MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE TRINIDAD CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2023 (LIVE/HYBRID)
I. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Kelly called the live-hybrid meeting to order at 6:00pm. Council members in attendance: Kelly, Ladwig, West, Tuttle, and Breckenridge. City Staff in attendance: City Manager Eli Naffah, City Clerk Gabriel Adams, Deputy Clerk Anton Souza, Project Manager Jennifer Hakenen. Approximately (6) participants were present by video-conference at the beginning of the meeting.
II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
IlI. CLOSED SESSION
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 - no reportable action taken during closed session.
V. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Motion (West/Ladwig) to approve the agenda as submitted. Passed unanimously.
VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - 12/13/2022 cc.
December meeting minutes will be reviewed in February.
Kelly: Thanked everyone for support and volunteering to keep the warming/charging center at Town Hall open during the extended electricity outage during the storm last week. Also thanked Food for People for offering non-perishable food items, and PG&E for sharing blanket/charger packs. Ladwig agreed.
Breckenridge: Reviewed the dog ordinance. Shared information found in a locally made pamphlet identifying beaches and trails that are dog friendly, and recommended the PSA document adopted at the December meeting be more attractive.
VIII.STAFF REPORTS - City Manager & Law Enforcement
City Manager Naffah highlighted accomplishments summarized in the staff report included in the meeting packet. Naffah noted how the recent electric outage affected the area and thanked community volunteers for offering help and support to the greater Trinidad area by opening the Town Hall as a warming/supply center.
IX. ITEMS FROM THE FLOOR
(Three (3) minute limit per Speaker unless Council approves request for extended time.) Patti Fleschner - Trinidad Area resident
Commented that Verizon cell service has degraded significantly along Scenic Drive as a result of the towers removed on Trinidad Head, but that Starlink internet service has become a reliable connectivity option for many people living along the Luffenholtz creek area.
John Adams - Trinidad Chamber of Commerce
The Chamber utilized its contact list to spread the news that Town Hall was available during the outage.
Jacque Hostler - Trinidad Rancheria
The Heights and Seascape were generator powered during the storm and available to the public for charging and warming. The Rancheria also engages with FEMA during disasters, and has all the channels in place to receive federal aid.
Kati Breckenridge - City Council member, speaking as a resident Reminded the Council of a slip and fall incident that Paula Levine submitted a written statement about, involving an unsafe surface in the State of CA interchange area at the entrance of town.
Steve Madrone - 5th District County Supervisor
Thanked the City for partnership during the recent weather disaster. Appreciated the Town Hall being opened for devise charging and warming during the extended electricity outage. Thanked PG&E for their help getting down powerlines back up and running quickly.
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X. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Staff Activity Report - December 2022
2. Financial Statements - November 2022
Law Enforcement Report - December 2022
Breckenridge: Requested a brief narrative on financials each month, or quarterly.
Public comment included:
Aaron Hakenen - Trinidad
When can the City expect to see a reduction in contractor cost to provide water plant operator services to the City? When will the City have a new Chief Plant Operator on board? City Manager Naffah explained that providing safe drinking water is the priority, and staffing/recruiting has been a continual problem. The City will have to keep Coleman Engineering on board until a certified T3 operator is willing to accept the job.
Motion (West/Ladwig) to approve consent agenda as submitted. Passed unanimously.
X. DISCUSSION/ACTION AGENDA ITEMS
Introduction/Discussion/Decision regarding Community Ambassador Program.
Councilmember Ladwig introduced the program, presenting a slide on the screen with the key components. He explained that ambassadors are trained to work in the local community, specifically supporting our houseless and transient population. The values of the program are goodwill, equality of services, and collaboration.
Training includes cultural awareness, services available, communication strategies, de-escalation, safety, and referral procedures. The program is estimated to cost between $18-20/hour, 10 hours per week.
Council comments included:
West: This program has a lot of positives.
Breckenridge: Who will this person report to?
Ladwig: Ambassadors in Arcata report to the police department. I'm willing to take the training and be a part of the program in Trinidad
Public comment included:
Aaron Hakenen - Trinidad
I like this program, better than the private security option.
Jacque Hostler-Carmeson - Trinidad Rancheria
Does training include self-defense? Ambassadors should be working in pairs.
Motion (Ladwig/West) to approve a one-year commitment to support the community ambassador program, including developing metrics to measure the program's effectiveness. Passed unanimously.
2. Discussion/Decision regarding City Website Improvement Task Force Recommendations.
City Manager Naffah introduced the discussion by explaining that the City's website has not fully recovered after a sure faire at pret samoto is led stato investigate also reing dings elle to company to work with. After interviewing several companies that specialize in government websites, the website taskforce consisting of Mayor Kelly, City Manager Naffah, and City Clerk Adams, has determined that going a new direction is best.
Mayor Kelly presented an outline describing basic needs and functionality expressed by staff, Council, and the public. The presentation also included the task force's focus, a vendor comparison, examples of other public agency websites, and the task force recommendations.
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After several meetings and a significant evaluation, the task force recommends entering into a contract with functionality, migration, and included support for a competitive price. At this time the task force recommends first half of 2023.
There was no Council or public comment.
Motion (West/Breckenridge) to authorize the City Manager to negotiate a 3-year contract to proceed with the restoration, migration, and implementation of a new civic website in the first half of 2023. Passed unanimously.
3. Discussion/Update regarding Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Program.
Project Manager Jennifer Hakenen explained that 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.
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.
Hakenen presented several charts showing the number of permits issued and the various stages of permitting each category is in.
There was no public comment.
Council commended Hakenen for the report and effort keeping this complicated project moving forward.
No decision was made.
4. Discussion/Decision regarding Councilmember Commissionership and Representative Assignments.
City Clerk Adams explained that 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 01-10-2023 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 3
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.
The following chart represents the changes made on January 10:
COMMITTEE REP ALT
Humboldt Waste Management Authority HWMA West Kelly
Humboldt County Association of Governments CAOG West Tuttle Tsurai Management Plan Implementation Committee West Breckenridge Redwood Regional Economic Development Corp. RREDC Ladwig Breckenridge HTA Humboldt Transit Authority HTA Ladwig West
Redwood Coast Energy Authority RCEA Tuttle Kelly
CCNM Trinidad Gateway Committee Kelly Ladwig
Humboldt County Convention & Visitors Bureau HCCVB. No rep. Chamber should take on this role
Office of Emergency Services OES Grover Ladwig
Hazardous Materials Response Authority HMRA Kelly West
Indian Gaming Benefit Committee Kelly West
Humboldt Mayors Committee Kelly Ladwig
League of CA Cities Naffah Kelly/West
Trinidad Trails Committee West Kelly
Water Advisory Committee Kelly Tuttle
Trinidad Watershed Council [ Ladwig
The Council recommended the Water Advisory Committee appoint a member to participate in the Watershed Council.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
Kelly: Regular General Plan Updates.
Tuttle: Speed humps, Traffic Claming for Ocean, View, and Underwood Dr.
ADJOURNMENT: 8:10pm.
Submitted by: Approved by:
Gabriel Adams
Trinidad City Clerk Mayor
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