04-08-2025 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 1
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE TRINIDAD CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, APRIL 08, 2025 (LIVE/HYBRID)
I. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Kelly called the live-hybrid meeting to order at 6:00pm. Council members in attendance: Kelly, Breckenridge, Varela, Kenny. Tuttle was absent. City Staff in attendance: City Manager Joe Tagliaboschi, City Clerk Gabriel Adams, Deputy Clerk Anton Souza, and City Planner Trever Parker. Approximately (4) participants were present by video-conference, and (11) were present live at the beginning of the meeting.
II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
III. CLOSED SESSION – No closed session scheduled.
IV. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION
V. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Kenny suggested moving item 5 up to second on the agenda.
Motion (Kenny/Breckenridge) to approve the agenda as revised. Passed 4-0.
VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – 03-11-2025 cc
Motion (Breckenridge/Kelly) to approve the minutes as submitted. Passed 4-0.
VII. COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Breckenridge: Nothing to report.
Varela: Nothing to report.
Kenny: HCAOG – new Executive Director was selected, Brendan Berg.
Kelly: Attended March 18 LAFCO meeting. Discussion was focused on mid-year budget review and Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District’s Municipal Service and Sphere of Influence update (MSR), conducted every 5- years. Two meetings were held on that topic. Rates, infrastructure upgrades, and request from Supervisor Madrone asking for data from Trinidad Rancheria Hotel proposal (for water) as it may relate to development impacts in the greater Trinidad area. Staff recommended holding off on studies because the connection decision has not been made yet. I felt additional stakeholders should also be invited to that discussion, including the Rancheria and the City of Trinidad, to be part of that scoping exercise. Board accepted the MSR and SOI with the understanding that the Rancheria’s connection to HBMWD would be brought back to LAFCO before a final decision is made.
VIII.STAFF REPORTS – City Manager & Law Enforcement
City Manager Tagliaboschi highlighted accomplishments summarized in the staff report included in the meeting packet, including; Plans to attend another CSA 4 meeting coming up later this month, confirmation that T3 Water Plant Consultant contract with Coleman/Sanbell Engineering is no longer serving the City. Over $18k was billed for the last 45 days of service. The new T3 consultant serves at a flat rate of $4k. Public Works employee Kyle Shipman passed his T2 exam. Intertie update with WCSD – project should go out to bid in May.
Town Hall improvement project plans are also being developed for window replacement, electric service upgrade, painting, etc. City Emergency Operations Plan from 2014 is being reviewed and support requested to update it. An engineer has been found to help review the Edwards Crosswalk project. Waiting for the professional service agreement to be signed and returned. Pickleball activity demonstration is scheduled for later this month. Council and immediate neighbors will be updated when the match is scheduled.
Jeff Bairey – Trinidad
Special balls can be purchased to lower the sound impacts of pickleball.
HCSO Lt. McCall was unable to attend, but the monthly report is included in the meeting packet. 04-08-2025 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2
IX. ITEMS FROM THE FLOOR
(Three (3) minute limit per Speaker unless Council approves request for extended time.) Aaron Hakenen – Trinidad
Thanked staff for continuing to use website public notification system. I repeatedly bring up the audio and visual quality of our video-conference meetings. The system used currently was a good first step. I encourage you to watch videos recorded, they do not provide adequate access for participation, to make government accessible. It’s your obligation to the public. There are new systems that work better. I’m going to continue to repeat this ad nauseam until progress is made.
X. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Financial Statements – February 2025
2. Law Enforcement Report – March 2025.
Motion (Kenny/Varela) to approve consent agenda as submitted. Passed 4-0.
XI. DISCUSSION/ACTION AGENDA ITEMS
1. Discussion/Presentation from the Executive Officer of the Humboldt Local Agency Formation Committee (LAFCo) regarding LAFCo’s Role and Functions regarding the Annexation Process.
Mayor Kelly introduced Executive Officer Colette Santsche who presented a comprehensive overview of the purpose and service LAFCo provides. The presentation included slides that touched on the following information:
• Purpose, history, and authority
• Commissioner roles, member agencies, regulatory functions • Planning boundary and types: Sphere of Influence - Conterminous, Expanded, and Contracted. • Applications filed with LAFCo and materials required. • Annexation process, explained, and Out of Agency Services • Planning Functions – Municipal Service Reviews and Sphere of Influence Council questions included:
Kenny: Regarding annexation, does the protest vote include the whole city, or just the area affected? Special Districts seem underrepresented on LAFCo. Santsche explained that the annexation protest vote process only includes the affected area. MCSD and Peninsula CSD are currently represented.
Breckenridge: Residents in the City are not included in the protest vote, only the area proposed to be annexed.
Kelly: With regards to adding water connections in the unincorporated service area, does LAFCo prefer annexation? Santsche noted that the law favors annexation, and when that isn’t immediatly possible and there’s a health and safety issue determined for an affected property that requests water, for instance, the owner and service provider can move forward with LAFCo in anticipation of future annexation. Application fees range from $3,000-7,000 depending on the complexity of the project, with a full-cost recovery policy. This includes public notification, Board of Equalization filings, etc. Approximately $10k for annexation applications.
Public comment included:
Mike Cavanaugh – Mill Creek Lane, City water applicant
We submitted an application for water service over a year ago, and now it seems the process has shifted to annexation. Can my application proceed without annexation? City Planner Trever Parker confirmed that the application can move forward without annexation, but we have to show why it’s not feasible – if it is not. The City is responsible for outreach to the area being considered for annexation, before we limit the application to a single connection request.
Jennifer Pierce – Mill Creek Lane, City water applicant Concerned about covering all costs for additional application services for annexation, when I only applied to obtain water service. I have a fire hydrant 20’ from my house. I understand there is concern for water pressure issues with additional connections, but that has already been studied. 04-08-2025 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 3
City Planner Trever Parker noted that GHD did a study confirming the two connections would not create issues with water pressure, but annexing the remaining parcels in that neighborhood and the impact of providing them with water as well, has not been studied.
Mayor Kelly clarified that this agenda item is to inform us on the annexation process, and that staff is well aware of the Mill Creek Lane water service applications and issues.
Richard Johnson – Trinidad Area resident
Requested a copy of the slide presentation, and noted his understanding that annexation requires contiguous boundaries. Santsche confirmed this is the policy for cities, but special legislation determines under what circumstances non-contiguous territory can be annexed for special districts only.
Aaron Hakenen – Trinidad
Does the entity losing financial benefits have any recourse or say in the annexation, does LAFCo provide financial information on the gain (or loss) to the City as part of the annexation, and cherry-picking annexation based on water service applications is not advised, correct? Santsche explained that all affected agencies will be notified and offered the opportunity for comment. LAFCo will also review general financial considerations during the application process, but not perform a full financial impact analysis. With regard to City annexation, it’s generally all or nothing in terms of providing services (utilities, maintaining roads, providing public safety, etc.).
Council questions, continued:
Kenny: How bad does water have to be before immediate hookup is considered? Santsche explained that County Department of Environmental Health will be asked to certify the need, and identify feasibility of improving an existing situation, etc.
Mayor Kelly thanked Santsche for attending and informing the City.
Presentation only. No decision was made.
2. MOA between the City of Trinidad and Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria granting permission to include City roads on its National Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory (NTTFI).
City Manager Tagliaboschi explained that this is a follow up to last month’s meeting where a discussion occurred but due to an error identified in the proposed inventory, the Rancheria requested it be brought back for final consideration.
The MOA request is to acknowledge the roads system that is shared by The Trinidad Rancheria and the City of Trinidad. Staff recommends a motion to allow the City Manager to sign the document and provide the executed document to the Trinidad Rancheria.
Public comment included:
Andrew Davis – Trinidad
Questions about the map.
Motion (Kenny/Kelly) to approve the MOA between the City of Trinidad and Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria granting permission to include City roads on its National Tribal Transportation Facility Inventory (NTTFI). Passed 4-0.
3. Discussion/Decision regarding Contract with Humboldt County Sheriff to provide Law Enforcement Services to the City of Trinidad.
City Manager Tagliaboschi explained that this is the first amendment to the 5-year agreement that began July 01, 2024. The agreement stipulates that each year the Sheriff will compute the upcoming fiscal year cost and notify the City by May for the services provided.
04-08-2025 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 4
These contracts include Law Enforcement, Animal Control, and Animal Shelter Services. The first amendment to this agreement will result in a $7,352 reduction from the expense budgeted to cover FY24/25 Sheriff services, and a slight increase of $938 for Animal Control Services over the previous contract for an overall savings of $6,414. This agreement provides the same Sheriff’s Office and Animal Control Services support as the previous agreement.
This was funded in full this current fiscal year using COPS grant funding. That revenue stream is expected to continue in FY25/26.
Council thanked HCSO for services and fair cost to provide these services.
Motion (Kenny/Varela) to approve the First Amendment to the Agreement with the Humboldt County Sheriff to Provide Law Enforcement updating the fees for services for FY2026. Passed 4-0.
4. Discussion/Decision to Approve Contracts with Humboldt County Sheriff to Provide Animal Control and Shelter Services to the City of Trinidad.
City Manager Tagliaboschi explained that Animal Control should be called to report nuisance and aggressive animal behavior to enable officials to track complaints.
Breckenridge: Noted the Animal Advisory Committee recommended the public contact City Hall to report these types of complaints, and developed a refrigerator magnet to remind people to do so. Mayor Kelly identified the importance for reporting issues with County Animal Control, but also didn’t notice any harm in contacting City Hall as well.
Public comment included:
Andrew Davis – Trinidad
Animal Advisory Committee discussed reporting nuisance and aggressive dog behavior. Had there been a record in advance of an incident, it may have been handled differently. In section 3 of Animal Control Services, unclear what subsection B means. We can discuss this in a different forum if needed. The County doesn’t have a leash law, so we need to know if they will enforce the City’s leash law or not.
Kenny clarified how that language provides an understanding of how State, County, and Local laws are taken into consideration when a conflict in enforcement or interpretation is identified.
Motion (Kelly/Breckenridge) to approve Animal Control and Animal Shelter Services for the City of Trinidad for Fiscal Years 2025-2029, updating the fees for services for FY2026. Passed 4-0.
5. Discussion/Decision regarding First Reading of Ordinance 2025-01; Designating the Fire Hazard Severity Zone as recommended by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection pursuant to Government Code Section 51178.
City Planner Trever parker explained that per Government Code § 51178, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) has recently updated Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) mapping for both State and Local Responsibility Areas. On Feb. 24, 2025, CAL FIRE released the 2025 Local Responsibility Area (LRA) Fire Hazard Severity Maps. CAL FIRE, in coordination with the Office of the State Fire Marshal, is required to periodically update these maps and severity zones.
The recent updates to FHSZs in California are intended to provide a more accurate assessment of wildfire risks based on modern climate data and fire modeling. The maps are based on the physical conditions of landscapes, including fuel loading, slope, fire weather, and other factors (such as wind) that are major causes of wildfire spread. The maps identify fire hazard, not risk, and are designated in three categories: moderate, high, and very high.
As a local government, Trinidad is required to adopt, by ordinance, the updated FHSZs in our jurisdiction.
California Government Code Section 51179(a) mandates that local agencies "shall designate, by ordinance, moderate, high, and very high fire hazard severity zones in [their] jurisdiction within 120 days of receiving recommendations from the State Fire Marshal.” Per Government Code Section 51179(b) local governments can 04-08-2025 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 5
increase the recommended fire hazard if specific findings are made. However local governments cannot adopt a map version lowering the hazard designation.
It is important for the public to understand that these maps are created by CAL FIRE under the direction of the State Fire Marshal. Local agencies, including the City of Trinidad, do not control the creation of the maps but are required to ensure the community has the opportunity to review the maps and to adopt the recommended designations.
These maps aim to provide valuable information for land use planning, building code enforcement, and wildfire risk mitigation strategies. Additional land use regulations and building standards apply in high and very high hazard zones including the following:
• Homeowners in Very High FHSZ must comply with stringent defensible space and home hardening requirements.
• 100-foot defensible space clearance is mandatory around occupied structures in these zones. • New construction and renovations in designated zones must adhere to Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) building codes.
• Additional standards for ingress and egress apply, such as wider road widths. • Property sellers must disclose FHSZ designations during real estate transactions.
Trinidad has been designated as being in a “moderate” FHSZ except for Trinidad Head, which has been designated as “very high” due to ember transmission severity. This is surprising, considering that a major factor in the hazard modeling is wind-driven ember transmission, and that very few other areas directly on the north coast have a very high designation. However, because Trinidad Head is designated open space, there will be very little material impact due to the designation.
Public comment included:
Richard Johnson – Trinidad area resident
The entire Trinidad planning area is designated “moderate”, confirmed? Aaron Hakenen – Trinidad
Any obligation to create defensible space around communication facilities on Trinidad Head? No Council comments.
Motion (Kenny/Breckenridge) to waive the full reading and adopt first reading of Ordinance 2025-01 by title only; Designating the Fire Hazard Severity Zone as recommended by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection pursuant to Government Code Section 51178. Passed 4-0.
6. Staff Activity Report – March 2025
Council accepted the report. No discussion or decision was made.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
- Trails Update – ALMT opened by Memorial Day?
- Budget
- Annexation next steps
ADJOURNMENT: 7:55pm.
Submitted by: Approved by:
_____________________________ _____________________________ Gabriel Adams Cheryl Kelly
Trinidad City Clerk Mayor