05-14-2024 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 1
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE TRINIDAD CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, MAY 14, 2024 (LIVE/HYBRID)
I. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Kelly called the live-hybrid meeting to order at 6:00pm. Council members in attendance: Kelly, Tuttle, Ladwig, West, and Breckenridge. City Staff in attendance: City Manager Eli Naffah, City Clerk Gabriel Adams, Project Manager Jennifer Hakenen and City Planner Trever Parker. Approximately (3) participants were present by video-conference, and (2) were present live at the beginning of the meeting.
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)
2. Personnel Exception 54957 - City Manager Performance Evaluation IV. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION – No reportable action taken in closed session.
V. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Motion (Ladwig/Kelly) to approve the agenda as submitted. Passed unanimously.
VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – 01-23-2024 ccpcstr, 02-13-2024 cc, 03-12-2024 cc Motion (West/Tuttle) to approve all minutes as submitted. Passed unanimously.
VII. COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
West: Trails Committee met and discussed trail signage design concepts. The Trinidad Rancheria submitted a letter requesting reconsideration of proposed concept.
Ladwig: Nothing to report.
Breckenridge: Held the first meeting of the Animal Control Advisory Committee. Will ask County Animal Control to attend the next meeting on June 10.
Kelly: Attended the Trinidad Rancheria Fee to Trust ceremony for the Harbor Properties, held at the Harbor. It was an honor to be there. CERT held disaster training at Town Hall. CalFire attended.
Tuttle: Nothing to report.
VIII.STAFF REPORTS – City Manager & Law Enforcement
City Manager Naffah highlighted accomplishments summarized in the staff report included in the meeting packet, including Van Wycke, Axel Lindgren Memorial, and Trinidad Head Trail improvement status updates, and Water Plant operation costs.
Mayor Kelly requested the City Manager consider recruiting for a Certified T3 Water Plant Operator immediately. The Water Advisory Committee is also concerned for how long it’s taking to train and test operators, and requests that the City Manager provide regular updates to the Council each month. Naffah suggested holding off until status of new uncertified Public Works maintenance employees are hired.
Breckenridge inquired about traffic studies commissioned earlier this year. Naffah stated the reports were being prepared for presentation at the June 13 meeting.
HCSO Lt. McCall provided a brief summary of the April statistics, provided in the meeting packet.
IX. ITEMS FROM THE FLOOR
(Three (3) minute limit per Speaker unless Council approves request for extended time.) Patti Fleschner – Trinidad Civic Club.
Announced the Memorial Lighthouse Ceremony on May 26 at Edwards & Trinity Street. 05-14-2024 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2
X. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Staff Activity Report – April 2024
2. Financial Statements – March 2024
3. Law Enforcement Report – April 2024.
4. Project Completion and Certification Report of CAL OES, FEMA-4301-DR-CA 2017 Storm Damage Funding Claim.
5. Resolution 2024-06; Federal Functional Classification Map Change for Scenic Drive.
6. Resolution 2024-07; Request November General Election Consolidation with the County of Humboldt.
7. Agreement with Shawn Worth for Volunteer Fire Chief Services.
8. Community Yard Sale Event Announcement.
9. Onsite Wastewater Treatment System Maintenance Program Update.
Motion (Ladwig/West) to approve the consent agenda as amended, pulling number 4 for discussion. Passed unanimously.
XI. DISCUSSION/ACTION AGENDA ITEMS
1. Proclamation 2024-02; Recognition and Support of North Coast Lemonade Day June 01, 2024.
Mayor Kelly explained that she was contacted by David Wickizer requesting the City of Trinidad join the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors in declaring Saturday, June 01, 2024 as “Humboldt Lemonade Day” to support and provide local youth with an opportunity to learn about and practice specialized skills that can open future doors to positive careers they may not have known about or explored otherwise.
Motion (Kelly/Ladwig) to adopt Proclamation 2024-02; Recognizing and Supporting North Coast Lemonade Day, June 01, 2024. Passed unanimously.
2. Discussion/Decision regarding Contract with Humboldt County Sheriff to provide Law Enforcement Services to the City of Trinidad.
City Manager Naffah read from the letter included in the meeting packet, sent by Regina Fuller, Deputy Director of Financial and Support Services from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office, dated May 01, 2024. The letter explained that on May 31, 2023, the HCSO’s office notified Trinidad of a cost increase to $226,168 effective July 01, 2023. Following concerns raised by both Trinidad and the City of Blue Lake, the method for calculating costs was modified, resulting in a new annual rate of $67,500, backdated to July 01, 2023, through June 30, 2024.
That amount will also be carried forward in the new contract for services proposed through June 30, 2025. The rate for future fiscal years will be agreed to by both parties by amendment, as needed, per year based on terms outlined in the contract.
Council comments included:
Breckenridge: Would the City of Trinidad have noticed a need for cost recalculation if the City of Blue Lake hadn’t requested it? Naffah confirmed that he would not have questioned it since Trinidad could afford it.
Public comment included:
Aaron Hakenen – Trinidad
Thanked the City of Blue Lake for insisting the HCSO recalculate the cost, and asked the City Manager to confirm any changes to the level of service provided. Naffah confirmed there would be no changes to the service provided.
Motion (Kelly/Ladwig) to approve/renew the contract with the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office to provide Law Enforcement Services to the City of Trinidad. Passed unanimously.
3. Discussion/Decision regarding Resolution 2024-08; Calling for an Election on a Proposal to Continue the City of Trinidad’s .75% Transaction and Use (SALES) Tax for 4-Years.
City Clerk Adams explained that at the March 12, 2024 meeting, staff presented the Council with brief history of the .75% tax add-on, the anatomy of the tax, voter approval percentages for each election held, and how the additional revenue serves not only the City of Trinidad, but the community at-large. 05-14-2024 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 3
The Council heard public comments from two Trinidad area residents who felt the tax was unfair to those that inadvertently pay it without the ability to vote on it. The Council also heard from in-City residents who expressed an interest in fiscal responsibility and accountability.
Staff noted the tax is a General Tax that can be spent at the discretion of the Council, for the purpose of not only serving the City’s needs, but also in ways that invests in the greater good of the entire Trinidad area.
The Council requested that a list of in-city addresses posted on the City website to assist outside-city residents in their effort to avoid having to pay the tax when online vendors are able to use their discretion when applying the tax rate to the purchase.
At the conclusion of the discussion the Council unanimously agreed “…to direct staff to prepare documentation for a ballot measure for the November election regarding the add-on .75% Sales Tax.” The Resolution presented tonight represents the next step in this process. Once the resolution is adopted, staff will proceed with preparing the Ordinance authorizing continuation of the tax should the majority of Trinidad voters support it in November.
Additional steps to follow will be the ballot preparation, set to begin in August. The Clerk’s office will provide monthly updates and announcements to the Council regarding publishing deadlines and required notifications for both elements of the election.
There was no public comment.
Motion (Kelly/West) to adopt Resolution 2024-08; Calling for an Election on a Proposal to Continue the City of Trinidad’s .75% Transaction and Use (SALES) Tax for 4-Years. Passed unanimously.
4. Discussion/Decision Regarding Resolution 2024-09; Adopting the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting and Review Procedures, and First Reading of Ordinance 2024-01; Adding New Chapter 4 to Title 3 of the Trinidad Municipal Code to Provide Informal Bidding Procedures Under the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Action.
The California Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act (Act) is a voluntary program available to all public entities in the State, but it applies only to those public agencies that “opt in” to the provisions set forth by the Act. The Act is legislation enacted to help promote “uniformity of the cost accounting standards and bidding procedures on construction work performed or contracted by public entities in the state”. Additional information is attached Frequently Asked Questions.
Benefits to the City of Trinidad of adopting this Act include simplified bidding and expedited contracting for projects that are $200,000 or less and reduced number of bids based on project size. These provisions reduce the time, effort and expense associated with bidding projects under $200,000 and simplified administration for those projects. The procedures for bidding for larger projects are typically handled by the contract City Engineer, and generally would remain the same.
The Act’s accounting procedures are intended to capture and record all direct and indirect labor, materials, equipment, subcontractors, and supervision costs, as well as the appropriate overhead costs for the public agency associated with each “project” it performs with its own forces. The procedures follow industry-standard accounting methods, and in many cases are not much different from those already in place at most agencies.
Adoption of the Act would have a minor impact on the City’s current accounting procedures. The primary change is standardizing the estimated and actual costs per the Act. There is a requirement to include overhead for indirect project costs per hourly staff rates, however set percentage overhead rates are acceptable for Cities under 75,000 in population. An additional change is the requirement to track equipment use for projects; but it is acceptable to use standard Caltrans rates, so this won’t be that difficult.
Staff recommends opting in to the Act by adopting Resolution 2024-09. In addition, the Act requires that participating agencies adopt an Informal Bidding Ordinance, attached here as Ordinance 2024-01.
There was no public or Council comments.
Commented [CC1]: Not sure what should be in place of
“he”
05-14-2024 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 4
Motion (Ladwig/Tuttle) to:
1) Adopt Resolution 2024-09 Adoption of the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act. 2) Waive Full Reading and Introduce an Ordinance of the City of Trinidad Adopting 2024-01 of the Trinidad Municipal Code Relating to Purchasing Procedures and Including Adoption of the Uniform Public Construction Cost Accounting Act. Passed unanimously.
5. Discussion/Presentation Update on Water Rate Analysis City Manager Naffah explained that the Council will continue addressing the Budget on May 28, and there will be a presentation on the draft Water Rate Study. Samantha Ryan of RCAC will present the draft, made possible by USDA funding at no cost to the Water Fund. Various options and factors will be addressed, such as the base rate, consumption rate, possible categories (inside/outside city rates, or meter sizes).
Rates have not been increased since 2017, and the Water Fund is not building reserves, nor covering basic operating costs. The City proposes transferring $300,000 from the General Fund to the Water Fund to help stabilize the depleted reserves, as well as a possible loan if necessary.
Council comments included:
Tuttle: Why did it take so long to conduct a rate study? City Clerk Adams explained how the Council’s decision to put the task out to bid in 2017 complicated things, followed by a City Manager transition, then Covid happened, further complicating the City’s ability to develop an accurate budget that the rates would need to reflect.
Breckenridge: I would like to see more people notified of the rate presentation on May 28. The more input we receive, the better. City Manager Naffah recommended not doing too much outreach at first.
Kelly: Disagreed with Naffah, recommending the City solicit as much public input as possible throughout the process.
Ladwig: Requested clarity on what the reserve targets will be, and what exactly they are based on.
Public comment included:
Aaron Hakenen – Trinidad
Rate analysis needs to be put on the calendar every 4-years. Has WAC heard this yet? Please provide as much information and presentation to the public as possible.
By Consensus, the Council agreed to direct staff to send out notification to all ratepayers of upcoming meeting dates/discussions.
Presentation item only. Discussion continued to May 28.
6. Presentation/Update regarding the FY2024 Budget Preparation Timeline City Clerk Adams explained that the annual budget is a spending plan that is intended to reflect goals and priorities of the City Council, and to keep up with the increasing pressure of State and Federal policies that set the framework for government operation. Both forces compete for resources, and the balance between mandatory and discretionary spending continues to tilt in favor of mandatory.
Every spending action has the potential to have side effects. Having to react quickly to employment needs, inflation, and social dynamics during the Covid-era has brought subsequent growing pains to City government operations that will demand attention in the coming year, beginning now.
As the 2025 budget process unfolds we will examine what resources exist that can be used to navigate higher government red tape, fine-tune the personnel structure, stay on task with long-term priorities, and meet the growing needs of the city based on current and forecasted economic trends.
The first step to kick-off the 2024-2025 budget season is to look back at the Big Picture Summary from the 2024 budget adoption and review the tools used construct the budget every year. 05-14-2024 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 5
The next step 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; • To examine the reconciled financial statements received through December 31 2023, and April 30, 2024 and understand current fund balances.
• Review significant highlights in spending (or not spending) and revenues in the primary departments. • Plot a course that will lead to an adopted budget by the regular meeting on June 11.
Packet attachments for analysis include:
• January 09, 2024 Mid-Year Budget Summary Report
• FY2024 Staff Organizational Chart
• FY2024 Budget Summary Narrative/Priorities from June 13, 2023 Budget Adoption Meeting • FY2024 Big Picture Summary
• December 31, 2023 reconciled financial statements
• April 30, 2024 financial statements included in Consent Agenda Item 2.
Council comments included:
Tuttle: Had the rates been updated in a timely manner, how much money would currently be in the reserves? Ladwig: Would like to see a fund developed for undergrounding utilities.
Breckenridge: Request for consideration of a dog park or designated area with fencing for the public to allow pets offleash.
Kelly: Present community survey results.
Public comments included:
Aaron Hakenen – Trinidad
Preparing a request for CERT funding, up to $3,500.
Presentation item only. No decision was made. Discussion continued to May 28.
7. November 2024 City Election & Sales Tax Measure Calendar City Clerk Adams presented an updated calendar in the meeting packet identifying upcoming deadlines.
No Council or public comment.
Update only. No decision was made.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
- Water Rate Study
- Budget prep continuation.
- Continued closed session items.
- Annexation – Invite LAFCO representative to speak to the Council. - Request Volunteer Fire Chief to attend quarterly meetings to share stats, concerns, etc.
ADJOURNMENT: 8:45pm.
Submitted by: Approved by:
_____________________________ _____________________________ Gabriel Adams Cheryl Kelly
Trinidad City Clerk Mayor