City Council Meeting Agenda: 01-10-2023 Page 1
Posted: Friday, January 06, 2023
NOTICE AND CALL OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE
TRINIDAD CITY COUNCIL
The Trinidad City Council will hold a regular meeting on TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023, at 6:00 PM
at the Trinidad Town Hall, 409 Trinity Street, Trinidad, CA.
CLOSED SESSION BEGINS AT 5:15PM
For your convenience, this meeting will also be held via videoconference, hosted on the Zoom platform. Learn more about Zoom here: https://zoom.us
PUBLIC COMMENT: Public comment may be submitted via email in advance of the meeting, or in an orderly process during the meeting. If you do not have access to email and you would like to provide a written statement, please deliver your comments to 409 Trinity Street, Trinidad CA, by 2:00pm on the meeting day, or email to [email protected] HOW TO PARTICIPATE: You are invited to participate in person at the Trinidad Town Hall, or by Zoom. The City will publish a direct link to the Zoom teleconference, along with the participant code, on the City Calendar page online at http://trinidad.ca.gov/calendar
To phone in, dial 1-888-278-0296, Conference Code: 685171 Meeting ID: 852 9548 0291 Passcode: 435647 PLEASE NOTE that live meeting logistics will be prioritized. The quality of the Zoom teleconference meeting cannot be guaranteed. Technical challenges experienced by either the participant or the City will not interrupt or halt progress of the meeting.
I. CALL TO ORDER
II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
III. CLOSED SESSION
1. Conference with Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation (Calif. Gov. Code Section 54956.9(d)(1)) (1 Case: City of Trinidad vs. Tsurai Ancestral Society, et. al, Humb. Co. Sup. Court Case No. 180684) IV. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION
V. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – 12-13-2022 cc
VII. COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
VIII. STAFF REPORTS – City Manager & Law Enforcement
IX. ITEMS FROM THE FLOOR
At this time, members of the public may comment on items NOT appearing on the agenda. Individual comments will be limited to 3 minutes or less. Please direct your comments to the Council as a whole, maintain decorum and avoid personal attacks on staff, members of the Council and/or other members of the public. Council and staff responses will be minimal for non-agenda items.
X. CONSENT AGENDA All matters on the Consent Agenda are considered routine by the City Council and are enacted in one motion. There is no separate discussion of any of these items. If discussion is requested by any Council member, that item is removed from the Consent Calendar and considered separately. A single opportunity for public comment on the Consent Agenda is available to the public.
1. Staff Activity Report – December 2022
2. Financial Statements – November 2022
City Council Meeting Agenda: 01-10-2023 Page 2
3. Law Enforcement Report – December 2022
XII. DISCUSSION/ACTION AGENDA ITEMS
1. Introduction/Discussion/Decision regarding Community Ambassador Program.
2. Discussion/Decision regarding City Website Improvement Task Force Recommendations.
3. Discussion/Update regarding Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Program.
4. Discussion/Decision regarding Councilmember Commissionership and Representative Assignments.
XIII. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
XIV. ADJOURNMENT
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR:
DECEMBER 13, 2022 CC
Supporting Documentation follows with: 0 PAGES
12-13-2022 cc minutes will be uploaded to the packet on or before 2:00pm, Monday, January 09.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 1
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
1. Staff Activity Report – December 2022
City Manager’s Report January 10, 2023 Meeting
Town Hall:
With the atmospheric rivers pounding California with wind and rain, Town Hall is serving as a respite for those without power. When power is out, our solar batteries have provided heat and power to charge cell phones and batteries for residents. Now that power is back in town, residents north of the City are coming in for relief. The County’s Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) is helping to assist residents from Stagecoach, Patrick’s Point, and beyond. Water, snacks, heat and the ability to charge cell phones are being provided at Town Hall. Food for People and Pay it Forward Humboldt also are providing support.
Water Plant:
We have been receiving significant amounts of rain which have affected the turbidity in Luffenholtz Creek. Fortunately, staff has been able to keep up with the water production. Unfortunately, every time the power goes out the plant needs to be reset. The back-up generator has been working well at the plant.
A representative from the Department of Water Resources will visit the Water Plant in January once the weather settles down. He had to reschedule his prior planned trip because of the December earthquake. Coleman Engineering and water plant staff will be present for the inspection.
General Plan Update:
Following is an update of the current status of the General Plan with input from City Planner Trever Parker:
Although the general plan is a significant priority to many people, it is at a point right now where remaining tasks are dependent on Coastal Commission staff review and grant timelines (including OPC and the LCP Update grants).
• Staff has revised the Introduction, Land Use, Conservation Open Space and Recreation, and Circulation Elements along with responses to comments (all reviewed by Planning Commission and City Council) ready to submit to Coastal Commission staff for another round of review. However, we are holding off because they already have several SB2 and LEAP grant related ordinances to review.
• Staff are working on arranging regular (monthly or bimonthly) meetings between City staff and Coastal Commission staff that will continue through the LCP update. City staff have made contact with Coastal Commission staff, and they are in support and will be providing suggested days/times.
• Community Design: Currently being reviewed by the Planning Commission. • Cultural Resources Element: The City plans to meet with Tribal entities to conduct informal, staff level consultation on portions of this element except for the Tsurai Management Area (12.5 acres) which is currently in mediation.
• Safety Element: This element is on hold pending Ocean Protection Council grant work; the first community meeting was held on December 5, 2022.
• Noise Element: This is a lower priority element for now. New noise readings need to be taken. Staff plans to get some new readings in 2023 and also consult with Coastal Commission staff, because it may not need to be part of the LCP.
ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE TRINIDAD PLANNING COMMISSION
JANUARY 10, 2022
COMMUNITY DESIGN ELEMENT DISCUSSION
The Planning Commission is currently discussing the draft Community Design Element of the general plan update. In conjunction, they are also discussing new design criteria and design review requirements.
They would like to get more input from the community on this important topic, which includes issues such as the size and bulk of structures and view protection.
You can review these documents at the following link and provide input to the Planning Commission meeting on January 18, or in writing, or via email to [email protected] https://trinidad.ca.gov/sites/trinidad.ca.gov/files/library/Current%20Draft%20Community%20Design%20El ement%20and%20Design%20Review%20Regulations.pdf
STAFF REPORT SUPPLEMENTAL
Date: Tuesday, January 10, 2022
Background Info: In light of the drought affecting the State, there has been concern among residents regarding how the City of Trinidad is responding to the Governor’s Order calling on all Californians to do their part by reducing consumption.
Luffenholtz Creek flow readings are presented to the Council on an as-needed basis - during drought events or when requested. November, December, and January have experienced substantial amounts of rainfall, providing relief from stress-related drought on the watershed.
With this in mind, the focus of these reports (during the wet season) will be to share and put into perspective how Trinidad’s water consumption metrics compare to those of recent years.
The amounts represent the total water sold, captured by 324 customer meters, measured in cubic feet (7.48 gallons = 1 cubic foot).
July 2019 282,552 cubic feet
July 2020 275,612
July 2021 251,168
July 2022 198,081
August 2019 307,500
August 2020 273,992
August 2021 269,771
August 2022 227,681
September 2019 238,316
September 2020 302,614
September 2021 227,831
September 2022 216,470
October 2019 188,075
October 2020 230,430
October 2021 203,176
October 2022 180,065 (11.25% System Water Loss)
November 2019 211,649
November 2020 198,813
November 2021 204,438
November 2022 169,144 (24.02% System Water Loss)
December 2019 201,305
December 2020 185,860
December 2021 201,160
December 2022 170,419 (9.91% System Water Loss)
Water sold in November was nearly the same in December, hovering slightly above the 2022 low set in May (154,634 cubic feet). There was a significant leak found on private property that would have further reduced water sold (consumed) in December. Had that leak not occurred, overall December consumption would have been the lowest in the recent 5-year period.
Water loss in the system was reduced to 9.91% in December.
We will continue to monitor consumption each month and report this information (along with summary trends and analysis) to the Council for review, comparison, and questions at each meeting.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 2
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
2. Financial Statements – November 2022
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 3
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
3. Law Enforcement Report – December 2022
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 1
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
1. Introduction/Discussion/Decision regarding Community Ambassador Program.
Community
Ambassador Program
City of Trinidad
What is the Program
• Trained individuals (ambassadors) work in the local community, specifically supporting our houseless and transient population
• Program Values = Goodwill, Equality of Services, Collaboration, Service • Training includes (but is not limited to): Cultural awareness, Services available, Communication strategies, De-escalation, Safety and referral procedures. – 25 hours
• Cost = $18-$20/hour for training and regular work hours • 1 person/10hours/week/45 weeks a year = $7,000 - $8,000 DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 2
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
2. Discussion/Decision regarding City Website Improvement Task Force Recommendations.
City Website Task Force
UPDATE AND RECOMMENDATION
Jan 10, 2023
Where’s
the Agenda?!
Why citizens visit Government websites?
Source: 2012 CivicPlus Digital CItizen Engagement Survey The Problem with the City’s Current Website
• The City’s website has been missing critical content since 2016 server failure at the hosting company
• Current Service Provider is a small company with limited resources and unable to meet the level of service needed at this time • At various times community members (site users) have reporting difficulty in finding the information they need efficiently:
• Meeting information
• Agendas
• Minutes
• Forms
• In addition, the current website lacks functionality to develop citizen contact lists, post emergency (ticker-type) banners, robust search capabilities, and a back-end user interface that is easy to update.
Focus of the City’s Website Taskforce*
üDetermine the reason for missing content on the current website and whether recoverable
üMeet with and develop a short-term plan with the current website service provider to correct issues
üEvaluate viability of current service provider and contact (at least) three new vendors to compare capability and functionality üDraft a website ‘overhaul’ recommendation and present to the City Council
o Oversee migration and implementation of new City website * Gabe Adams, City Clerk; Cheryl Kelly, City Council; Eli Naffah, City Manager.
Vendor Comparison*
Vendor (number of employees) CivicPlus (1000+) TownWeb (<25) Current Provider (<5) DESIGN Front –end ease of use/simple navigation Proven design. Templates in short and long form
Proven design. Templates – long form Custom design.
DESIGN – Some user customization available Yes Yes No
ACCESSIBILITY - Mobile-friendly, ADA-compliant Yes Yes Unknown DESIGN Back-end (easy to use for staff) Yes Yes No
SEARCH (site and docs) Yes - both site and document search Yes – text search, no scanned docs search Document search – no site search.
DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT
(agendas/minutes/video)
Basic functionality (incl) enhanced avail Yes Custom
CONTACT OPT-IN for citizens (with preferences) Email included. SMS extra. Email/SMS/Phone. None at this time SECURITY Yes Yes Insufficient back-ups
TRAINING & SUPPORT (included) Yes Yes Ad hoc support/training PLATFORM -Content Management System (CMS) Drupal 9 (latest version) Wordpress Drupal 7 SCALABILITY Yes – addl functionality avail for $; Drupal apps providers
Yes – elite design and customization for $;
Wordpress apps providers
Yes – once migration to D9 is
complete.
GOVERNMENT-FOCUS Yes Yes No
COST TO MIGRATE Incl in Annual License $1200 Unknown – no estimate submitted MIGRATION TIMEFRAME 60 days 90 days Unknown – no estimate submitted ANNUAL LICENSE FEE $3450 + $500 SMS $2415 N/A
*the taskforce also met with Granicus, but their pricing ($15 migration/$7K license) and covered only 50% of the migration work.
Example designs: CivicPlus and TownWeb
Website Taskforce Recommendation
• Sign a 3-year agreement with CivicPlus to modern the city’s website • Why? CivicPlus is a recognized name in municipal web services with:
• Standard, proven design and navigation templates
• Secure platform used by many government agencies
• Scalable with add-on functionality, yet provides needed functionality ‘out of the box’ • Competitively priced
• Relatively quick migration
• Free support and staff training (included in annual fee) • Assign task force to oversee the restoration, migration, and implementation of a new civic website in the first half of 2023.
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 3
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
3. Discussion/Update regarding Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Program.
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM
Date: Tuesday, January 10, 2022
1. Discussion/Update regarding Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Program.
Background: First a refresher for some and a bit of history for those that may not know how we got here:
In 1997 and 1998, several Planning Commission and City Council meetings were held to hear resident concerns about septic systems. The meetings resulted in a consensus that a program must be established to regulate septic systems, and Staff was directed to investigate possible funding options.
In the early 2000’s, the City applied for a grant through the North Coast Regional Water Quality District, and was awarded funding in 2002 to develop a comprehensive OWTS Management Program. This program included establishing and evaluating septic inventory by parcel, creating an ordinance, and developing a long-term monitoring program for ground and surface water.
The OWTS Ordinance was adopted in 2008 when the program was unveiled. Implementation was slow due to the size and scope of project, and after several years it changed hands with staff turnover.
Permits were being prioritized for property sales, STR’s, and construction improvements. It was revitalized city-wide in 2022 when it was handed over to Jennifer Hakenen.
Brief disclaimer: A great deal of hard work was put into this program prior to Hakenen inheriting the program. However, with any project that had multiple people involved over time there is a challenge of reconciling records, actions, and previous work done to ensure the most accurate starting point possible when moving forward.
With that in mind, prior to sending out any communication regarding OWTS permits to residents, a great deal of caution and time is spent researching and reconciling records to ensure information is up to date for each property. There have been - and will likely continue to be - some permit holders that will have to re-submit documents to the City, or provide clarification to the as to where they left off in the process.
A multi-faceted approach has been used to create a program that will allow for various stages of success, cooperation, and prioritization of tactics. The public has been pleasantly receptive to protecting the health of their septic systems and to date, voluntary compliance has been achieved though staff communication with residents on multiple levels as outlined below:
• Initial letters or phone calls to residents requesting information if city records were incomplete. • Coordinating with City Planner to review files and expedite permits. • Assisting and communicating with businesses by providing signage and resources as needed to protect their septic systems.
• Establishing regular communication with the qualified professional service providers in the area. • Developing a consistent educational campaign (complete with Trinidad’s own mascot Septic Sue, based on the EPA Septic Sam program www.epa.gov/septic) created to increase awareness and knowledge of OWTS systems, targeting both residents and businesses, pre-printed septic signage, educational mailings, and other resources for businesses and residences alike.
• Current Permit: Complete and up to date permit issued by the City • Pending Permit or Expired: In the process or previously issued permit that has expired • No Permit: No record of a permit ever being issued
Pending
Permit/Permit
Expired
47%
(91)
No Permit
26%
(51)
Current Permit
27%
(53)
SEPETEMBER 2022
(UNDEVELOPED PARCELS REMOVED)
Pending
Permit/Permit
Expired
34%
(68)
No Permit
26%
(52)
Current Permit
40%
(80)
JANUARY 2023
(UNDEVELOPED PARCELS REMOVED)
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 4
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
4. Discussion/Decision regarding Councilmember Commissionership and Representative Assignments.
It is customary after every election or new Councilmember appointment to discuss commissionership and representative assignments. This is Council’s opportunity to determine who will represent the City on the various boards, agencies, and assignments that the City is part of.
This is also the opportunity for sitting members to share the meeting times, dates, and frequency of the boards they currently serve on so new members can determine whether their schedules fit the demands of those positions.
Committee Assignments: As of April 12, 2022.
COMMITTEE REP ALT
Humboldt Waste Management Authority HWMA Kelly West
Humboldt County Association of Governments HCAOG West Tuttle Tsurai Management Plan Implementation Committee West No Alt.
Redwood Regional Economic Development Corp. RREDC Ladwig Kelly HTA Humboldt Transit Authority HTA Ladwig West
Redwood Coast Energy Authority RCEA Tuttle Ladwig
CCNM Trinidad Gateway Committee Kelly Ladwig
Humboldt County Convention & Visitors Bureau HCCVB. Kelly Office of Emergency Services OES Kelly Ladwig
Hazardous Materials Response Authority HMRA Kelly West
Humboldt Mayors Committee Ladwig West
Tribal Government Liaison – (Trinidad Rancheria/Yurok Tribe) Ladwig West League of CA Cities Naffah Grover
Trinidad Trails Committee West Kelly/Tuttle
Water Advisory Committee Kelly Grover