Special City Council Meeting Minutes
Monday, June 30, 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 in person, on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/@CityofSutterCreek and on Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81391466458?pwd=4jXmBm1AP5bEbiID3iDwuxk4GpreRY.1 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Call to Order and Establish a Quorum for Regular Meeting The meeting was called to order at 6:00 PM by Mayor Gunselman.
Present: Mayor Claire Gunselman, Council member Julia Sierk, Council member Jim Swift, Council member Susan Feist, Council member Dan Riordan
Staff present: Tom DuBois – City Manager, Dan Lafontaine – Public Works Director, Mason Peters – Finance Supervisor
2. Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mayor Gunselman.
3. Public Forum
Mayor Gunselman opened the public forum. There were no public comments.
4. City Manager’s Report
City Manager Tom DuBois provided updates on several items:
Public Works: Staff have managed three recent public works emergencies: a wastewater leak into the creek from a blocked sewer main, a hole in Gopher Flat Road likely caused by a storm drain issue, and a wastewater line damaged by CalFire during training. CalFire has accepted responsibility for the repair costs.
Project Updates: The Henderson repair contract was approved by CDCR. The transition to a new sewer billing system and a new payroll system is underway. INI (Inflow and Infiltration) repairs are scheduled to begin.
City Events: A July 4th parade and pool party are planned, featuring a DJ, food trucks, and a children's parade.
Future Meetings: The first council meetings in July and August have been canceled. The next meetings are scheduled for July 21st and August 18th.
Upcoming Agenda Items: Future topics will include updates on street striping, code enforcement, a presentation from the county assessor on property tax revenue, zoning code improvements, a "trench once" ordinance, and short-term rentals.
5. Presentations
There were no presentations.
6. Approval of Minutes
A. City Council Minutes of June 16, 2025
Recommendation: By motion approve minutes as presented.
Motion to approve the Minutes from June 16, 2025 as presented by Council member Riordan, second by Council member Swift.
AYES: Council Members Riordan, Sierk, Gunselman, Swift, Feist NOES: none
MOTION CARRIED 5-0
7. Consent Agenda
There were no items on the consent agenda.
8. Ordinances and Public Hearing
There were no ordinances or public hearings.
9. Administrative Agenda
A. Fiscal Year 2025-26 Budget
City Manager Tom DuBois presented the final draft of the FY 2025-26 budget, highlighting key changes made since the last review. He noted that while sales tax revenue has been solid, the budget reflects a significant drop in grant funding compared to the previous year. On the expense side, staff time allocations were reviewed, and several General Fund projects were delayed to avoid subsidizing street projects this year, allowing Measure P funds to accumulate.
The Council discussed various aspects of the budget, including the strategy to reserve Measure P funds for one year before allocating them to major street projects, the high costs associated with County dispatch services and animal control, and the ongoing efforts to advocate for solutions, and the rising cost of the city’s unfunded pension liabilities with CalPERS. Council member Riordan requested that a future agenda item include a discussion around establishing a policy for General Fund reserves.
Clarification was sought on a few line items including the Crestview Lighting District, police safety equipment, public works supplies, and facility rental income.
After discussion, a motion was made to approve the FY 2025-26 operating budget and adopt the two accompanying resolutions for the budget and the annual appropriations limit.
Motion to approve the resolution approving the FY 2025-26 budget and the resolution setting the annual appropriations limit by Council member Riordan, second by Council member Sierk.
AYES: Council Members Riordan, Sierk, Gunselman, Swift, Feist NOES: none
MOTION CARRIED 5-0
10. Mayor and Council Member Reports
Council member Sierk stated she would like to have an Amador Trail Stewardship presentation on July 21st.
11. City Attorney’s Report
The City Attorney had nothing to report.
12. Future Agenda Items
Council member Riordan stated that an update on the Amador County Transportation Commission (ACTC) would be appreciated.
Council member Sierk asked for an update on the building that burned on Main Street and the possibility of putting a fence to hide the big hole in the ground where the building once stood.
13. Information and Correspondence
A. Republic Services 2026 Proposed Rate Adjustment
Correspondence was received from Republic Services regarding a proposed rate adjustment. It was noted that this is a communication and does not require a vote, as the rate structure was previously approved for a three-year period.
The meeting went into closed session at 7:23 PM.
14. Closed Session
A. Conference with Labor Negotiator
Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6
Agency Negotiator: Tom DuBois, City Manager
Employee Organizations: Sutter Creek POA and SEIU
15. Report from Closed Session
There was no reportable action from closed session.
16. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned at 8:30 PM. The next regularly scheduled meeting is July 21, 2025.
Minutes approved July 21, 2025
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Aaron Wolcott, City Clerk