MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE TRINIDAD CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, MAY 10, 2022 (ZOOM)
CALL TO ORDER
II. TELECONFERENCE MEETINGS
1. Continued Resolution 2021-12: Authorizing Continued Use of Virtual Meetings.
The Council unanimously reaffirmed Resolution 2021-12 by consensus.
III. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
IV. CLOSED SESSION
Personnel Exception 54957 - City Manager Performance Evaluation
2. Labor Negotiations 54957.6 - Chief Water Plant Operator Position V. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION - No reportable action taken.
VI. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Motion (Grover/West) to approve the agenda as submitted. Passed unanimously.
VII. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - 04-12-2022 cc
Mike Morgan, public comment: Please refer to the business as Trinidad Bay B&B Hotel.
Motion (West/Kelly) to approve the 02-22-2022 cc2 minutes as amended. Passed unanimously.
VIII.COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
West: Attended the HAOG meeting. Announced Bike Month in May, Last Chance Grade update, Broadway Safety Corridor, Indianola safety improvements, and several housing studies. Attended Trails Committee meeting and discussed replacing deteriorated trail markers and repairing steps to Trinidad Head trail.
Kelly: Attended the California Coastal National Monument Gateway meeting, working on the strategic plan.
Hoping to hold a Water Advisory Committee meeting in June to select a new Chairperson and discuss the purpose and scope of the Committee moving forward.
Grover: Attended a meeting with West, the Tsurai, and Coastal Conservancy. Our G2G policy is working and we're focused on improved communication. Also attended my last meeting with RCEA, introduced Tuttle as new representative.
Tuttle: Attended Ad-Hoc meeting with Yurok Tribe. The proposed Memorial Lighthouse location is not acceptable to them. Kelly also attended, stating G2G meeting process clarification was requested.
Ladwig: Attended the RRED meeting and discussed housing inventory in relationship to Cal Poly's plan to grow. Working together with other entities in the County on this situation.
IX. STAFF REPORTS - City Manager & Law Enforcement
City Manager Naffah highlighted accomplishments summarized in the staff report included in the meeting packet. Also noted Verizon is in the final phase of decommissioning the Trinidad Head site. Now served by Quarry Road and Westhaven Drive cell towers. Stormwater Project should be complete by early June.
Attended a meeting with City Engineers and PWA representatives discussing vacant lands near the Water Treatment Plant to possibly accommodate additional storage of pre-treated water. Phil Godman of Coleman Engineering will present an update on water treatment operations.
Paula Levine - Trinidad Area Water Customer
PWA was supposed to provide an itemized invoice each month. What was the cost of the parcel inventory project? How much did PWA bill for the 3 prior tasks? CM Naffah noted that the City has not received the invoice for the parcel inventorv vet.
Mike Morgan - Trinidad
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Our AT&T coverage has greatly improved recently.
X. ITEMS FROM THE FLOOR
(Three (3) minute limit per Speaker unless Council approves request for extended time.) Mike Morgan - Trinidad
Regarding Occupancy Tax, read a summary of a letter sent to the Council. Our business has not been provided guidance to refund overpaid tax to guests. We want a letter from the City explaining how they could receive a refund. The City is dragging this out. Also request guidance to place an initiative on the ballot in November.
Patti Fleschner - Trinidad
Attended the G2G meeting last week. There is a Coastal Development Permit pending before the California Coastal Commission. It might be useful to hold a meeting between the City, Rancheria, TAS, and Yurok Tribe.
There is so much mis-information out there. Getting everyone together may be a good way to share information.
XI. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Staff Activity Report - April 2022
2. Financial Statements - March 2022
Law Enforcement Report - April 2022
4. Resolution 2022-07; Request November General Election Consolidation with the County of Humboldt.
5. Community Yard Sale Event Announcement
Motion (Grover/Kelly) to approve the consent agenda as submitted. Passed unanimously.
XI. DISCUSSION/ACTION AGENDA ITEMS
1. Water Plant Operations Update
Phil Godman from Coleman Engineering provided an update on Treatment Plant operations. We have changed the run time of the Plant, which has lowered the amount of chlorine needed to reach farthest sections of distribution system. Discovered rust on the storage tank ladder, exercising valves, and updating the current procedure manual for future operators.
Ladwig and Grover thanked Coleman Engineering for their services.
Public comment included:
Paula Levine - Trinidad water customer
Can the public tour the Water Plant?
City Manager Naffah explained that a tour can be scheduled through the Water Advisory Committee.
Presentation item only. No action taken.
2. Discussion/Decision regarding Second Reading of Ordinance 2021-02; Amending Section 17.56.160 (6.26 as Certified) of the Trinidad Zoning Ordinance Regulating Short-Term Rentals.
Mayor Ladwig recused himself from the discussion due to conflict. Mayor Pro-Tem West led the discussion.
If the second reading is accepted, a certified copy of the full ordinance will be placed in three (3) public places rescribed by ordinance (Town Hall, Post Office, Murphy's Market Bulletin Board), along with a summary of th dinance complete with votes cast published within 15 days following adoption in the Mad River Unio Ordinance 2021-02 will become effective upon certification of the Coastal Commission. That date is currently unknown but the Council will be kept informed when that is expected to occur. 05-10-2022 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2
Public comment included:
Paula Levine - Trinidad Area resident
First come, first serve is a better policy for issuing available licenses.
Mike Morgan - Trinidad
Lottery is absurd.
Dick Bruce - Trinidad
A significant amount of time has been invested in this ordinance revision. Please move it forward.
Katrine Homan - Trinidad Area resident
Agree with Paula Levine. The lottery seems unfair.
Council comments included:
Grover: Happy to support recommendations from Committees and Commission as advised.
Kelly: Perhaps improvements can be made to the lottery process during the next revision, but ready to move this forward. Tuttle agreed.
Motion Kelly/Grover to waive full reading and adopt second reading of Ordinance 2021-02 by title only; Amending Section 17.56.160 (6.26 as Certified) of the Trinidad Zoning Ordinance Regulating Short-Term Rentals. Motion passed 4-0-1. Ladwig recused.
3. Discussion Decision regarding Second Reading of 2022-01; Amending Section 2.20.070 of the Trinidad Municipal Code Relating to the Election of the Planning Commission Chair.
Mayor Ladwig rejoined the meeting. City Manager Naffah explained that Ordinances require two readings not less than 5 days apart. The Council approved the first reading of Ordinance 2022-01 at the March 08, 2022 meeting. No changes have been made to the Ordinance since the first reading.
If the second reading is accepted, a certified copy of the full ordinance will be placed in three (3) public places prescribed by ordinance (Town Hall, Post Office, Murphy's Market Bulletin Board), along with a summary of the ordinance complete with votes cast published within 15 days following adoption in the Mad River Union.
Ordinance 2022-01 will become effective on the 31st day following approval (June 10, 2022).
There was no public or Council comments.
Motion (Grover/West) to waive full reading and adopt second reading of Ordinance 2022-01 by title only; Amending Section 2.20.070 of the Trinidad Municipal Code Relating to the Election of the Planning Commission Chair. Passed unanimously.
4. Update/Continued Discussion regarding Returning to Live City Council and Planning Commission Meetings. examples of how other cities and local agencies are implementing the hybrid meeting experiment, along with outlining some of the next steps needed to reach the goal of testing a system in June.
The basic goals for May 10 were to lay the groundwork to start testing systems and if possible, test the MCSD system. Laying the groundwork included extending a reliable and secure wireless network through the Town Hall. Due to scheduling challenges and finding the right expert, that task will be completed on Wednesday, May 11 (one day shy of our target date). Kabe Miller with Cornerstone Computers has been hired to complete the installation. Staff may attempt to use the existing, inferior wireless network to test the MCSD system prior to the meeting, but may choose to wait until after the new network is installed on the 11t. Either way any information gathered will be shared during this agenda discussion on May 10.
The team that has been assembled to assist City Staff in implementing a hybrid meeting format is Kabe Miller (Cornerstone Computers), Joey Blaine (technical consultant), and Juan Carillo (Access Humboldt).
The Council voiced support for finding the best quality solution that is suitable for Trinidad was the best approach. As noted at the April meeting, it is likely that sourcing and procuring the right equipment may be a 05-10-2022 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 3
challenge, so to unveil a test-run at the June meeting will likely mean a phased approach to a more permanent concept.
Staff is currently sourcing the following equipment, with the goal of having them test ready by early June:
Mounted, pull-down, low-profile projector screen for the Town Hall. i weighed meing rooms he old proper names god soniay tirestin and towance. resolution).
- Web-Cam and accessories suitable for capturing the active speaker in the room.
Council comments included:
Grover: I have not attended a hybrid meeting yet and don't have anything new to share.
West: HCAOG has not held a hybrid meeting yet.
Public comment included:
Mike Morgan - Trinidad
Virtual meetings are not for people scared of covid, they are only to be held during emergencies. Avoid mandates, provide guidance, and assume there will be a Covid spike. Meet in person.
Presentation item only. Staff update and information sharing. Council is welcome to share any experience hey've had recently with hybrid meetings that may be helpful. Staff will continue to prioritize the goal of introducing a hybrid meeting format as soon as possible without compromising other tasks of critical importance such as the upcoming budget and election deadlines.
5. Discussion/Decision regarding Appointment to Fill the Vacancy on the Short-Term Rental Advisory Committee.
Mayor Ladwig recused himself from this discussion due to conflict. Mayor Pro-Tem West led the discussion.
City Manager Naffah explained that the City of Trinidad received a letter of resignation from STR Committee Member Dorothy Cox, effective 12/16/19. Ms. Cox represented the resident/or public position on the committee, therefore the vacancy to be filled must be from someone that lives inside the city limits and has no direct tie to the STR industry. The position has been vacant since.
The current committee members are:
Diane Stockness Planning Commission Liaison
VACANT City/General Public Representative
Dick Bruce City/General Public Representative
Jan Nash-Hunt STR Owner
Joe Moran STR Manager
The City Manager, or his/her designee, serves as primary staff liaison to the STR Committee.
The primary role of the STR Committee is to advise and provide recommendations to the City Council, staff, and Planning Commission on matters relating to Short Term Rentals in the City of Trinidad.
The recruitment flyer and Resolution creating the STR Committee is attached for reference. The City requested letters of interest include brief information that would help the Council determine the candidates suitability for the committee.
At the April 12 meeting, the packet included a letter of interest to fill the vacant seat from Scenic Drive (in-City limits) homeowner Dan Henry. During public comment, Trinidad Bay Bed & Breakfast owner Mike Morgan claimed he too submitted a letter of interest, but it was not included in the packet.
The Council agreed to postpone the decision, extend the filing period one month, and include Mike Morgan's letter of interest for consideration.
On April 14, Parker Creek Drive resident Jacques Beaupre submitted a letter of interest to serve on the Committee. Mr. Beaupre meets the criteria to serve as an in-City, general public representative without any ties or associations with the STR or lodging industry.
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On April 18, candidate Dan Henry withdrew his name from consideration due to objections voiced regarding his part-time residency status.
Public comments included:
Patti Fleschner - Trinidad
We are lucky to have both Morgan and Beaupre in our community. Mr. Morgan's experience on Council and Planning Commission would make him an excellent addition to this committee.
Mike Morgan - Trinidad
Read comments submitted and included in the public comment packet for this meeting concerning the appointment process, his commitment to truth and fairness, defending guests from unconstitutional taxes and disclosures, various experiences that make him the most eligible candidate for this position.
Dick Bruce - Trinidad
The person selected should have no connection to the lodging industry whatsoever, and have a balanced view within the committee. 1 appreciate what Mike said, and may consider him if a resident had not applied.
However, I encourage you to appoint Jacques Beaupre to the committee.
Paula Levine - Trinidad area
It's a good idea to have Mike on the committee. He has a hotel, not an STR.
Katrine Homan - Trinidad area
I support appointing Mike Morgan.
Council comments included:
Kelly: After reviewing the Resolution, a Councilmember cannot be on the STR Committee. Because Morgan intends to run for Council in fall, I would like to encourage him to do so, and I support Beaupre since he is distanced from the industry and meets the resident description.
West: I helped set this committee up and want to honor the purpose of hearing a homeowner/resident's viewpoint.
Motion (Kelly) to nominate Jacques Beaupre to the STR Committee. Motion failed due to lack of second.
Motion (Grover/Tuttle) to appoint Mike Morgan to the STR Committee. Motion failed due to a tie; NO - Kelly, West. YES - Grover, Tuttle.
Morgan withdrew his interest in joining the committee.
Motion (Kelly/Grover) to nominate Jacques Beaupre to the STR Committee. Passed 4-0.
6. Presentation/Update regarding the FY2022 Budget Status and Upcoming FY2023 Budget Preparation Timeline.
City Clerk Adams explained that relative to 2020 and 2021, Fiscal Year 2021-2022 began with stability, and setting a hyper-focus on the City's drinking water system due to the ongoing drought situation. The FY2022 budget was adopted on June 21, 2021. In July the City learned that the Administrative Support position would soon be vacant with the resignation of Angela Zetter, and in late August the City was informed that long-time Chief Water Plant Operator Ryan DeSmet would be resigning in October. Those two events alone send significant shock-waves through the City's operational reality.
In response, the City was fortunate to recruit two new administrative support positions and welcomed Anton Souza and Jennifer Hakenen to the team in September/October. Both Anton and Jennifer spent the winter getting their "sea-legs" by learning the ropes and have quickly become invaluable assets to the City, providing both reliability and value to the organization.
On the other hand, the Water Department budget was impacted significantly by the departure of Ryan DeSmet.
Probably the biggest concern of both staff and the public is the current cost incurred by hiring an independent engineering firm (Coleman Engineering) to operate the Plant in the interim. Staff will shed some light on where the 05-10-2022 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 5
Water Department stands as of March 30, and prepare to forecast where it will end up at year end as the process unfolds through June.
The first step to kick-off the 2021-2022 Budget Season is to take a brief look at the current year - measuring achievements, shortfalls, or deviations in the Council's spending plan, along with identifying operation changes and/or unexpected revenue windfalls that modified the City's course along the way.
The primary goals of this preliminary budget meeting discussion are; 1) To examine the financial statements received through March 2022. 2) Review significant highlights in spending (or not spending) and revenues in the primary departments. 3) Plot a course from now through June for continued discussions that will lead to an adopted budget by the regular meeting in June.
Council comments included:
Ladwig: Want to see 2-3 year effects on staffing, and make sure we're smart with money and able to maintain goals and priorities.
Kelly: Would like to see a spending pie chart by expense category, and noticed goals and priorities from 2015 have been carried out. Public safety is also a needed discussion topic. Other cities spend significantly more on public safety and l'd like to see private security option if HCSO isn't able to provide additional deputies.
West: Keep the process going, and look into the future at the next meeting.
No public comments.
Staff will return at the next meeting with additional information to build the 2023 Budget.
7. 2022 General Election Calendar and Upcoming Deadlines.
City Clerk Adams provided additional information regarding upcoming Occupancy Tax ballot measure benchmarks, and reminded the Council that steps will be taken to meet the deadlines later in May and June.
There were no public or Council comments.
Information item only. No action taken.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
- No items were discussed
ADJOURNMENT: 8:45pm.
Submitted by: Cal Approved by:
Gabriel Adams Steve Ladwig
Trinidad City Clerk Mayor
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