City Council Meeting Minutes
Monday, January 06, 2025 at 6:00 PM
33 Church Street, Sutter Creek, CA 95685
The Agenda can be found on the City’s Website: www.cityofsuttercreek.org The City of Sutter Creek City Council Meeting was available via Zoom and in person.
1. Call to Order and Establish a Quorum for Regular Meeting Councilmembers Present: Dan Riordan, Julia Sierck, Jim Swift, Susan Feist
Absent: Mayor Gunselman
Treasurer: Vicki Runquist
Staff: Tom DuBois, Derek Cole, Dan La Fontaine, Frank Whitmore (WGA)
2. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
Led by Vice Mayor Sierck
3. Public Forum
Al Biers - Visitor Center. 5500 visitors to the center last year. Sutter Creek was Named most Christmasy town in Northern Ca this year, with 2200 likes on Instagram.
Toni Linde - 17 years ago started the Festival of Lights. Tim Murphy was mayor. Took 4 months to convince them to try it. Got approved 2 months before December. The Lions club helped a lot, and the police helped.
Need more help the night of the event. The Sutter Creek Fire department helped a lot too. The Business association pays for insurance and toilet and shuttle.
Mike Kirkley - Badger street - If a large truck parks on Main near Badger it is difficult to see to pull out. Staff will check out the situation to see if a parking spot should be removed.
4. City Manager’s Report
The City Manager presented a brief update - see presentation.
5. Presentations
A. Amador County Animal Control Services
Information presentation
Councilmember Swift asked several questions. How do you determine where a dog is from? Answer, take people’s word. Request ID and address. Invoice goes to the Police Chief. Verify cross street or owner address.
Individuals are not billed if they bring in animals for dropoff Requesting field services will be billed direct on time = $865+time The Cities in aggregate cover about 25% of the animal controls budget.
Councilmember Sierck requested clarification on the billing costs. It is a flat per animal fee based on average costs. If the owner comes then if returned, the CIty still pays $860, it is the average cost.
Some hurt animals incur much higher bills. There is also an annual cap of about $42,000 PUBLIC
Mike Kirkley - Stated that the county is pushing costs to the city. County gets most of the property tax. 14%, city gets 4%. Suggested people talk to supervisors about what is fair.
B. Proclamation Recognizing Toni Linde - For her efforts over many years to organize the Festival of Lights
The proclamation was read and presented
C. Proclamation Recognizing Creekside Methodist Church
Thanks for all their efforts supporting Christmas events The proclamation was read and presented
Several Councilmembers expressed their appreciation to both recipients.
6. Approval of Minutes
A. City Council Minutes of Dec 16, 2024
Recommendation: By motion approve minutes as presented.
Motion to approve by Councilmember Riordan, Seconded by Councilmember Feist Motion approved by 4-0 vote, with Mayor Gunselman absent.
7. Consent Agenda - No items
8. Ordinances and Public Hearing - None
9. Administrative Agenda
A. Water Balance Responses to Water Board
Information presentation with city consultant, Bill Slenter from Hydrosciences, on ARSA, Ione and CDCR responses to Water Board Order
During and after the presentation a discussion ensued. CM Swift asked about what is in backwash water? Answer, some turbidity. have to flush the sand filters, which gather solids, to keep them effective. Backwash then must be treated.
Consultant Slenter commented that the response letter doesn’t look at dry years, but that the golf course would be underserved in a dry year. Need to look at commitments to provide water.
Mule Creek prison has carryover water in excess after a wet year. The agency can’t comply on their own. Best case is 283AF of excess - more than we can take. Options are to build more spray fields and a reservoir.
The City of Ione water balance works if you can use percolation beds, which are being reviewed by the water board because they are near a creek. .
Discussion:
CM Swift asked if Ione could send their city wastewater to the tertiary plant? Not today. If they make the connection there is no excess treatment or disposal capacity.
CM Feist asked for more explanation about what backwash is. Mr Slenter explained that it was part of the design of the Castle Oaks treatment facility to use sand filters, which must have the water reversed periodically to wash the sand.
CM Swift asked about the capacity of the plant and the golf course. The golf course can take 440-450 AF per year.
Council took a five minute break and CM Feist left the meeting at 7:45 PM B. Capital Improvement Plan
Action Item to review and approve the five year capital improvement plan CM FIest returned at 7:55 PM
Motion to approve staff motion and modify with
a. adding Amelia Street and Boston- Randolph intersection projects to Appendix A, b. Prioritizing a walking path into town and bathrooms at Bryson Park before other park projects by Councilmember Riordan, Seconded by Councilmember Feist Motion approved by 4-0 vote, with Mayor Gunselman absent.
10. Mayor and Council Member Reports - No reports
11. City Attorney’s Report - None
12. Future Agenda Items - None
13. Information and Correspondence - None
Closes session began at 8:45pM
14. Closed Session
A. Public employee performance evaluation
Title: City Manager
B. CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS
Agency designated representatives: Mayor and City Attorney Unrepresented employee: City Manager
15. Report from Closed Session
No reportable action
16. Adjournment
Meeting Adjourned at 10PM.
The next regularly scheduled meeting is Tuesday, Jan 21, 2025 because of Martin Luther King Day on Jan 20th.