant application and execution of associated funding documents.
In order to properly account for grant expenditures and reimbursement, a new Capital Improvement Program (CIP) project must be established with a budget of $253,000.
Public Works requests flexibility to implement the project using the City’s existing bidding and procurement procedures, which may include purchasing materials directly and utilizing City staff for installation or contracting installation services, consistent with applicable grant requirements. Staff will return to the City Council at a future meeting for approval of any purchase or contract awards, as applicable, and will provide periodic project updates during implementation.
FISCAL IMPACT
LERDO HIGHWAY VEGETATIVE BARRIER TREE PLANTING PROJECT
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The project is fully funded through a $253,000 grant award from the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District. Approval of this item will establish a new Capital Improvement Program (CIP) project with a total budget of $253,000 to allow for the proper accounting of project-related expenditures and grant reimbursements.
The City will initially incur project costs and submit reimbursement requests to the District in accordance with the terms of the funding agreement, which provides reimbursement for eligible expenditures upon completion and post-inspection of the installed vegetative barriers. No local match is required. There is no net impact to the General Fund, other than temporary cash flow timing associated with grant reimbursement.
CEQA ANALYSIS
The project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) per Section 15304 (Minor Alterations to Land) of the CEQA Guidelines because the project is the installation of approximately 50 trees within an existing street median that does not involve the removal of healthy, mature, scenic trees.
APPROVED BY THE CITY ATTORNEY
Not Applicable
ATTACHMENTS
None