City Council Meeting Agenda: 03-10-2026 cc Page 1
Posted: Friday, March 06, 2026
NOTICE AND CALL OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE
TRINIDAD CITY COUNCIL
The Trinidad City Council will hold a regular meeting on TUESDAY, MARCH 10, 2026, 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 https://www.trinidad.ca.gov/calendar
To phone in, dial 1-888-278-0296, Conference Code: 685171 Meeting ID: 834 4224 9105 Passcode: 690577 PLEASE NOTE that live meeting logistics will be prioritized. Connectivity issues on the part of the City may result in the meeting being delayed or rescheduled but technical challenges experienced by individuals 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. DR180684 IV. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION
V. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – 02/10/2026 cc
VII. COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS.
VIII. PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT (Sheriff and Pacific Coast Security) 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.
City Council Meeting Agenda: 03-10-2026 cc Page 2
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. Financial Statements – January 2026
2. Law Enforcement Report – February 2026.
3. Resolution 2026-01; Humboldt County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update.
4. Redwood Regional Economic Development Commission JPA Update.
5. SHN On-Call Planning Service Agreement Three Month Contract Extension.
DISCUSSION/ACTION AGENDA ITEMS
1. Discussion/Decision regarding Resolution 2026-02; Affirming Trinidad’s Commitment to Inclusivity and Support for Due Process in Immigration Enforcement
2. Discussion/Decision to Appoint Two Councilmembers to Represent the City in Ad-hoc Government-to-Government (G2G) Meetings with the Trinidad Rancheria and Yurok Tribe.
3. Update/Discussion regarding January 03, 2026 Scenic Drive Water Leak Post Incident Report.
4. Mid-Year Budget Review/Discussion/Update.
5. Staff Activity Report – February 2026.
X. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
XI. ADJOURNMENT
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR:
FEBRUARY 10 , 2026 CC
Supporting Documentation follows with: 5 PAGES
02-10-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 1
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE TRINIDAD CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2026 (LIVE/HYBRID)
I. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Kelly called the live-hybrid meeting to order at 6:00pm. Council members in attendance: Tuttle, Breckenridge, Kenny, and Waskiewicz. Kelly was absent. City Staff in attendance: City Clerk/Interim City Manager Gabriel Adams, Administrative Assistant Anton Souza. Approximately (4) participants were present by video-conference, and (5) were present live at the beginning of the meeting.
II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
III. ADJOURN TO 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. DR180684 IV. RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION – No reportable action taken.
V. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA
Motion (Breckenridge/Waskiewicz) to approve the agenda as submitted. Passed unanimously.
VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – 01/13/2026 cc
Motion (Kelly/Breckenridge) to approve the minutes as written. Passed 4-0.
VII. COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Tuttle: Attended HTA and discussed microservice bus transit, every 2 hours with dial a ride service for more frequency. Transition will include smaller ADA accessible bus to navigate smaller streets. I refer to it as the Trinidad Trolly.
Waskiewicz: Attended RREDC meeting. Great presentation. Humboldt Bay Harbor and Recreation District presented information on heavy lift terminal logistics. Also discussing fishing industry, and updating their JPA agreement.
Kenny: Attended the January HCAOG meeting, elected new officers. Affirmed that HCAOG will continue to be a managing the Regional Climate Plan, along with RCEA as well.
Breckenridge: Nothing to report.
VIII.PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT – City Manager & Law Enforcement HCSO Lt. McCall was unable to attend, so City Manager Adams summarized the January stats. Adams noted the low call volume, and thanked the City’s public safety team (HCSO and Pacific Coast Security) for proactive service to this community.
IX. ITEMS FROM THE FLOOR.
(Three (3) minute limit per Speaker unless Council approves request for extended time.) Elaine Weinreb – Trinidad Area resident
I spend a lot of time observing traffic at the entrance intersection of town. I would love to see the City put in some speed bumps to help slow traffic down. This seems like a very simple and inexpensive process, possibly saving someone’s life.
Jeff Bairey – Trinidad
I did not attend the January meeting, but I read the minutes which were very detailed and helpful. It looks like you’re losing 70k gallons per hour. The first call was received at 3:00am, and another at 3:30am. Do the operators have a standard operating procedure binder that they can look to and figure out what to do? Because it looks to me that no one turned the valve off and ran the tanks dry. We should have a binder. If we have one why didn’t we turn the valve? I’m not trying to figure out who is at fault, but I don’t want this to be used in favor 02-10-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2
of getting Mad River water. All systems should have automatic shut off valves. I want to avoid this from happening again. Having no water to fight fire for several days was a serious health risk.
Betsy Musick – Trinidad Bay Eatery owner
Like Jeff Bairey, I have concerns about the water emergency. I believe in full transparency as echoed by the City Manager in his report last month. I’m looking for accountability, transparency, and SOPs so it doesn’t happen again, no matter how well the team did. The city and businesses lost significant business. Ours alone lost over $30k, not including tax dollars uncollected or employee wages. This revenue ripples through the town in various forms. I’m disappointed along with other businesses. We weren’t approached and asked what we’re doing to survive our slowest month of the year. What is the city doing to do better next time. Has the City talked to its insurance company? Request a report on a future agenda on next steps, and where we go from here.
Mayor Pro-Tem Kenny explained that the City is doing the best we can, and will be making improvements that it can to minimize the impact when this occurs again.
Richard Johnson – Trinidad Coastal Land Trust
Thanked the City for continued support of the portion of TOT given to the Land Trust on an annual basis. Also introduced Dave Farrell, the new Trinidad Coastal Land Trust Director. Deep roots in Humboldt, watershed management, and many other environmental science related projects and experience. Farrell thanked the community for its support. Looking forward to collaboration and success.
Jacque Hostler-Carmison – Trinidad Rancheria Executive Director Regarding the harbor, the Rancheria owns and operates the pier. We receive the crab from commercial fisherman and process it for shipping. Through the Seascape, we once sold retail crab and may be discussing again in the near future. Other fisheries will also be considered.
X. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Financial Statements – December 2025
2. Law Enforcement Report – January 2026.
3. Task Order 6 with Pacific Watershed Associates (PWA) to provide continuous Luffenholtz Creek bypass flow measurements, monitoring, and reporting for the 2026 water year.
Motion (Breckenridge/Tuttle) to approve the consent agenda as submitted. Passed 4-0.
Xl. DISCUSSION/ACTION AGENDA ITEMS
1. Conduct the Urban Residential Zone (UR) Short-Term Rental Lottery.
Interim City Manager Adams explained that the Short-Term Rental (STR) license cycle runs on an annual basis, beginning February 01 and ending January 31. A license in the UR Zone became available following the 2025 renewal cycle, which typically are issued by March, but staff restructuring delayed permit issuance until May.
There are currently 28 licenses issued with an overall citywide cap of 32.
The current STR License count is as follows:
UR (17) Ordinance limit (18) *1 available
SR (6) Ordinance limit (7) *1 available
PD/C (5) No limit, but subject to the overall cap of 32.
The citywide cap of 32 was carefully considered when it was codified into the STR ordinance for many reasons, including the city’s financial well-being. The annual 12% Occupancy Tax revenue represents the second most vital revenue stream for the City, second to Sales & Use Tax (first), and Property Tax (third).
Minimum nights annually (60) of taxable rent was also contemplated and codified by the City to discourage licenses from being underutilized. The waitlist and lottery system were established to fairly administer issuance of new licenses in the two zones (UR & SR) with limited inventory applied. 02-10-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 3
The waitlist period closed on May 31 at the conclusion of the 2025 renewal cycle. At that time, the waitlist included the following addresses deemed eligible by staff, following a preliminary review of minimal requirements necessary to submit a complete and successful application within the codified timeline of 90- days following notification of lottery selection:
- 540 Edwards Street
- 730 Edwards Street
- 584 Pacific Street
- 462 View Street
- 783 Underwood Dr.
- 396 Wagner Street.
Other properties on the wait list are determined to have unresolved issues that would prevent them from receiving a permit within the 90-day deadline such as building permit violations, septic system challenges, or conflicts with limitations outlined in the STR ordinance.
SELECTION PROCESS
The City will utilize a rotating cage filled with numbered ping-pong balls corresponding to the addresses identified above. Two numbers will be drawn – a primary and runner-up. The runner-up will be invited to make application if the primary winner is unable to obtain an STR License within 90 days of selection, or unable to meet the applicable location standards, for instance a Planning Commission exception if there is an adjacent property boundary conflict with another STR.
Mayor Pro-Tem Kenny gave the wheel a spin.
The first number selected was #5 = 783 Underwood Drive.
The runner up number was #2 = 730 Edwards Street.
There was no public comment.
Presentation item only. Interim City Manager Adams will notify the two properties selected.
2. Update/Discussion regarding Upcoming City Council Election Year and Key Calendar Dates.
Interim City Manager Adams explained that with the second half of the fiscal year and upcoming general election season ahead, it is helpful to chart a course that keeps City priorities in focus, is adaptive to new challenges that arise, and provide a discussion check-point on the short and long-term missions to achieve City goals.
The first half of January forced the City into an adaptive mode when the Scenic Drive water leak disrupted a pre-established set of goals to kick-off the new year. That emergency, however, gave us a real-time understanding of how vulnerable the City’s aging water system is, and how well a small staff with limited resources worked through the most severe water emergency experienced in over 30 years.
Immediately following the conclusion of the water emergency, the second half of January tested the City’s Tribal partnerships. Following the series of early January extreme weather and tides that impacted the shoreline of Old Home Beach, the City directed its energy to demonstrating its commitment to preserving the history and culture of this area. More headwinds are expected this year that will test these partnerships and stress the City’s time and financial resources.
Sticking to a game plan, being able to adapt when needed, and balancing competing demands for limited resources are all important aspects of a well-structured government. With an election year fast-approaching and outgoing City leaders hoping to see some results of years of work volunteered come to fruition, and the plan forward should help set the rails and us get to June 30 and beyond with a sense of accomplishment we can all be proud of.
Election Schedule & Council Discussion Topics
02-10-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 4
February
• Council meeting on February 10; Closed Session emphasis, Short-Term Rental Lottery and year-ahead preview discussion, Council election year kickoff.
FPPC Form 700: The FPPC has emailed all required filers representing the City (Council, Planning Commission, and select staff) alerting them of the April 01, Conflict of Interest Form 700 annual filing deadline. Staff has migrated all filers to the online portal, and highly encourages everyone to take a moment and renew your annual filing electronically. If you have had no changes to your previous filing schedules, the renewal process could take less than 1-minute once you’ve logged into the system. Please reach out to staff if you have any questions and we’ll walk you through it.
March
• Mid-Year Budget discussion
• Continued discussion from July 08, 2025 regarding alternative drinking water supply, Humboldt Bay Municipal North Mainline project.
April
• Begin Fiscal Year Budget preparation/preliminary FY2027 Budget Kick-off • 2024 Water Rate structure 2-year review/analysis results May
• Resolution deadline calling for General Election Consolidation with the County • Final phase of FY2027 Budget preparation
• STIP, Main Street repave and south sidewalk improvement project.
June
• Adopt FY 2027 Budget
• Prepare/Present/Announce the upcoming election season calendar: (3) 4-Year terms (Kelly, Tuttle, Breckenridge), and (1) 2-year term (Waskiewicz)
July-August
• Council election candidate nomination period.
There were no public comments.
Council thanked Adams for keeping track of all this important business.
Presentation item only. No decision was made.
3. Staff Activity Report – January 2026
Presentation item only. Interim City Manager Adams provided a detailed summary of staff activities in January included in the meeting packet. No decision was made.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
- Paint treatment on top edge of Town Hall façade.
- Waskiewicz thanked the public for sharing their comments tonight. Looking at after-action reports for Lahaina and Palasades fires online, and see similarities with Trinidad such as infrastructure failure, fire vulnerability, emergency preparedness, SOP’s that we can explore further as future agenda topics.
ADJOURNMENT: 7:30pm.
Submitted by: Approved by:
_____________________________ _____________________________ Gabriel Adams Bryce Kenny
Trinidad City Clerk Mayor Pro-Tem
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 1
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
1. Financial Statements – January 2026
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 2
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
2. Law Enforcement Report – February 2026.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 3
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
3. Resolution 2026-01; Humboldt County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, Interim City Manager
DISCUSSION AGENDA TITLE
1. Resolution 2026-01; Humboldt County Hazard Mitigation Plan Update.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION / SUMMARY
Review resolution and approve by consent the local Hazard Mitigation Plan Updates, Volumes 1 & 2.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
The Humboldt County Multi-Jurisdiction Local Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP) 2025 serves as an update to the county's ongoing efforts in hazard mitigation planning. The initial plan, developed in 2007, identified resources, information, and strategies to reduce risks from natural hazards and called for regular updates. The plan was last updated in 2019, and the 2025 HMP fulfills this ongoing update requirement.
The 2025 update continues to comply with the federal Disaster Mitigation Act (DMA), ensuring that Humboldt County and its partners remain eligible for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding. The plan encompasses the entire Humboldt County Operational Area, including twenty-five cities and special-purpose districts, and aims to guide policies, programs, and projects that reduce the impacts of natural disasters on life, property, and infrastructure.
The planning process for the 2025 HMP involved a collaborative effort among local governments, stakeholders, and the public. It included a comprehensive risk assessment, the development of mitigation strategies, and the formulation of implementation plans. Public outreach was conducted through various channels, including social media, surveys, meetings, and a dedicated website, to ensure community involvement and input.
The Plan is a large, comprehensive document that can be reviewed in full, accessible on the County’s website:
https://humboldtgov.org/3587/2025-Local-Hazard-Mitigation-Plan Partner agencies have been requested by Humboldt County Hazard Mitigation Program Manager Patric Esh to review and approve the 2025 update at their earliest convenience to conclude the process.
ATTACHMENTS - None
City of Trinidad Resolution 2026-01 Page 1 of 1
TRINIDAD CITY HALL Cheryl Kelly, Mayor
P.O. Box 390 Gabriel Adams, City Clerk
409 Trinity Street
Trinidad, CA 95570
(707) 677-0223
RESOLUTION 2026-01
HUMBOLDT COUNTY OPERATIONAL AREA HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN 2025 UPDATE WHEREAS, all of Humboldt County has exposure to natural hazards that increase the risk to life, property, environment and the County’s economy; and
WHEREAS, pro-active mitigation of known hazards before a disaster event can reduce or eliminate long-term risk to life and property; and
WHEREAS, The Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000 (Public Law 106-390) established new requirements for pre- and post-disaster hazard mitigation programs; and
WHEREAS, a coalition of Humboldt County, Cities, Towns, Tribes and Special Districts with like planning objectives has been formed to pool resources and create consistent mitigation strategies within the Humboldt County Operational Area; and
WHEREAS, the coalition has completed a planning process that engages the public, assesses the risk and vulnerability to the impacts of natural hazards, develops a mitigation strategy consistent with a set of uniform goals and objectives, and creates a plan for implementing, evaluating and revising this strategy; and NOW, THEREFORE, IT IS HEREBY PROCLAIMED that the City of Trinidad: Adopts in its entirety, Volume 1:
Area-Wide Elements and Volume 2: Planning Partner Annexes of the Humboldt County Operational Area Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP). Will use the adopted and approved portions of the HMP to guide pre-and post-disaster mitigation of the hazards identified. Will coordinate the strategies identified in the HMP with other planning programs and mechanisms under its jurisdictional authority. Will continue its support of the Steering Committee and continue to participate in the Planning Partnership as described by the HMP. Will help to promote and support the mitigation successes of all HMP Planning Partners.
PASSED AND ADOPTED BY THE TRINIDAD CITY COUNCIL of Humboldt County of the State of California this 10th day of March.
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the Trinidad City Council by the following vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
Attest:
________________________ _________________________
Gabriel Adams Cheryl Kelly
Trinidad City Clerk Mayor
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 4
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
4. Redwood Regional Economic Development Commission JPA Update.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, Interim City Manager
DISCUSSION AGENDA TITLE
4. Redwood Regional Economic Development Commission JPA Update.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION / SUMMARY
Consider consent approval of the amended and restated Redwood Regional Economic Development Commission’s Joint Powers Agreement.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
Several memos attached from RREDC Executive Director Gregg Foster explain the purpose of bringing this item to the Council’s attention. RREDC Board has given the revised draft thorough consideration, noting that much of the language was date and suggested an overall revision to update, clarify, and simplify language.
Foster requests the amended and restated agreement approvals from each member before their March 23 Board Meeting.
ATTACHMENTS
- June 11, 2025 Memo from Gregg Foster to RREDC Board of Directors, Update on JPA Ad-Hoc Committee. - January 16, 2026 Memo from Gregg Foster to RREDC Board citing governing bodies affirmative vote. - January 30, 2026 Cover Memo from Gregg Foster requesting individual member approval of the revised JPA. - Amended and Restate RREDC JPA
Memo
TO: RREDC Board of Directors
FR: Gregg Foster, Executive Director
DATE:June 11, 2025
RE: UPDATE ON JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT AD-HOC COMMITTEE
The RREDC Ad-Hoc Committee on Joint Powers Agreement (JPA) met on June 5th to review the agreement and identify areas that can be modified to more fully reflect the current mission of RREDC. Attending were Directors Arroyo, Carter, Ryan and White.
As previously noted, the JPA was adopted in 1977 and the local political and economic environment is much different now. The core purpose of the JPA was to create and adopt a Countywide Economic Development Strategy and to make decisions on how to invest a large grant from the Federal Government intended to mitigate the immediate economic effects of the expansion of Redwood National Park. The decision to create a $2.9 million revolving loan fund required that RREDC become a permanent organization.
The JPA can essentially be broken into four main themes:
1. Recitals that generally describe the conditions requiring the formation of the agency.
2. A description of the purpose of RREDC.
3. Membership and goverance of the organization.
4. Definitions and limtations on powers.
The June 5th discussion focused mainly on items 1 and 2. In summary, the group generally agreed on the following:
1. Recitals: The recitals should be shortened and modified to be more positive and forward looking and to emphasize countywide multi-agency collaboration to increase efficiency and create conditions for sustainable, resilient, and equitable economic development. They should also focus on leveraging assets, creating efficiencies through inter-agency collaboration, and creating a stronger unified voice on issues affecting the local economy. In addition, specific language regarding the development and implementation of the EDA “Economic Development Action Plan and Strategy,” now known as the Comprehensive Economic Development Plan (CEDS), should be removed as this function has been the responsibility of the County of Humboldt since 1999.
325 2nd Street, Suite 203
Eureka, CA 95501
707-445-9651
2. Section 3.01 – Purpose: Throughout the document reference is made to the Economic Development Administration as the driving force and focus of the JPA.
The committee felt that, as above, the purpose should be modified to better reflect the changes in the economic development environment by removing references to the EDA or, if it’s determined that this language should remain, add additional language to reflect other players in the field and the changed environment in which RREDC operates.
3. Section 4.03 - Meetings: The committee recommended that language be modified to streamline the process of developing an annual meeting schedule with specific reference that a meeting schedule must be determined, but that the process be outlined in RREDC’s Bylaws rather than in the JPA. Further, there was discussion of the requirement that an entity that misses “three successive meetings shall be deemed to have withdrawn as a party to [the] Agreement and as a member of the Commission.” While there are entities that have missed meetings or have not appointed members for years, there has not been any formal notification to those entities that they are no longer members of the Commission. The committee directed staff to reach out to those entities to inform them of the language of the JPA and to assess whether they wish to “rejoin” the Commission.
4. Section 4.09 – Boundaries: Originally, RREDC was limited to the “geographic boundaries” of Humboldt County. In the early 1990s, this limitation was expanded to include projects in Mendocino and Del Norte Counties (Section 3.01) under certain circumstances. The committee felt that while Humboldt County should be RREDC’s primary focus, there may be instances where RREDC may participate in specific projects and programs beyond Humboldt County’s borders. The committee suggested that language be added to include adjacent or nearby counties and tribal lands, such as the region covered by the State’s California Jobs First program (Del Norte, Humboldt, Mendocino, and Lake Counties and adjacent tribal lands).
5. Section 9.04 – Annual Budget: Current language requires that a draft budget be presented on or before March 1st of each year. The committee suggests that this language be modified to say that a budget must be adopted by June 30 of each year with a process to be determined by the Board of Directors.
The committee also noted that much of the language is dated and suggested an overall revision to update, clarify, and simplify language.
Next Steps
Staff will, with continued input from the Ad-Hoc committee and the Board of Directors, develop a new draft agreement. This draft will require review by RREDC’s counsel. Once that review is complete, a final draft will be presented to the board for review. Once reviewed, each member jurisdicition must individually approve the new JPA.
Memo
TO: RREDC Board of Directors
FR: Gregg Foster, Executive Director
DATE: January 30, 2026
RE: ADOPTING THE DRAFT AMENDED AND RESTATED REDWOOD REGION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION’S JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT As discussed at the January 26th meeting of the RREDC Board of Directors, now is the time for our members to approve the new RREDC JPA. This will require a vote of your governing boards.
We are more than willing to attend a meeting of your governing board, should you want that.
We can also assist with the preparation of your agenda item if necessary. Please let us know if you want us to work directly with your staff to facilitate.
Staff requests that your board consider the adoption of the new JPA before the March 23, 2026 RREDC Board of Directors meeting. RREDC will require a copy of the minutes from each of the meetings in which adoption of this restated JPA was voted on.
Please let us know if you have any questions or comments.
Thank you to everyone who assisted with this project.
1 AMENDED AND RESTATED JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT OF THE
REDWOOD REGION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
This Amended and Restated Joint Powers Agreement of the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission is made and entered into pursuant to the provisions of California Government Code Section 6500 et seq. (the ACT), and supersedes the original Joint Powers Agreement effective November 1, 1977, and amended nine times from 1978 – 1992. This Amended and Restated Joint Powers Agreement (“Agreement”) is effective as of [DATE.]
RECITALS
A. The Redwood Region Economic Development Commission (“COMMISSION” or “RREDC”) was formed in 1977 by the County of Humboldt, the Cities of Arcata, Blue Lake, Eureka, Ferndale, Fortuna, Rio Dell, and Trinidad, the Redwoods Community College District, the Humboldt Community Services District, the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, the Humboldt Bay Harbor, Recreation, and Conservation District, and the McKinleyville Community Services District. Subsequent amendments to the Agreement added to the membership the Redway Community Services District, Orick Community Services District, the Orleans Community Services District, the Manila Community Services District, the Willow Creek Community Services District, and the Hoopa Valley Tribe. These entities are referred to individually as a “Member,” and collectively, the “MEMBERS”.
B. The RREDC was formed in 1977 to, among other purposes, develop and implement a countywide Economic Development Action Plan and Strategy for Humboldt County, using financial assistance offered through the federal Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 (42 USC §§ 3121-3234). In 1992 the RREDC Joint Powers Agreement was amended to expand its regional effectiveness by coordinating economic development strategy with entities located in the Counties of Mendocino and Del Norte.
C. Successfully formulating and implementing an economic development strategy that best improves the quality of life in the region requires a united, sustainable, and collaborative approach to economic development projects and programs. Such regional coordination is ultimately beneficial to access and leverage federal and state resources and programs and provide capacity for smaller communities with limited resources.
D. The MEMBERS desire to amend the Agreement to create more sustainable and resilient economic opportunities. In particular, the MEMBERS seek to update the Agreement’s purposes to reflect current economic development practices, to facilitate greater coordination within the region, and to update administrative provisions of the Joint Powers Agreement such as the COMMISSION’s regular meeting schedule and its budget adoption schedule.
E. The MEMBERS believe it would be desirable and convenient to restate the Agreement in its entirety, to include previous amendments not further amended herein, and to make those amendments now desired by the MEMBERS.
2 NOW THEREFORE, based on the mutual covenants, conditions, and terms recited herein, which are made a material part of this agreement, the undersigned public agencies, collectively referred to herein as the “MEMBERS,” enter into this Amended and Restated Joint Powers Agreement and agree as follows:
AGREEMENT
ARTICLE I. COMMISSION FORMATION
Section 1.01 Formation. Pursuant to the Act, the MEMBERS hereby create a Joint Powers Agency to be known as the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission (COMMISSION).
Section 1.02 Separate Public Entity. The COMMISSION is a public entity separate from the MEMBERS within the meaning of Government Code Section 6507.
Section 1.03 Parties to this Agreement. For purposes of this Agreement, each MEMBER intends to, and does, contract with every other MEMBER which is a signatory to this Agreement and, in addition, with every public agency that becomes a MEMBER under Section 1.04. The withdrawal of any MEMBER from this Agreement does not affect its validity or enforceability as to the remaining MEMBERS, nor any remaining MEMBER’S intent to contract with any of the others.
Section 1.04 Membership. Any Public Agency as defined in Government Code Section 6500, which is located wholly or partly within the boundaries of Humboldt County, or any adjacent county, is eligible for membership in the COMMISSION. Upon approval by a simple majority vote of the full Board of Directors, any such public agency may become a MEMBER if:
(a) its governing body duly approves membership and agrees to all the terms of this Joint Powers Agreement, and
(b) An authorized officer of such agency executes this Agreement on its behalf.
ARTICLE II. DEFINITIONS
Section 2.01 Unless the context otherwise requires, the words and terms defined in this ARTICLE II shall, for the purposes hereof, have the meanings specified. (i) ACT. "ACT" means Title I, Division 7, Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 6500) of the Government Code of the State of California.
(ii) COMMISSION. "COMMISSION" means the REDWOOD REGION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION created pursuant to this Agreement. (iii) BOARD OF DIRECTORS. "BOARD OF DIRECTORS" means the governing board of the COMMISSION established pursuant to this Agreement.
(iv) MEMBER. "Member" means a Public Agency that is a party to this Joint Powers Agreement.
(v) PUBLIC AGENCY. “Public Agency” is defined in Section 6500 of the Act. 3 ARTICLE III. PURPOSE
Section 3.01 The purpose of this Agreement is to create an independent public entity that will provide united, coordinated, efficient, sustainable, and equitable economic development programming for its MEMBERS and the community at large. Specifically, the COMMISSION will:
(a) lead and participate in economic development programs in Humboldt County and with public entities, sovereign nations, businesses, and organizations therein and in adjacent and nearby counties and tribal lands, and
(b) operate revolving loan funds and leverage other financial resources to provide access to capital to those individuals, businesses, and organizations that create jobs or otherwise provide opportunities for prosperity through sustainable economic growth, and (c) establish operating and advisory committees to assist the COMMISSION in carrying out the foregoing purposes and to assist the COMMISSION in the implementation of economic development projects and programs to improve the quality of life in the region.
ARTICLE IV. INTERNAL GOVERNANCE
Section 4.01 BOARD OF DIRECTORS The COMMISSION shall be governed by a Board of Directors composed of one representative from each Public Entity that is a party to this Agreement, each serving in an individual capacity as a member of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Section 4.02 APPOINTMENTS TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS Each MEMBER shall appoint, from its respective governing board, one individual to serve on the Board of Directors of the COMMISSION. Each MEMBER shall also appoint from its respective governing board one alternate individual to serve on the Board of Directors in the absence of the primary individual appointed by that Member. The alternate individual may vote at any meeting of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the COMMISSION at which the primary representative appointed by that MEMBER is absent or disqualified.
Section 4.03 TERM OF APPOINTMENT Each MEMBER’S representatives appointed to serve on the Board of Directors shall serve at the pleasure of the appointing Member. The governing board of the MEMBER shall appoint replacement individuals to serve on the Board of Directors as needed to ensure that the MEMBER maintains continuous representation on the Board of Directors.
Section 4.04 VOTING POWER All voting power of the COMMISSION shall reside in the BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Section 4.05 PROHIBITION OF EMPLOYMENT No person while serving as a member of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the COMMISSION shall be eligible to be appointed to any salaried office or employment in the service of the COMMISSION nor shall they become eligible for such appointment within one year after they have ceased to be a member of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the COMMISSION.
4 Section 4.06 COMPENSATION The members of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS and any committees formed by the COMMISSION shall serve without compensation. All members of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS may be reimbursed for reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their duties as such members. Reimbursement of expenses shall be subject to approval of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Section 4.07 REGULAR MEETINGS The Board of Directors shall establish by resolution the dates, times and places of its regular meetings, which shall be held not less than four times during each calendar year. The Board of Director’s meetings shall be conducted in accordance with the Ralph M. Brown Act (Government Code Sections 54950 et seq.).
Section 4.08 ATTENDANCE AND PARTICIPATION MEMBER representatives are expected to attend every Board of Director’s meeting, arrange for the attendance of their alternate representatively when not able to, and to notice appropriate Commission staff when they will not be in attendance. A MEMBER that fails to attend three regular successive meetings without notice to the COMMISSION or fails to appoint a representative to the Board of Directors without notice to the COMMISSION shall be deemed to have withdrawn as a party to this Agreement and as a MEMBER of the COMMISSION and will be ineligible to vote on COMMISSION business or constitute a quorum.
Section 4.09 QUORUM AND VOTING A majority of the Board of Directors shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The Board of Directors shall act by motion or resolution. Except as otherwise expressly provided by this Agreement or applicable law, all motions, resolutions and ordinances of the Board of Directors, and all actions required or permitted to be taken by the MEMBERS acting through the Board of Directors, shall be by a majority vote of the quorum.
Section 4.10 RULES The BOARD OF DIRECTORS of the COMMISSION may adopt bylaws, rules and regulations for the conduct of its meetings and affairs as are necessary for the purposes hereof.
Section 4.11 CHAIR, VICE CHAIR AND SECRETARY The BOARD OF DIRECTORS shall elect a Chair of the Board and Vice Chair of the Board from among its membership each calendar year. If either the Chair’s or the Vice Chair’s MEMBER ceases to be a MEMBER of the Commission, the resulting vacancy shall be filled at the next regular meeting of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS held after such vacancy occurs. The CHAIR shall preside over and conduct all meetings of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
(a) The CHAIR shall be the chairperson of the Board of Directors and shall conduct all Board of Director meetings and perform such other duties and functions required of such person by this Agreement or the Board.
(b) The VICE CHAIR shall serve in the CHAIR’s absence and perform such duties as required by this Agreement, the Board.
(c) The BOARD OF DIRECTORS shall select a Secretary who may, but need not, be a member of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS. The Secretary shall serve at the pleasure of the BOARD OF DIRECTORS and shall perform those duties and functions customary to the office of Secretary of a Public Entity.
5 Section 4.12 TREASURER AND AUDITOR-CONTROLLER The Treasurer - Tax Collector of the COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT is hereby designated as the Treasurer of the COMMISSION and as the depositary to have custody of all the money of the COMMISSION from whatever source. The Auditor-Controller of the COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT is hereby designated as the Auditor-Controller of the COMMISSION. The Treasurer-Tax Collector and the AuditorController shall have the duties and obligations set forth in Sections 6505 and 6505.5 of the ACT and shall ensure that there shall be strict accountability of all funds and report of all receipts and disbursements of the COMMISSION.
Section 4.13 LEGAL ADVISOR The BOARD OF DIRECTORS shall select, appoint, employ and retain the legal advisor of the COMMISSION, who shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by the BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
Section 4.14 EMPLOYEES The BOARD OF DIRECTORS shall have the power to appoint and employ such other officers, employees, and may contract with consultants and other professional persons or firms as it considers necessary for the purposes hereof.
ARTICLE V. POWERS
Section 5.01 GENERAL POWERS The COMMISSION created by this Agreement shall exercise in the manner hereinafter provided the powers common to each of the entities to this Agreement.
Section 5.02 SEPARATION As provided in the ACT, the COMMISSION shall be a public entity separate from the parties hereto.
Section 5.03 SPECIFIC POWERS The COMMISSION is hereby authorized, in its own name, to do all acts necessary for the exercise of the foregoing powers for the purposes of this Agreement including, but not limited to, any or all the following:
(a) To make and enter into contracts.
(b) To employ agents, employees, consultants, and independent contractors. (c) To acquire, hold or dispose of real and personal property, or any interest therein, by deed, purchase, lease, contract, gift, devise, or otherwise.
(d) To sue and be sued in its own name, except as otherwise provided by law. (e) To incur debts, liabilities or obligations, provided that no debt, liability or obligation shall constitute a debt, liability or obligation of any of the separate public entities that are parties to this Agreement.
(f) To apply for, accept, receive, and disburse grants, loans, and other financial assistance from any agency of the United States of America or of the State of California, or from any other public agency or other sources, public or private, and expend such funds for the purposes outlined in this Agreement.
6 (g) To invest any money that is not required for the immediate necessities of the COMMISSION, as the COMMISSION determines, is advisable, in the same manner and upon the same conditions as apply to local agencies, pursuant to Section 53601 of the Government Code of the State of California.
(h) To carry out and enforce all the provisions of this Agreement. (i) To contract for and obtain insurance against any insurable risk reasonably anticipated to result from the exercise of any powers or functions of the COMMISSION or the performance of any duties by the officers and employees of the COMMISSION. (j) To make, adopt, amend, and repeal its bylaws, rules, ordinances, resolutions, and procedural regulations consistent with, and to carry into effect, the powers granted in and purposes of this Agreement.
Section 5.04 CLAIMS All claims and actions for money or damages against the COMMISSION and its officers and employees are governed by Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title I of the Government Code of the State of California. The COMMISSION shall be deemed a "public entity" within the meaning of Division 3.6 of Title I of said Government Code.
Section 5.05 INTERESTS IN CONTRACTS The provisions of Article 4 (commencing with Section 1090), Article 4.5 (commencing with Section 1100), and Article 4.6 (commencing with Section 1120), Chapter 1, Division 4, Title I, and Sections 87100 et seq. of the Government Code of the State of California prohibiting certain financial interests in public contracts and pertaining to conflicts of interest shall apply to the officers, officials, directors, and employees of the COMMISSION.
Section 5.06 ENFORCEMENT BY COMMISSION The COMMISSION is hereby authorized to take any or all legal actions necessary and permitted by law to enforce this Agreement.
(a) Appointment of Administering Entity Pursuant to Government Code Section 6506, the Board may appoint an agency or entity, including one or more MEMBERS upon consent of the governing body of such Member, a commission or board constituted pursuant to this Agreement, or a person, firm or corporation, including a nonprofit corporation, which it may designate, to administer or execute this Agreement, or any portions of this Agreement.
Section 5.07 RESTRICTIONS ON EXERCISE OF POWERS Powers of the COMMISSION shall be exercised as provided in the Act and shall be subject, in accordance with Section 6509 of the Act, to such restrictions upon the manner of exercising such powers as are imposed upon counties in the exercise of similar powers.
ARTICLE VI. FINANCIAL PROVISIONS
Section 6.01 FISCAL YEAR. The fiscal year of the COMMISSION shall be from July 1 of each year to and including June 30 of the following year. 7 Section 6.02 ADVANCES Each of the parties to this Agreement may advance to the COMMISSION money in such sums as may be mutually agreed upon by such party and the BOARD OF DIRECTORS. An amount equal to all advances made by each party, plus interest thereon at a rate to be mutually agreed upon by the COMMISSION and the party making such advances, shall be repaid by the COMMISSION funds then available to the COMMISSION.
Repayment of such advances may also be made by the COMMISSION at such other time or times as the COMMISSION and the party making such advance shall mutually agree at the time such advance is made.
Section 6.03 ANNUAL BUDGET The Board of Directors shall adopt by majority vote of the full Board of Directors an annual budget for each fiscal year at or before its last regular meeting before June 30 of each year.
ARTICLE VII. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
Section 7.01 ACCOUNTS The COMMISSION shall keep accurate and correct books of account, showing in detail the costs of administration, bond interest, bond redemption, operation and maintenance, and all financial transactions of the COMMISSION. Said books of account shall always be open to inspection by any representative of any of the parties hereto, or by any accountant or other person authorized by any party hereto to inspect said books of account.
Section 7.02 ANNUAL AUDIT The accounts and records of the COMMISSION shall be audited as provided in Government Code Sections 6505 and 6505.5 or as required by other entities providing funding to COMMISSION.
Section 7.03 LIMITATION ON LIABILITY OF MEMBERS FOR DEBTS AND OBLIGATIONS OF COMMISSION As provided for by Government Code section 6508.1, the debts, liabilities, and obligations of the COMMISSION do not constitute debts, liabilities, or obligations of any party to this Agreement. A MEMBER may separately contract for, or assume responsibility for, specific debts, liabilities, or obligations of the COMMISSION.
Section 7.04 INDEMNITY The COMMISSION shall indemnify, defend and hold harmless the MEMBERS, their officers and employees, from and against all liability, loss, damage, expense, and costs (including without limitation costs and fees of litigation), collectively referred to as ‘injury’, of every nature arising out of the COMMISSION activities described herein, or its failure to comply with any of its obligations contained herein, except where such injury is caused by the sole negligence or willful misconduct of a Member. Any defense of claims, as well as the cost of any judgments imposed for claims resulting from actions by the COMMISSION or any of the officers, agents, employees, or contractors of the COMMISSION in relation to this Agreement shall be the sole responsibility of the COMMISSION. To the extent that MEMBERS are also held jointly and severally liable for such amounts by Government Code section 895.2, if a MEMBER provides for such defense of itself or the COMMISSION, or pays all or a part of such judgment, the MEMBER shall be entitled to reimbursement in full from the COMMISSION, provided the MEMBER obtains prior approval from the COMMISSION.
Section 7.05 INSURANCE The COMMISSION will obtain at its expense, and maintain during the term of this Agreement, insurance against claims for injury to persons or damage to property or the environment which may arise from COMMISSION operations. 8 Section 7.06 AMENDMENTS This Agreement may be amended only by a written instrument, approved by an affirmative vote of the governing bodies of two thirds (2/3) of the MEMBERS, and meeting any requirements imposed by the terms or conditions of any revenue bonds issued by the COMMISSION and related documentation including, without limitation, indentures, trust agreements, resolutions and letter of credit agreements.
Section 7.07 CONSENT Notwithstanding the foregoing, no amendment shall require any MEMBER to contribute any funds to, or become directly or contingently liable for any debts, liabilities or obligations of, the COMMISSION, without that MEMBER’S written consent, signed by its duly authorized representative.
Section 7.08 WITHDRAWAL MEMBERS may withdraw at any time by providing written notice from the governing body of such MEMBER to the Board; provided that no MEMBER may withdraw if withdrawal would adversely affect a bond or other indebtedness issued by the COMMISSION, except upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the full Board. Withdrawal shall be effective upon receipt by the Board of said notice or upon said vote of the Board if required. The withdrawing MEMBER shall continue to be financially responsible for its share of financial obligations and liabilities incurred prior to the effective date of withdrawal. Upon such withdrawal, no withdrawing MEMBER shall be entitled to any distribution or withdrawal of property or funds except as may be agreed to by the Board; however such MEMBER may be entitled to participate in a pro-rated return of surplus money and other surplus personal property upon the dissolution of the COMMISSION based on factors as determined by the Board such as but not limited to the MEMBER’S length of time of participation with and contribution to the COMMISSION.
Section 7.09 TERMINATION AND DISTRIBUTION This Agreement continues until terminated by the written consent of a simple majority of the full Board; provided that:
(a) this Agreement cannot be terminated until such time as all principal of and interest on any bonds and other forms of indebtedness that the COMMISSION may issue are paid in full; and
(b) this Agreement and the COMMISSION continue to exist following termination for the purpose of disposing of all claims, distributing assets, and all other functions necessary to conclude the obligations and affairs of the COMMISSION.
Section 7.10 DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDS AND ASSETS FOLLOWING TERMINATION After completion of the COMMISSION’s purposes, any surplus money on deposit in any fund or account of the COMMISSION will be disposed of as required by law. All other property of the Commission, real and personal, shall be divided or disposed of in a manner agreed upon by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors is vested with all powers of the COMMISSION for the purpose of concluding and dissolving its business affairs. 9 Section 7.11 NOTICES All notices which any MEMBER or the COMMISSION may wish to give in connection with this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be served by personal delivery during usual business hours at the principal office of the MEMBER or the COMMISSION, to an officer or person apparently in charge of that office, or by depositing the same in the United States mail, postage prepaid, and addressed to the MEMBER or the COMMISSION at its principal office, or to such other address as the COMMISSION or MEMBER may designate from time to time by written notice given to the other MEMBERS in the manner specified in this section. Service of notice shall be deemed complete on the day of service by personal delivery (but 24 hours after such delivery in the case of notices of special meetings of the Board) or three (3) days after mailing if deposited in the United States mail.
Until changed by written notice to the COMMISSION and the MEMBERS, notice shall be delivered as follows: [LIST OF ENTITIES HERE]
Section 7.12 PROHIBITION AGAINST ASSIGNMENT No MEMBER may assign any right, claim, or interest it may have under this Agreement. No creditor, assignee or third-party beneficiary of a MEMBER has a right, claim or title to any part, share, interest, fund or asset of the COMMISSION. However, nothing in this Agreement prevents the COMMISSION from assigning any interest or right it may have under the Agreement to a third party.
Section 7.13 SEVERABILITY If a portion, term, condition or provision of this Agreement is determined by a court to be illegal or in conflict with any law of the State of California, or is otherwise rendered unenforceable or ineffectual, the validity of the remaining portions, terms, conditions and provisions is not affected.
Section 7.14 LIABILITY OF COMMISSION Subject to limitations contained in any trust agreement or other documents pursuant to which financing of the COMMISSION is implemented, COMMISSION funds may be used to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the COMMISSION, any Member, any Director or Alternate Director, and any employee or officer of the COMMISSION for their actions taken within the scope of their duties while acting on behalf of the COMMISSION.
Section 7.15 GOVERNING LAW This Agreement will be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California.
Section 7.16 COUNTERPARTS This Agreement may be executed in several counterparts, each of which is an original and all of which constitutes but one and the same instrument.
Section 7.17 EFFECTIVE DATE In accordance with the initial Joint Powers Agreement, this Restated and Amended Joint Powers Agreement shall become effective at the time two-thirds (2/3) of the MEMBERS have approved this Amended and Restated Joint Powers Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Amended and Restated Joint Powers Agreement has been duly considered by the governing bodies of all MEMBERS of the Redwood Region Economic Development Commission and has been approved by the governing bodies of all MEMBERS, and is hereby entered into by the MEMBERS effective as of the date written above.
SIGNATURES APPEAR ON FOLLOWING PAGES
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 5
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
5. SHN On-Call Planning Service Agreement Three Month Contract Extension.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, Interim City Manager
DISCUSSION AGENDA TITLE
5. SHN On-Call Planning Service Agreement Three Month Contract Extension.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION / SUMMARY
Consider consent approval of a three (3) month contract extension with SHN for On-Call Planning Services to provide the City with additional time needed to carry out a competitive procurement process.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
Cities typically procure outside consultants for engineering, architectural and planning services through publication of a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in a competitive Qualifications Based Selection process that occurs periodically or as needed. The RFQ can be project specific or for procuring general services (such as City Engineer and City Planner). Procurement is highly governed by State and Federal requirements. Some of the grant agreements the City works under require that the City complete this competitive process.
The City of Trinidad entered into a contract agreement with SHN in April 2021 following the RFQ procurement process. The agreement continued through March 31, 2024 with an two-year automatic renewal expiring March 31, 2026.
Staff seeks Council approval for a contract extension of three additional months to provide time to carry out the procurement process. This will ensuring planning services rendered are eligible for reimbursement for many state grant funded projects of which the City is a recipient of.
ATTACHMENTS
- First Amendment to Professional Services Agreement
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 1
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
1. Discussion/Decision regarding Resolution 2026-02; Affirming Trinidad’s Commitment to Inclusivity and Support for Due Process in Immigration Enforcement This item was brought forward at the request of Councilmember Breckenridge and supported by Mayor Kelly.
Breckenridge will be provided the opportunity to express her desire to share the message with the community.
Resolution 2026-02
Trinidad City Hall Cheryl Kelly, Mayor P.O. Box 390 Gabriel Adams, City Clerk
409 Trinity Street
Trinidad, CA 95570
707-677-0223
RESOLUTION 2026 - 02
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TRINIDAD AFFIRMING THE CITY’S
COMMITMENT TO INCLUSIVITY AND SUPPORT FOR DUE PROCESS IN IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT WHEREAS, there has been considerable discussion at the federal and state levels regarding immigration laws and enforcement practices, and media reports have generated concern within local communities; and WHEREAS, immigration enforcement authority resides with designated federal and state agencies, and the City of Trinidad has no independent authority to enforce immigration laws; and WHEREAS, the City of Trinidad affirms that all persons within its jurisdiction are entitled to dignity, equal protection, and respectful treatment; and
WHEREAS, Trinidad is home and destination to people from diverse ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds from around the world; and the City values the diversity, talents, and contributions of those who live in, work in, and visit our community;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Trinidad affirms that Trinidad shall endeavor to remain a welcoming and inclusive community for all residents and visitors—regardless of race, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or socioeconomic status—to enjoy nature, live, work, learn, and participate fully in civic life.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the Trinidad City Council on the 10th day of March, 2026 by the following vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Abstain:
Absent:
Attest:
_________________________ _________________________
Gabriel Adams Cheryl Kelly
City Clerk Mayor
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 2
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION SUBMITTED
2. Discussion/Decision to Appoint Two Councilmembers to Represent the City in Ad-hoc Government-to-Government (G2G) Meetings with the Trinidad Rancheria and Yurok Tribe.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, March 10, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, Interim City Manager
DISCUSSION AGENDA TITLE:
2. Discussion/Decision to Appoint Two Councilmembers to Represent the City in Ad-Hoc Government-toGovernment (G2G) Meetings STAFF RECOMMENDATION / SUMMARY:
Appoint two (2) Councilmembers to participate in the next round of G2G consultations, with dates and topics yet to be determined.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND:
The Council conducted a round of G2G consultations in January 2026 with both the Trinidad Rancheria and Yurok Tribe.
Several ongoing items of mutual interest would benefit from continued G2G consultations. No meetings have yet been scheduled, but preparing in advance with appointed members will make the scheduling process more convenient. Staff requests the Council appoint two (2) members to participate in G2G consultations, with dates and topics yet to be determined.
Upon appointment, Staff will notify both tribal entities that City representatives have been selected and the logistics to settle on consultation dates can begin.
ATTACHMENTS
- City of Trinidad’s Tribal Consultation Policy
1 City of Trinidad Tribal Consultation Policy
(Government to Government Consultations)
I. Introduction
The purpose of this policy is to ensure effective government-to-government consultation between the City of Trinidad, a California incorporated city and local government (“City”), and Indian tribes regarding the development of policies, programs, projects, plans, property decisions, and activities (collectively, “Activities”) that may affect California Native American Tribes, their tribal lands and resources and community interests. The goal is to promote a mutually respectful discussion and consideration of the views of tribes in order to resolve the concerns of as many parties as possible, while at the same time recognizing the City’s commitment to transparent government and obligations to comply with the Ralph M. Brown Act (California Government Code Section 54950 et seq. (the “Brown Act”)).
The City is located adjacent to the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria (Trinidad Rancheria), a federally-recognized tribe of Yurok origin, and seeks to build a relationship based on mutual respect and understanding through meaningful engagement to foster improved relationships, partnership opportunities, and progress on shared goals. The City also recognizes that it is located within the aboriginal homeland of the Yurok people, and that significant tribal cultural resources are located within the City, and the City shall engage in consultation with all California Native American Tribes that are traditionally and culturally affiliated with the Tribal Cultural Resource that may be affected by proposed or anticipated actions or Activities of the City in accordance with applicable law.
II. Definitions
For purposes of this policy, the following definitions shall apply:
Activities: Means any action taken or to be taken by the City in connection with any project that is not excluded or exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and is connected with a proposed amendment to the City’s General Plan.
California Native American Tribe: Refers to a federally recognized Native American Tribe located within California, as listed in the Federal Register. Only in situations involving Tribal Cultural Resources will a non-federally recognized California Native American Tribe that is on the list maintained by the NAHC be included in this definition.
The NAHC will provide a list of non-federally recognized California Native American Tribes for each instance.
Consultation: Shall have the meaning defined in Section III of this policy, below.
Federally Recognized Tribe: A tribal entity that is recognized as having a governmentto-government relationship with the United States; these entities are listed on the Federal Register and the current list is posted on the California Governor’s Office of the Tribal 2 Advisor’s website, as the same may be amended from time to time (https://tribalaffairs.ca.gov/tribal-information/).
Tribal Cultural Resources: Shall have/has the same meaning as set forth in Public Resources Code Sec. 21074. Only in situations involving cultural resources will a nonfederally recognized California Native American Tribe that is on the list maintained by the NAHC be included in this Policy. The NAHC will provide a list of non-federally recognized California Native American Tribes for each instance where this Policy is applicable.
Tribal Sovereignty: Federally-recognized tribes are recognized in federal and state law as distinct, independent political communities exercising the powers of self-government with jurisdiction over the lands, natural and cultural resources, and activities of their tribal members, and under certain circumstances non-members, within their respective Tribal Lands. Some of these powers are inherent, and some have been delegated by the United States. Existing limitations on tribal sovereignty are defined through acts of Congress, treaties and federal court decisions.
Tribe: Refers to a California Native American Tribe or a Federally Recognized Tribe.
III. Process to Facilitate Government to Government Consultations The City will seek to identify Tribes that may be affected by City sponsored Activities, proposed or anticipated by the City, and to consult with the potentially affected Tribes at a time early in the process that allows a reasonable opportunity for Tribes to comment and participate. The City will develop a contact list for all Federally Recognized Tribes and known California Native American Tribes with interests on/within the City’s jurisdiction.
Where the City anticipates that an action or City sponsored Activities may affect Tribes, the City will disseminate public documents, notices, and sufficient information relevant to its Activities to affected Tribes to understand the scope and potential impact of the action or Activity and to make informed decisions. Notices shall be designed to include sufficient detail of the topic to be discussed to allow tribal leaders an opportunity to fully engage in the process. The City will identify the appropriate staff members and decision-makers, associated with the Activities in question, who shall ensure meaningful and respectful consideration of tribal concerns.
The City will seek to conduct meetings, outreach, and workshops at times and locations that facilitate tribal participation and meaningful and respectful consultation. The City will request information from Tribes when conducting research or studies that pertain to or could affect Tribal Lands or Tribal Cultural Resources. Pursuant to California Government Code § 65352.4 and applicable law, the City will engage in “government to government” consultation where required by California law, and specifically as required by California Government Code §§ 65351, 65352.3 and 65562.5. California Government Code § 65352.4 defines consultation as, “the meaningful and timely process of seeking, discussing, and considering carefully the views of others, in a manner that is cognizant of all parties' cultural values and, where feasible, seeking agreement. Consultation between government agencies and Native American tribes shall be conducted in a way that is mutually respectful of each party's sovereignty. Consultation shall also recognize the tribes' potential needs for confidentiality with respect to places that have traditional 3 tribal cultural significance.” Effective consultation is recognized as an ongoing process, not a single event. The consultation process should focus on identifying issues of concern to tribes pertinent to the cultural place(s) at issue, including cultural values, religious beliefs, traditional practices, and laws protecting Tribal Cultural Resources through mitigation measures and alternatives that avoid significant effects to the Tribal Cultural Resources. The goal of the consultation process on other matters will define the full range of acceptable ways in which a local government can seek to accommodate tribal concerns and establish partnerships that advance the shared interests of the Tribe and the City.
A. City Manager/City Planner as Tribal Liaison for Confidential Matters The City receives, from time to time, requests to consult from Tribes to discuss various matters, some of which are policy oriented and some of which pertain to site specific concerns regarding sensitive Tribal Cultural Resources and tribal access to public property for ceremonial purposes. In accord with California Public Resources Code § 21080.3.1, prior to the release of any negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration, or environmental impact report for a project within the City or for which the City serves as lead agency under the CEQA, the City shall follow the procedures and protocols established by Public Resources Code Sections 21080.3.1 and 21080.3.2 to facilitate effective government to government consultation with affected Tribes and mitigate against potential disturbance of culturally significant resources. The City Manager and City Planner shall act in the capacity as a tribal liaison during the course of any such consultation and shall ensure these discussions remain confidential to the extent required by applicable law. Any documents acquired from Tribes or created by City staff as part of this process shall be exempt from disclosure under the Public Records Act to the extent protected from disclosure by California law.
B. City Council or Committee Appointment for Review of Non-Confidential Subject Matter
Where a Tribe requests to meet with the City Council to address issues of public concern, the Tribe will be advised of the Council’s obligation to comply with the Brown Act. Where a Tribe requests to meet with the Council to discuss issues of general public concern, not subject to the confidentiality provisions regarding sensitive Tribal Cultural Resources and tribal access to public property for ceremonial purposes (which inquiries shall be directed to the City Manager and City Planner as noted in Section III.A., above), the City Council, in its discretion, will either: (i) place the public concern item on a regular meeting agenda of the full Council; or (ii) place on its agenda the formation of an Ad Hoc Committee or Standing Committee of the Council to facilitate the requested consultation. If an Ad Hoc Committee or Standing Committee is formed to facilitate the consultation, the meeting or meetings of the Committee shall be scheduled by a publicly noticed agenda and conducted in an open forum in compliance with the Brown Act.
IV. California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”) Consultation Protocol In accord with California Public Resources Code § 21080.3.1, prior to the release of any negative declaration, mitigated negative declaration, or environmental impact report for a project within the City and/or for which the City serves as lead agency under the CEQA, the City shall 4 follow the procedures and protocols established by Sections 21080.3.1 and 21080.3.2 to facilitate effective government to government consultation with affected Tribes and mitigate against potential disturbance of culturally significant resources. The City Manager and City Planner shall oversee administration of this policy and shall facilitate government to government consultation in compliance with CEQA and Section III.A., above.
V. Amendment of General Plan Consultation Protocol
Each time the City considers a proposal to adopt or amend the general plan or specific plan, the City will contact the appropriate California Native American Tribes identified by the NAHC. If requested by the Tribes, the City will consult for the purpose of preserving or mitigating impacts to cultural places in accordance with Government Code § 65352.3. The City will consider the following when determining whether a general plan or specific plan adoption or amendment is subject to notice and consultation requirements: (i) in the case of an applicantinitiated plan proposal, if the City accepts a complete application (as defined in Government Code § 65943) the proposal is subject to Government Code § 65352.3; and (ii) in the case of a general plan or specific plan amendment initiated by the local government, any proposal introduced for study in a public forum is subject to Government Code § 65352.3. The City will take certain actions to initiate, or propose, a general plan or general plan amendment. These actions must be taken in a duly noticed public meeting, and may include, but are not limited to, any of the following: appropriation of funds, adoption of a work program, engaging the services of a consultant, or directing the planning staff to begin research on the activity.
Under Government Code § 65352.3, only if a tribe is identified by the NAHC, and that tribe requests consultation after being contacted by a local government, must a local government consult with the tribe on the plan proposal. The City will seek to consult with Tribes as early as possible and may, if appropriate, begin consultation even before a formal proposal is submitted by an applicant or initiated by the local government.
VI. Disclaimers
This policy is intended solely for the guidance of employees of the City, Council Members, Committees and Commissions. It is not intended, and should not be construed, to define the legal relationship between the City and any Tribe. This policy is not intended to replace or supplant obligations mandated by federal or California law. The policy provides general guidance for improving City consultation, communication and collaboration with Tribes to the extent that a conflict does not exist with applicable law or regulations. This policy is not intended as a regulation, or to create, expand, limit, waive, or interpret any legal rights or obligations of the City.
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 3
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS WERE PROVIDED
3. Update/Discussion regarding January 03, 2026 Scenic Drive Water Leak Post Incident Report.
DISCUSSION/ACTION AGENDA
Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Item: Post Incident Update – January 03, 2026 Scenic Drive Water Leak
STAFF RECOMMENDATION / SUMMARY
Presentation item only. No decision required
STAFF PRESENT TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS DISCUSSION
Interim City Manager Gabriel Adams
Background: The emergency that occurred as a result of the January 03, 2026, Scenic Drive water leak has provoked community interest in the City’s water system’s resiliency. The Council was provided a detailed account of the incident on January 13, less than a week after the boil water notice was lifted. That discussion included management, technical, and operational staff to answer questions and help cap and bookmark the incident allowing staff to return to other priority tasks.
The purpose of this update is to acknowledge customer expectations of the City to operate a reliable water system, identify hindsight perspectives learned, and apply knowledge gained to short and long-term strategies to improve operational resiliency.
Accountability: On January 30, the City received a substantial public records request from a local reporter requesting copies of all emails, memos, texts and other communications among city staff, contractors and elected officials from Jan. 1, 2026 through Jan. 30, 2026 regarding the water leak that affected Trinidad in January 2026. On March 05 staff invited the reporter to tour the water plant to gain an understanding of how the system operates.
On February 03, Fifth District County Supervisor was quoted in local news outlets referring to the incident as “a comedy of errors” during a Board of Supervisors meeting discussion about the County’s drought plan.
At the February 10 Council meeting, two members of the public used the podium to express their frustration; one representing a local restaurant explaining how the conservation and boil water notices created a financial hardship that rippled through the community, while the other warned the Council not to use the incident as an excuse to consider alternative water sources.
At the conclusion of the February 10 meeting, Councilmember Waskiewicz suggested a future agenda item similar to post incident reporting on the Lahina, Paradise, and LA fires for future reference.
Initial Incident Response: The water line break occurred on a 6” PVC section of mainline on Scenic Drive, slightly outside the boundary of an unstable road segment that has been a suspected cause of prior leaks in 2024. A quarter section of the pipe, approximately 18” long ruptured near a union of hydrant tee, at the edge of a gravel shoulder, buried approximately 4’ deep. The water poured out the back of the saturated slope for hours before eventually saturating the ground and becoming visible from the road.
The City has a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition System (SCADA), which is aa computerized interface for high-level supervision of water system components. According to SCADA system data, the tanks were full at approximately 1:30am on Saturday, January 03 when the initial leak began.
The Verbatim phone alarm system wasn’t triggered until the pipe ruptured at approximately 3:30am during an atmospheric river downpour that brought over an inch of rain during the overnight hours. The extreme weather event lasted all day, with sustained south winds gusting between 30-40 mph. The leak location was discovered at approximately 6:55am, and isolated at approximately 7:45am. Approximately 70,000 gallons of water per hour were lost when the pipe ruptured.
The Verbatim phone alarm system began cycling calls to water operators each hour beginning at 3:00am. The operator on duty, Say-gep Brown, Saturday acknowledged the alarm at
approximately 6:00am. Management evaluated communications received, alerted operators just before 7:00am of the situation, and directed staff to mobilize.
Mobilization procedures included reviewing SCADA logs, getting eyes on the water tanks to verify storage levels, eliminating technical glitches in communication systems due to unstable utility power during the overnight hours, visually inspecting the distribution system, verifying the reported leak site, and rule out the possibility of multiple leak points.
In summary, while running numerous scenarios and analysis evaluating the minimum time this incident would have required under optimal circumstances, staff determined that it would have taken at least 3 hours from first alarm notice to sufficiently review the data and gather input needed to determine the gravity of the situation and execute a response plan.
By comparison, it took water department staff just over 4.5 hours from initial response to stabilization, during the overnight hours in extreme weather conditions. Considering the unprecedented set of circumstances surrounding the incident, including the fact that our team of young operators have never experienced a leak of this size and scope, the response was outstanding.
Stabilize and Evaluate: In order to stabilize the system, staff acted quickly to analyze variables and challenges ahead, starting a thorough evaluation to rule out further damages to system components, verifying the water quality remaining in the distribution system, replenishing water storage, and restoring service to all customers affected by the line break.
As reported in the January 13 Council meeting packet, the City Manager initiated the emergency water shortage ordinance protocol, handled Council & Staff communication and public outreach, mobilized water trucking companies, and immediately hired a contractor to repair the leak site.
Contract Chief Plant Operator Eric Sanders evaluated the incident scenario, possible distribution system impacts, and raw water treatment challenges. He implemented the turbidity exceedance and boil water notices, contacted County Health and State Water officials, and handled all aspects of regulatory compliance.
Water Operators used every tool at their disposal, working round the clock escorting water deliveries to the tank, conducting routine water sampling and testing, and performed maintenance on equipment to ensure optimal plant performance was achieved. They also contacted prior in-house and contract operators for additional guidance and wisdom considering they had never experienced a situation of this magnitude and wanted to make sure they had as much information as possible at their disposal.
As stated in the January 13 Council report, the Emergency Intertie Project was only weeks away from reaching the final construction phase, but it was not operational during this incident.
In an effort to fully understand our capabilities, management contacted neighboring water agency officials to run real-time comparative scenario analysis for contemplation in anticipation of public discussions.
In summary, considering that the City has been working diligently since 2023 to rebuild the entire operation staff from scratch, with three of the four operators have less than 2.5 years of experience in this profession, and three of the four receiving their T2 certifications within the last 18 months, this dedicated team responded fast, professionally, thoughtfully, and in a manner that deserves recognition by the community it serves.
Recover and Report:
The boil water notice was lifted after state water regulators required two consecutive, bacteria-free samples in the 72-hour sampling period spanning January 04-07. Water operators maintained 24-hour coverage of the treatment plant from January 03-11 when the conservation alert was lifted. Several staff meetings were held to evaluate the incident, focus on areas of improvement, and identify possible grant projects that aim to prevent or minimize incidents and recovery time. A full report was presented to the Council on January 13 with all staff present for questioning.
In summary, the water system recovered from a full storage loss in 7.5 days. Although equipment failure added approximately one day to the optimal recovery timeline, the maximum pumping intake and treatment rating for this plant, under a conservation alert in January, with Luffenholtz Creek in a highly turbid condition, would have taken a minimum of six (6) full days to recover from, leaving the water storage in a vulnerable state for at least four (4) days following a full storage system loss.
Furthermore, incident reporting transparency provides leadership the best tools for governing when impacts ripple beyond convenience. The economic impacts of these situations are real, and provide excellent reference for capital improvement prioritization, budgeting, and long-range planning.
Improvements/Enhanced Procedures: Several internal procedure improvements have been initiated following the January 03 event, along with short and long-term equipment improvements identified:
- Operators have updated their procedure requiring the on-call operator to carry an independent water alarm phone.
- Enhanced pre-storm checklists reviewed in preparation incoming weather that has real potential to damage the facility, distribution system, and spike raw water turbidity. - Continued collaboration with the City Engineer and Grant team to consider developing infrastructure improvements that;
o Will help make trucking water to the tanks more efficient. o Provide power to the tank site to enable remote valve operation. o Reduce treatment complications during periods of extreme turbidity. - Develop procedures with detailed troubleshooting outlines for unprecedented, rapid loss of pressure response protocols.
Conclusions: The unprecedented nature and magnitude of this event was a learning experience for all of us.
There has not been a pipe rupture of this significance in several decades. The City’s water treatment plant was built in 1970, and the distribution system is a mix of pipe ranging from new, to over 70 years old, with segments along Scenic Drive being vulnerable to erosion.
The City lost a T3 Operator in 2021 who was the last in a 40-year institutional wisdom chain, leaving the City with no choice but to hire an outside contractor at the tail end of the Covid pandemic. The City chose to not spare any expense that would compromise public health, and in doing so depleted the reserves in a short period of time.
In 2023 the City began hiring a new bench of water operators in training, led by a homegrown employee Kyle Shipman, to rebound from the dark period and shortage of qualified T3 operators that were skilled enough and willing to handle the demands of the aging Luffenholtz Creek treatment facility. The City began training operators in 2024, and in 2025 three of the four obtained T2 status, with one achieving T3 level certification in February.
In October 2024, following six months of conducting the first water rate study since 2012, the City knowingly implemented a new rate structure that did not achieve the financial goals necessary to meet operating benchmarks, reserve targets, and capital improvement needs, due to strong affordability concerns expressed by customers. The rates were characterized as sufficient to “stop the bleeding”, but would not achieve necessary funding to adequately meet medium and long-range improvement needs.
Your water team is young, engaged, creative, dedicated, and hard-working. They are heros in the sense that they utilize the resources they are given to do everything in their power to deliver safe, reliable drinking water to every customers tap, 24/7, 365 days a year. The City is invested in their success, and situations like this, although unfortunate, cultivate experienced operators that will be more valuable as a result.
Presentation item only. No decision required.
Press Release: City of Trinidad Provides Update on January Scenic Drive Water Leak Trinidad, CA – March 10, 2026 — The City of Trinidad has released a post-incident update regarding the water main rupture that occurred on Scenic Drive on January 3, 2026. City officials say the incident, while significant, demonstrated the dedication of the City’s water operations team and has already led to improvements that will strengthen the system’s resilience in the future.
The rupture occurred during a severe overnight storm and atmospheric river event that brought heavy rainfall and winds to the area. A six-inch PVC water main failed near Scenic Drive at approximately 3:30 a.m., resulting in the loss of an estimated 70,000 gallons of water per hour until the leak was isolated shortly before 8:00 a.m.
City staff mobilized after water plant alarm systems alerted operators and the severity of the leak became clear.
Water operators reviewed system data, inspected storage tanks and the distribution network, and located the rupture site despite challenging weather conditions. The leak was stabilized approximately 4.5 hours after the response began.
To protect public health, the City implemented emergency water shortage protocols and issued boil water and conservation notices while crews worked to restore the system. For several days following the leak, water operators maintained 24-hour coverage at the treatment plant, coordinated water deliveries, conducted extensive water testing, and worked closely with County health officials and state regulators.
Following required testing and verification of water quality, the boil water notice was lifted after two consecutive bacteria-free samples were confirmed. Full system recovery took approximately 7.5 days, which City officials say was consistent with the operational limits of the treatment facility and winter conditions in Luffenholtz Creek.
City leaders emphasized that the incident occurred during extraordinary circumstances and praised the response of the water operations team.
“Our operators responded quickly and professionally under difficult conditions,” the City Manager, Gabriel Adams, said in the report. “Their work ensured that safe drinking water service was restored as quickly as possible.”
The City also noted that the event provided valuable lessons that are already shaping operational improvements.
Several new procedures have been implemented, including:
• Operators have updated their procedure requiring the on-call operator to carry an independent water alarm phone.
• Enhanced pre-storm checklists reviewed in preparation incoming weather that has real potential to damage the facility, distribution system, and spike raw water turbidity. • Continued collaboration with the City Engineer and Grant team to consider developing infrastructure improvements that;
o Will help make trucking water to the tanks more efficient. o Provide power to the tank site to enable remote valve operation. o Reduce treatment complications during periods of extreme turbidity. • Develop procedures with detailed troubleshooting outlines for unprecedented, rapid loss of pressure response protocols.
The City’s water treatment plant was built in 1970 and portions of the distribution system are more than 70 years old. Officials say the incident underscores the importance of continued investment in water infrastructure and long-term system resiliency.
“Trinidad’s water operators are a dedicated and growing team committed to delivering safe and reliable drinking water to the community every day,” said, Mayor Cheryl Kelly. “Events like this, while unfortunate, strengthen experience and improve preparedness for the future.”
The City previously presented an initial briefing to the City Council on January 13 and continues to evaluate infrastructure improvements and funding opportunities to enhance the system.
For additional information, residents may contact the City of Trinidad.
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 4
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS WERE PROVIDED
4. Mid-Year Budget Review/Discussion/Update.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Interim City Manager Gabriel Adams
AGENDA TITLE
4. Mid-Year FY 2025-26 Budget Update
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Accept Mid-Year FY 2025-26 Budget Update, acknowledging prior year amendments and expenditures implemented this fiscal year, and direct staff to proceed preparing for the FY2027 budget season.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
The purpose of this discussion is to provide a mid-year review of the FY2026 Budget approved on June 10, 2025, and to allow for questions or budget adjustments as needed.
The attached document titled “General Fund Operating Revenue vs. Expenses” was presented to the Council in June 2025 as a tool to summarize and incorporate all the individual funds that reflect the ‘big picture’ of the City’s financial expectations for FY2026. It also included notes and adjustments that could be made should the Council desire to evaluate the cost of providing those services. These notes also were designed to be reminders so certain projects wouldn’t get overlooked, and as a road map for certain discretionary items and/or projects that were approved.
Please note that a few significant, large payments are expected to be received in the coming months that are not reflected in the January reports such as a COPS Grant payments, the Property Tax installment from the County, several Sales Tax payments, and the quarter-ending March 31 Transient Occupancy Tax payments.
Many of the line-item revenues and expenses are shown proportionate to this point in the fiscal year (6 months out of 12 or 50%). However, many revenues or expenses that don’t appear to be reported may only occur at certain times during the year. The statements are very useful but may require additional insight to fully understand. This is your opportunity to ask questions as needed.
Overall, the Council’s efforts in June 2025 to recognize approved budget are mostly following the expected trend with a few exceptions. The good news is the FY2026 revenues budget is as forecasted and will likely remain predictable and on track through the remainder of the year for both the General Funds and Special/Restricted accounts. Of course, there is always the caveat that unforeseen events could change this forecast.
The adopted budget included an accurate assessment of FY2026, projecting conservative spending in a healthy manner. The General Fund has been building over the last 5-years due to a combination of robust economic activity affecting the 95570 area thanks to the voter approved tax measure and an increase in tourism, increasing property values, and a resilient tax base. The actuals are slightly ahead of the forecast for Approved FY2026 budget
GENERAL FUND:
Four primary expense funds (Administration, Police, Fire, and Public Works) are supported by discretionary revenue received through taxes and fees for service.
One hot spot to monitor is the City Attorney and consultant fees (Planning & Engineering) related to the trial litigation, with expenses projected to bloom considerably in advance and during the court hearings. These line items are projected to nearly double from what was originally budgeted, with substantial offsets being carried by management and special projects positions carrying a large portion of the consolidated staffing loads.
WATER FUND
One of the main areas of focus for the FY2026 budget was to provide a continued effort to stabilize the Water Fund. As a reminder, the Water Fund is considered an “enterprise” or “special revenue” fund. This means that it must sustain itself completely through user (customer) rates. The Council, by resolution, made a very rare, onetime $300,000 infusion of general fund revenues to the stabilize the Water Fund in FY2025 after high operating costs depleted the 1.2 million the capital reserve.
Also in FY2025 the Council implemented new water rates beginning October 01, 2024. The rate increased 10% nine months later on July 01, 2025. The rates are scheduled to continue to increase 10% on July 01 for the next three years.
The City has continued its reliance on the contracted T3 Interim Water Plant Operator service, hired on March 19, 2025 to replace Coleman Engineering. Relief will soon come when in-house operator Carl Anderson receives confirmation back from the State Water Board that his certification application has been issued. The City is currently paying interim, contracted CPO Eric Sanders $4,000/month.
An in-depth technical analysis of the water fund is currently underway, so before sharing any thoughts or preliminary conclusions with this report, staff will wait to provide this information when RCAC completes their study.
REVENUES:
Sales and Occupancy taxes are reporting slightly below projections.
Sales Tax as of January 31: $174,193 (Approved budget of $385,000) Transient Occupancy Tax: $92,613 (Approved budget of $225,000) Property Taxes (first installment) have not been received and recorded to the financial statements yet.
Revenue sources are monitored and managed with the following objectives in mind:
• Monitor reserves and cash-flow needs in a manner that maximizes interest earning potential. • New water rates are being accrued and analyzed for impact on the Water Enterprise funds budgets • Maintain public buildings and important city assets such as trails and recreation infrastructure. Town Hall improvement project is near completion. $140k estimate. • Salary incentives were implemented with the Compensation and Classification Study adopted in November 2025. Staff will be analyzing the next quarter financial statements to help determine the next strategic phase of the salary alignment process.
• Cover increasing costs due to State of Federal mandates and regulations. Use of grant funds, enterprise funds and General Funds as needed or required.
• Utilize for cash-flow needs during peak grant project outflow demand periods.
MID-YEAR FY2026 BUDGET AMENDMENTS
The following budget amendments were approved by the Council in FY2025, and FY2026. Budget adjustments will be made and reflected in the quarter ending March 31 statements to aid in final FY2027 budget development; - Town Hall Building Fund 201/78160, $140,000 (Windows, Rot Repair, Painting, etc.) - Fire Fund 401/75300, $20,000 contribution to CSA 4 Fire Planning - Water Fund 601/78190, approximately $40k offset to expenses from Measure Z grant award. - Water Fund 601/75300, approximately $30k over due to bulk water purchase on January 03 leak.
ATTACHMENTS
- FY2026 Budget Summary
- January 2026 Financial Statements
FY2025-26 General Fund Summary - Operating Revenue vs. Expenses REVENUE Budget Actual
General Fund Revenue Projection: $ 913,975 $ - *CIRA grants available as needed Cemetery Plot Purchases $ 30,000 $ -
Humboldt Sanitation Franchise Fees $ 12,500 $ -
TDA Transfer-In for TPW Labor $ 11,248 $ - *Reserve funds available as needed Total Revenue $ 967,723 $ -
EXPENSES
General Fund Admin $ 615,784 $ -
Public Works $ 284,709 $ -
Fire $ 26,850 $ - *Transition fund place-holder included Police $ 25,667 $ - *Private security option included
Cemetery $ 26,773 $ -
Waste Management $ 12,500 $ -
Total Expenses $ 992,283 $ -
Balance $ (24,560) $ - *Reserve funds dedicated to cover this Highlights:
General Fund Funds a significant portion of the following positions:
City Manager, City Clerk, Project Manager, Asst. Clerk & Consultants.
Provides staffing to meet increased regulations and higher government mandates.
Legal support to address ongoing litigation and consulting challenges.
General service level increases with full-time staff.
Continued support of Library, Museum, Land Trust
Continued progress on the General Plan Update
Continued commitment to optimize fees for services to sustain.
Includes 3% pay increase determined by the City Manager.
Public Safety Contract renewal with HCSO for full-time 24/7 coverage Budget includes 1248 hours of funding for private security Emphasis on enforcement of current laws and increased public safety challenges.
Public Safety paid entirely with COPS Funding (HCSO Coverage/Animal Control/PCS) CERT $3,500 included for program expenses.
Public Works Includes (1) FT Public Works Supervisor, and (2) maintenance workers Provides support to STIP and other grant funded construction projects underway Provides for City Engineer to oversee regional funding sources. $10,000 set aside for Trail Maintenance projects per Trails Comm.
Pays for ongoing, routine trail maintenance and supplies.
Pays for street lighting, routine building maintenance, and energy costs.
Reserve funds committed for larger-scale Town Hall improvements.
Staff reduction from 2.0 FTE to 1.8 FTE
Water Fund New T3 Consultant Contract with fixed cost of $4,000/month.
Revenue includes new rates adopted October 2024, and will be monitored closely.
Includes (1) Chief Operator, (3) Shift Operators/OIT's. 1.5 FTE.
Luffenholtz Creek Flow monitoring and reporting
$25,000 allocated for priority valve replacements and/or distribution line breaks Overall operating expense reduction of $60k.
Measure Z $40k award for water plant equipment replacement Streets/Roads Special Revenue Funds (Gas Tax, TDA, RMRA) used as needed.
No special projects budgeted at this time, but funds are available.
TDA Funds in reserve can be transferred to General Fund to offset TPW labor.
Reserve Funding Town Hall Exterior Wash and Trim Paint, and deck repair.
Town Hall Window Replacement Project - reserve funded.
Grant Projects
Fund Grant Award Grant
215 $ 200,000 LCP Update Grant 3 Coastal Commission
218 $ 75,000 CalRecycle SB1383 Assistance Grant 2
532 $ 825,800 HSIP Street Improvements
533 $ 177,000 OGALS Per Capita
535 $ 800,000 STIP Patricks Point & Scenic Drive
607 $ 2,000,000 MBDRP Intertie (with Westhaven CSD)
Rate Adjustments/Optimization 2% Transient Occupancy Tax Increase (from 10% to 12%) Water Rate Anaylsis
Building Permit Fee Schedule Update (in-progress, June 2025) Cemetery Plots; Rate Analysis/Adjustment (in-progress, July 2025) ...to help fund and secure future northern expansion.
Planning Admin Fee; 5-10% for in-house Staff time cost recovery Bench Policy Implementation; (30) benches at $1k each
Big Picture / Future Planning
Water Source Alternatives
Annexation Discussion
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 5
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS WERE PROVIDED
5. Staff Activity Report – February 2026.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, Interim City Manager
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM: Staff Activity Report – February 2026 STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Review content, discuss, and receive public input.
DRAFT MOTION TO CONSIDER: Accept Staff Activity Report for February 2026.
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025 SUMMARY
- STAFF PRODUCTIVITY
o ADMINISTRATION: Management focus shifted in February to existing litigation (City of Trinidad vs. Tsurai Ancestral Society et. al) with a trial date scheduled to begin in early March. A considerable amount of time has been dedicated by the City Attorney, City Planner, Engineer, City Manager, Mayor, and Mayor Pro-Tem preparing for this trial.
The City Manager has also spent a considerable amount of time responding to public records requests made by a local reporter investigating the January 03 Scenic Drive water leak incident, responding to various complaints and inquiries, managing cash flow needs, and dedicating countless hours with Grant and Engineering staff wrapping up the final phase of the Trinidad-Westhaven Emergency Intertie grant.
Administrative support staff has been handling the day-to-day business at Town Hall and finalizing the Short-Term Rental permit renewal process. All but three permits have successfully fulfilled the renewal requirements.
The management/clerk position continues to require 50 high-frequency hours/week to meet the demands of both positions. Support staff also has to operate at a high-level while juggling several projects in various stages of completion. The team is looking forward to beginning recruitment for the vacant grant coordinator position as soon as time allows.
TOWN HALL PHONE COMMUNICATIONS: Approximately 5 weeks ago, the City was notified by members of the public that they were having trouble connecting incoming calls with Town Hall land line.
After a quick investigation, Interim City Manager Adams discovered it was isolated to Verizon cell callers trying to reach the City’s AT&T landline. After several attempts to reach both Verizon and ATT communication engineers, Verizon determined that the mystery problem was on their end (switchboard and trunking). It came to our attention over a week ago that the School and various restaurants in town were having the same issue. The problem was resolved in early March. o FINANCE: Routine bi-weekly payroll, weekly invoice payables, and monthly cash flow analysis is performed to ensure the City’s revenues are invested appropriately while preserving adequate resources for ongoing construction invoices for the Intertie and Tank & Pipeline projects.
Financial statements included in the March meeting packet indicate business as predicted this time of year, with no anomalies or areas of concern that aren’t anticipated. There are a few invoices paid that inflate the budget – such as the Town Hall window replacement. The adjustments will be made during the mid-year budget review, and reflected in the statements showing a transfer in of funds from reserve, balancing the budget-to-actual percentages stated.
General Fund Admin, Police, Fire, and Public Works are right on target with wages, currently showing expenses proportional to the number of months that have passed since the beginning of the fiscal year, July
01. Some of the savings are attributed to the grant coordinator position that has not yet been filled, and from the currently merged Manager/Clerk positions. The savings will compound further at the end of the fiscal year when the grant payroll allocation is applied.
The Water Fund is currently under an in-depth review which began in late February. The City has been tasked with assembling financial data from the prior and current fiscal years, and sharing it with RCAC to kick-off the analysis. The City received a minor Technical Assistance grant award last month to fund a deep-dive into the current water fund budget status, in hindsight from the October 2024 rate implementation. 60 hours of RCAC staff time will be used to determine if the rates are performing as intended. We’re lucky enough to have Samantha Ryan back to conduct this analysis with the City Manager.
Results will be presented to the Council in March.
With mid-year approaching and a watchful eye on the budget, we can focus our attention at upcoming budget meetings on bigger picture strategies.
o PUBLIC WORKS: In addition to their daily routine, Public Works staff continued significant oversight to the Intertie Project, maintained city storm drain systems, performed routine public space and trail maintenance, and provided support during the Town Hall painting projects. o STREETLIGHTS: The City’s streetlights have been struggling for the past 2-years to function properly.
Countless troubleshooting calls have been made to PG&E to assess the lights and repair or upgrade as needed. The lights are owned and maintained by PG&E, with energy bills with a built-in maintenance component charge paid for by the City on a monthly basis. PG&E technicians reported the lighting is aged and components are becoming obsolete. With that in mind they have sourced a new, upgraded light head that will be installed and tested as soon as their schedule allows. If it works, then all lights in town will be upgraded. If the trial upgrade fails, PG&E will have to replace all the lights entirely. The lights in the Saunders Park area are City owned. Negotiations are underway with PG&E to take over ownership and maintenance of these lights making all City streetlights PG&E’s responsibility. o WATER: In addition to performing daily routine water sampling, staff focused on delivering high quality water to all customers during several winter storms in February. Enhanced procedures were implemented in advance, during, and following big storm events. Luffenholtz Creek’s dynamic condition during heavy rain events requires constant monitoring and response. Groundwater saturation impacts to vulnerable areas of the distribution system continue to threaten the City’s ability to maintain reliability desired by its customer base.
Humboldt County Measure Z grant funding application cycle opened. The City presented several maintenance items on a wish list totaling $17k (on March 05) that were not approved.
As the City reaches closer to having full control of the water system in-house, we anticipate continued reliance on an outside agent, third party T3 contractor to ensure compliance with State water laws.
Management is exploring local options with neighboring water agencies to provide this service, through a mutual aid agreement, until such time the City is fully independent with certified operators. Currently operating with T3 Contractor Eric Sanders providing his service for a flat fee of $4k/month. In-house staff member Carl Anderson (T3 in training) passed exam several months ago, has fulfilled the amount of hours required to serve in the T2 capacity, and documentation has been sent to the State Water Board for review. We anticipate receiving certification confirmation within the next month. Upon receipt of this highly anticipated certification, the City will consider Anderson’s promotion and compensation package in line with the recently adopted classification and compensation study. Kyle Shipman (T2) and Say-gep Brown (T2) are studying for their Distribution exam (date yet to be determined)
Dereck Shadle is expecting to take his T2 as soon as possible. o PLANNING: Met for their regular meeting on February 18. Discussion focus was planning project prioritization.
o ENGINEERING: City Engineer Steve Allen and Construction Manager Dagan Short have been overseeing the Emergency Intertie Project. Grant Administrator Angela Cather has been consumed by the project close-out phase, and complications with final invoicing, construction close-outs, reporting, and a bonus breakout of mold/mildew occurring in the unventilated building has triggered additional chaos at the very last minute. Design Engineer PACE is addressing the issue with WCSD and looking into possible remedies to this very serious issue that has the potential to compromise all the electrical components housed in the structure.
o BUILDING: City Building Inspector Dan Dimick has kept busy handling routine inquiries, progress inspections on active projects through town. Several construction projects are occurring this winter including two new residential homes, and preparation of the Yurok Indian Housing Authority’s 5-unit project site on Westhaven Drive.
STOP WORK ORDER: A Stop-Work Order has been issued to Charles Garth at his property located at 1 North Westhaven Drive (corner of Westhaven Drive and Frontage Road). Numerous complaints have been issued regarding unpermitted construction on the property, excessive vehicle storage, and unpermitted/over occupancy of a facility zoned public & religious. (See photo).
o CEMETERY: Routine burials of pre-purchased plots in February. Two, incity resident plot sales were recorded. - FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS UNDER DEVELOPMENT
o Underground Utilities: Staff engaged with Underground Utility Project Specialists at PG&E in an effort to coordinate a presentation for the Council at a future meeting. Due to other pressing matters, this task has been postponed until later this year or when time allows.
o Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District, RFP: On July 08, 2025 the City Council directed staff with the following motion: Motion (Kelly/Breckenridge) to direct staff to proceed with a comparative analysis and feasibility study that evaluates the two options for water provisioning in the City of Trinidad: 1) connection to HBMWD in partnership with the Trinidad Rancheria or independently; 2) continuing to operate its own independent municipal water plant. The study should include comparative long-term costs, developmental (growth) impacts, environmental factors, regulatory/legal guidelines, technical/engineering and operational requirements. Staff will bring the RFP for the study back to the Council for final review and seek grant money to fund. Passed 3-2. Yes – Kelly, Breckenridge, Varela. No – Kenny, Tuttle.
The former City Manager made an attempt to visualize a path forward prior to his resignation effective August 28, but nothing concrete materialized. Staff invested time in September to revisit this topic and strategize next steps. After several meetings with technical staff and a follow up with HBMWD General Manager Michiko Mares, staff has received enough information to reprioritize the task given by the Council on July 08, and assemble the findings into either an actionable item for consideration prior to the end of year, or a meaningful update that will give the Council an opportunity to help fine-tune or steer the proposal.
Certain preliminary tasks have been distributed among staff to begin developing materials to support the next phase of discussion that will support carrying out the motion in the most efficient manner. City Planner Trever Parker developed some preliminary findings associated with the potential growth inducing impacts (concerns) from a connection to Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District. The report is attached as a supplemental document to this staff activity report, and is intended as an introduction to the research gathered following concerns raised during the July 08 meeting. This document and many others will be added to more information leading up to any actionable item reached during this process. City Grant Administrator Angela Cather was tasked with narrowing down grant funding opportunities available to the City for comparative analysis, or RFP’s that focus on consolidation projects. Cather’s report is also attached as a supplement to the staff activity report. City Engineer Steve Allen was tasked with reviewing several prior memos drafted by GHD over the last 20 years specifically comparing operation of the City’s water plant to an alternate source through HBMWD over the long-term.
Interim City Manager Adams was tasked with an introductory meeting with HBMWD GM Michiko Mares, and to help connect the dots and strategize next steps that are in sync with the July 08 motion, and a realistic timeline and funding options.
November 2025 update: HBMWD General Manager Michiko Mares reached out to the City to notify staff and Council of an upcoming presentation to the Board of Directors entitled “Overview of Next Steps for Proposed North Mainline Extension – Informational Presentation. City Staff will attend. Council and anyone interested in this topic are also encouraged to attend.
HBMWD’s November 13 Board packet and agenda are available on their website, along with the videoconference participation link (on the agenda cover). The meeting begins at 9:00am on Thursday:
https://www.hbmwd.com/2025-11-13-board-of-directors-meeting Staff will consider information presented at this meeting into its formula for determining how best to approach revisiting the Council’s July 08 direction to conduct a comparative/feasibility study.
MARCH 10, 2026 Update: Although the calendar update presented at the February 10 Council meeting included this month to host the feasibility discussion, other priorities have taken precedent along with a need for staff to gather more information. The topic will be postponed at least another month or so. - GRANT PROJECTS
o Trinidad-Westhaven Emergency Intertie Project: Construction concluded successfully on deadline January 15. Grant staff is working on final grant reporting. o Per Capita Parks & Recreation: The Racquet Court improvement project was rejected by Council in July.
Staff shifted attention to utilizing these funds to develop a shovel ready repair plan for the decaying boardwalk-sidewalk surface leading down Edwards Street from Van Wycke to the Harbor. The City failed to achieve a land tenure agreement with the Rancheria due to an issue discussed at the special meeting on August 06. The City filed a right-of-way use application to the BIA as directed by the Rancheria. Staff filed the completed application with the BIA as advised, but without familiarity with such process, we are unable to forecast a timeline for approval. The BIA responded in February, simply confirming receipt of the application and notifying the City that the project has been assigned to a staff member named in the letter.
We will update the Council regularly as information is received. o HSIP (2025 CROSSWALK IMPROVEMENT PROJECT). The City received the grant closeout payment of approximately $630k at the end of January.
- TRIBAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTATIONS: No consultations pending. An agenda item will be considered on March 10 to appoint two new Councilmembers to conduct ad-hoc consultations as needed in the coming months ahead.
- TRAILS:
• ALMT: There has been no progress or updated activity on the appeal. Old Home Beach shoreline erosion concerns overshadowed any possible movement towards consensus on this topic, followed by the March trial date for the existing litigation. All discussions with the Coastal Commission on this subject has been tabled as a result.
• GALINDO TRAIL: There has been revived chatter on social media to urge the city to close this trail, but the ongoing, unresolved ALMT issue will overshadow any attention that could be devoted to this discussion. - PUBLIC SAFETY
o HSCO Reports/Statistics: A full list of calls/stats for February are included in the meeting packet. o The call ratio based on all stats is approximately 3:1 County/City for the “Trinidad Coverage Area” included. - CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS UNDERWAY
o Town Hall Painting: Hamanaka Painting has done a tremendous job painting the Town Hall. Their crew is skilled and professional. The new front porch treatment was completed. The City Manager is anticipating a discussion with the painters to resolve the concerns raised by several members of the public that the top decorative blue trim on the fascade is unattractive.
o The Town Hall sign is getting a refresh from Victory Signs. A threeweek turn-around time is expected.
STAFF REPORT SUPPLEMENTAL
Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2026
Background Info: 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. As we enter into the summer low-flow months, the focus of these reports (during the dry 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 323 customer meters, measured in cubic feet (7.48 gallons = 1 cubic foot).
July 2021 251,168 cuft January 2022 189,201
July 2022 198,081 January 2023 154,543
July 2023 223,806 January 2024 148,407
July 2024 264,491 January 2025 131,229
July 2025 292,315 (17.37% Water Loss) January 2026 128,006 (16.59% Water Loss) August 2021 269,771 February 2022 154634
August 2022 227,681 February 2023 136,626
August 2023 265,808 February 2024 132,690
August 2024 233,215 February 2025 131,537
August 2025 218,593 (19.53% Water Loss) February 2026 122,728 (18.59% Water Loss) September 2021 227,831 March 2021 187,607
September 2022 216,470 March 2022 184,103
September 2023 200,348 March 2023 152,813
September 2024 200,050 March 2024 125,188
September 2025 208,873 (19.32% Water Loss) March 2025 136,579 (22.52% Water Loss) October 2021 203,176 April 2021 192,287
October 2022 180,065 April 2022 173,115
October 2023 188,335 April 2023 145,504
October 2024 206,875 April 2024 176,413
October 2025 206,839 (23.22% Water Loss) April 2025 171,808 (17.31% Water Loss) November 2021 204,438 May 2021 242,529
November 2022 169,144 May 2022 154,634
November 2023 151,914 May 2023 211,380
November 2024 159,316 May 2024 182,738
November 2025 151,829 (9.13% Water Loss) May 2025 216,497 (10.83% Water Loss) December 2021 201,160 June 2021 269,087
December 2022 170,419 June 2022 233,692
December 2023 122,937 June 2023 209,336
December 2024 159,299 June 2024 229,339
December 2025 157,803 (14.27% Water Loss) June 2025 203,350 (23.71% Water Loss) Water sold (consumed) in February hit a 5-year record low, showing signs that the 3-year downward trend following Covid are back in line with typical winter occupancy rates. 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.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Angela Cather, Grants Department
AGENDA ITEM: Staff Activities Report - Grant Opportunities for a Comparative Analysis and Feasibility Study in Connection with Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
The following information is provided as supplemental information for the staff activities report based on City Council’s direction at the July 8, 2025, meeting regarding a consideration of connecting to Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND:
Staff sought out grant funding opportunities in response to the City Council’s motion to: “Proceed with a comparative analysis and feasibility study that evaluates the two options for water provisioning in the City of Trinidad: 1) connection to HBMWD in partnership with the Trinidad Rancheria or independently; 2) continuing to operate its own independent municipal water plant. The study should include comparative long-term costs, developmental (growth) impacts, environmental factors, regulatory/legal guidelines, technical/engineering and operational requirements. Staff will bring the RFP for the study back to the Council for final review and seek grant money to fund. Passed 3-2. Yes – Kelly, Breckenridge, Varela. No – Kenny, Tuttle,” and found two promising funding opportunities: the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program and the SAFER (Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience) Program. Both programs are funded by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB).
*To ensure full eligibility, City staff sent the full City Council motion to the SWRCB, who confirmed that all items we are seeking to fund are eligible.*
More about the programs:
Drinking Water State Revolving Fund Program: The program is in place to assist public water systems in financing the cost of drinking water infrastructure and planning projects needed to achieve or maintain compliance with the Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) requirements.
The State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) – Division of Finance Assistance, confirmed that a comparative analysis and feasibility study are funding eligible items. The SWRCB also confirmed that the City of Trinidad qualifies for up to 100% grant forgiveness for a planning project.
SAFER Program: The program was established from the Safe and Affordable Drinking Water (SADW) Fund that provides yearly funding to aim to reach sustainable operations for all the State’s drinking water systems and is a critical element for achieving the goals of safe, accessible, and affordable water for all Californians. As the City of Trinidad is listed as a small, at-risk water system, we are eligible for up to 100% of planning costs being covered by consolidation and drought resiliency.
Technical Assistance: Additionally, while the City is eligible for grant funding, eligibility does not equal approval of an application. With that in mind, it would be in the City’s interest to submit a Request for Technical Assistance (TA) application. If submitted, a TA provider may be assigned to the City to assist in submitting a planning application and navigating the application portal.
Why are we eligible for both programs?
The City of Trinidad is listed as a small, At-Risk water system (see attachment).
Why are we considered At-Risk?
We fall under all four categories for the “Drivers of Risk” per the State Water Resources Control Board:
• Water Quality (Medium Risk)
• Accessibility (High Risk)
• Affordability (High Risk)
• Technical Managerial Financial Capacity (TMFC) (Medium Risk).
To note, while having an intertie with Westhaven Community Services District in place may decrease our Accessibility Risk Factor, we need to remember that the intertie is only to be used in an emergency. The intertie is not in place to serve as an indefinite replacement to our water system if it fails.
What is the application deadline?
The SWRCB is always accepting applications for both programs, so there is no hard deadline to apply.
Other funding options available:
• USDA – The Water and Environmental Programs – Rural Development. The chance of getting 100% funding is much lower, if at all possible. Additionally, in many cases, funding would be via a loan or require a 25% match. • FEMA – First there would have to be a declared disaster in the area, and then the City would have to explain how our project reduces risk from natural disasters, including a benefit-cost analysis. Clarity of what type of funding is available (a loan or grant) is unclear currently for planning projects. • Department of Water Resources (DWR) – While we did not have a match for either DWR projects, there usually is a required match, and at this time there are no available grants.
ATTACHMENTS
• SAFER Dashboard – City of Trinidad Risk Status
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, October 14, 2025
TO: Trinidad City Council
FROM: Trever Parker, City Planer
AGENDA ITEM: Staff Activities Report: Preliminary Staff Findings on Potential Growth Inducing Impacts from Connection to Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District (HBMWD)
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
The following information is provided as a supplement to the staff activities report related to subsequent research based on direction given to staff at the July 8, 2025 meeting regarding consideration of connecting to HBMWD. No further discussion or action is required or requested from the Council at this time. However, staff wanted to make this information available to the Council and the public sooner rather than later in order to help stop the spread of misinformation.
BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION
One of the main concerns about a possible HBMWD connection has been the potential for it to lead to growth in the Trinidad area. That is a critical issue, and it is likely that there are circumstances where a parcel may not be developable now but could be developed if connected to municipal water. However, growth and development can and will be controlled in a variety of ways. Many of the comments made about growth have overstated the potential impact and/or are inaccurate. The following information is intended to correct some of the assumptions and misinformation that has been presented at past meetings. This is not meant to be a comprehensive analysis, but an overview of some of the steps in the process and land use considerations that will be made in planning for a potential connection to HBMWD and for controlling growth.
Fact: Bringing HBMWD water to Trinidad will not result in rampant, uncontrolled growth.
Connections to HBMWD water can and will be controlled and restricted in a variety of ways.
There are numerous ways to control growth that are more orderly and equitable than by limiting the overall water supply. These are a few of the primary ones:
• Land use designations and zoning are the primary method of planning for and regulating growth over large areas and long time spans. This is done through general plans and zoning ordinances.
• Much of the developed area is in the Coastal Zone where either the City or County Local Coastal Program (LCP) applies. LCPs include policies and standards that limit and control growth based on the Coastal Act.
• The Coastal Act includes limitations on growth and growth inducing development such as service extensions (e.g. §§ 30250, 30254) and the Coastal Commission will enforce those limits through LCP amendments and the Coastal Development Permit process. • There are and will continue to be specific planned service area boundaries for water providers, and extensions of service outside those boundaries are limited in a variety of ways, including State laws.
• Development density will also continue to be limited based on wastewater treatment (septic) capacity. Current county standards require new lots to be a minimum of 1-acre if using onsite wastewater treatment, even if the property is served by public water.
The water service area(s) can and will be crafted to control growth. • The HBMWD will need to apply to the SWRCB for a change in the place of use for their water right. The new place of use can be narrowly drawn, and water service cannot be provided outside of that area without a new application to the SWRCB. • Similarly, HBMWD will likely need to annex Trinidad and the Rancheria into its service area (if just the Rancheria is being served, it could be an Outside Agency Service Connection without annexation). The service area does not have to be contiguous with other HBMWD service areas, and therefore, does not have to include the pipeline corridor or other areas outside of Trinidad’s existing water service area. Water cannot be provided outside of the service area(s) without additional annexation, review, and approvals, including LCP update(s) and CEQA compliance.
• One of the primary purposes of LAFCo is to ensure that service area boundaries are orderly and well thought out and that services are not extended beyond those boundaries except under specific circumstances.
• LAFCo is required to analyze growth over the next 10 years when reviewing changes of boundaries.
• The environmental review process will analyze growth as well as alternatives to minimize impacts.
The pipeline will not be constructed to serve individual connections; it will feed into existing water system(s).
• HBMWD is not a retail water service provider; they do not provide individual connections. They will wholesale water to Trinidad and/or the Rancheria, and it will generally be Trinidad and the Rancheria, along with LAFCo and other agencies (e.g.
Humboldt County, Coastal Commission), that decide how, where, and when to extend future services.
If the City is a participant in the connection planning, then it will have a significantly greater say in how the process is implemented, how the service area maps are drawn, and how water is distributed in the future.
• As noted above, approval by various agencies is required for both the initial pipeline construction and the future extensions of services. Planning for the water line should be done on a regional scale with a long-term view of community water needs. The City is a stakeholder and should be an active participant throughout the process. • The City’s General Plan / LCP already contains policies related to growth and extension of services that should be considered and amended as needed. • Annexation by HBMWD should include the City’s service area, and then the City would have authority over when and where to extend individual connections via the same LAFCo process as is currently required for connections outside City limits. • The City can choose to not connect to HBMWD at this time and still be an active participant and plan for potential future connection.
• Growth (annexation) may be beneficial to the City now or in the future, and having adequate water supply will allow the City more flexibility to consider if and when that should occur.
Fact: Not participating in the HBMWD planning process will not stop the Rancheria’s hotel • There is no reason to believe that the Rancheria won’t eventually get a connection to HBMWD regardless of whether the City is a participant. And if the City is not a participant, it will have much less say in the process and the final result. • The Rancheria, as a Tribe and a disadvantaged community, has access to a variety of funding sources, and there are currently active funding sources for water supply and consolidation projects.
Fact: Trinidad will not be forced to consolidate with or absorb nearby water service providers • The SWRCB does have some authority to require systems to consolidate:
o https://www.waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/programs/compliance/docs/202 1/rfaq-mandatory-consolidation.pdf
• However, in practice, this is not something they do. I spoke with Barry Sutter, District Engineer of District 1 of the Division of Drinking Water of the SWRCB, who oversees more than 400 small water systems throughout Humboldt, Del Norte, Trinity, and Siskiyou Counties. In his almost 10-year tenure, there has never been a mandatory consolidation, even for systems that have been out of compliance (e.g. under boil water orders) for years.
• In the last 10 years, there have only been two mandatory consolidation orders in the entire state, both in the same location.
• SWRCB will encourage, support, and facilitate voluntary consolidations. • Barry would be in support of Trinidad connecting to HBMWD, because he considers Trinidad’s system to be vulnerable, because it is a single water plant with a single source.
Fact: Connection to HBMWD is not expected result in increased septic pollution. • Based on the growth controls discussed above, a connection to HBMWD is not expected to result in significant growth, and therefore, would not contribute to significant additional wastewater.
• Pollution is not expected to occur from modern, permitted septic systems. So even if some growth occurs, that growth will be subject to current standards and requirements for septic systems. Resulting upgrades could benefit water quality. • Although people who go from individual water supplies to a municipal supply tend to use more water, the same level of increase would not be expected from those already connected to the City’s system.
• The City can implement water conservation policies and rate structures for those connected to its system.
• Additional water supply could allow the City to annex some areas thereby expanding the jurisdiction of its OWTS Management Program.
Other considerations
Another important consideration is the current funding landscape. Initial research indicates there are currently grant funds available for this type of project, particularly considering that the Rancheria is classified as a disadvantaged community and the City’s water system is classified as being at-risk. If the City does not participate and the pipe is sized to only serve the Rancheria, there will be fewer options for the City should the existing water supply and/or plant become compromised or too difficult (or expensive) to treat in the future. There would not be a huge difference in the costs for physically installing a pipe sized just for the Rancheria verses a larger one that could also accommodate the City and its water service area. But once a smaller pipe is installed, the feasibility of the City ever connecting to HBMWD in the future would be significantly curtailed, if not eliminated.
Summary
It should be understood that any connection to HBMWD will be a significant undertaking and a complex process that includes many agencies and several checks and balances with opportunities to control growth in various ways. This is a project that should be viewed in the very long term (50+ years) as well as shorter terms. The decisions made now are going to have repercussions for the City’s water supply for decades. This is a regionally important process, and the City is a stakeholder, so should be a part of it. It is to the City’s benefit to be proactive in working with all the various agencies, decision-makers, and stakeholders to plan this regionally important project. Staff’s recommendation would be that the City should be a participant in the process, even if electing not to connect at this time, in order to have some control over the outcome and to preserve a key water supply option for the future.
Home Drinking Water Certlic Drinkingwater Saferdashboard SAFER Dashboard
This dashboard contains data for the 2025 Drinking Water Needs Assessment. The Failing list of systems is updated daily using the State Water Board's Failing criteria. The other SAFER statuses of water systems are based on the results of the Risk Assessment, which is refreshed quarterly as new data becomes available. More information about the dashboard is available in the user guide. Public feedback should be submitted to [email protected] and water systems may submit a data change request if information in the dashboard is inaccurate.
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Total Count of Systems: 1. Total Population: 1,072
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Pacific Watershed Associates • PO Box 4433 • Arcata, CA 95518-4433 / 707-839-5130 / www.pacificwatershed.com Geologic & Geomorphic Studies • Civil Engineering • Farm & Ranch Planning • Environmental Services • Regulatory Compliance PACIFIC WATERSHED ASSOCIATES INC.
PO Box 4433 • Arcata, CA 95518-4433
Ph 707-839-5130 • Fax 707-839-8168
www.pacificwatershed.com
December 9, 2025
Gabe Adams, Trinidad City Clerk/Interim City Manager
409 Trinity Street
P.O. Box 390
Trinidad, CA 95570
Re: Hydrograph for Water Year 2024 to 2025, Luffenholtz Creek, Humboldt County, CA.
The Luffenholtz Creek Bypass Flow Monitoring Project provides continuous bypass flow data using the PWA MkII Telemeter (Photo 1). This project is related to Task Order #5 under the Master Services Agreement for AsNeeded Geologic and Hydrologic Services (2021-MSA-01) between the City of Trinidad (City) and Pacific Watershed Associates (PWA). Task Order #5 includes tasks related to the State Water Resources Control Board monitoring and reporting requirements and ongoing projects at the City’s drinking water treatment facility located along Luffenholtz Creek in Trinidad, California.
Photo 1. On June 10, 2025 PWA visited the site to measure discharge and identified a log influencing the PWA telemeter readings. The log was removed so the telemeter could measure the elevation of the stream, which is related to bypass flow discharge.
Gabriel Adams December 29, 2025
City of Trinidad Page 2
Pacific Watershed Associates • PO Box 4433 • Arcata, CA 95518-4433 / 707-839-5130 / www.pacificwatershed.com Geologic and Geomorphic Studies • Wildland Hydrology • Erosion Control Planning • Septic Evaluation • Environmental Services Streamflow data was remotely accessed from PWA’s office to develop the hydrograph for Water Year 2024-2025, which is between October 1 and September 30, 2025 (Figure 1). During that time period, the watershed near the municipal water treatment plant’s point of diversion received a total of 73.45 inches of rainfall (OSU PRISM dataset). PWA routinely conducted site visits multiple times a year to measure stream discharge; measured discharges were used to determine a relationship between streamflow discharge and water surface elevations (Photo 2). During Water Year 2024-2025, PWA measured discharge seven times at various flow rates. PWA measured 54.24 CFS, the highest flow measured by staff. The lowest flow measured was 3.79 CFS. The discharge measurements are utilized to calibrate the hydrograph, and the rating curve helps us project peak flows. Discharge was measured following USGS stream discharge measurement methods.
Figure 1. The annual hydrograph displays the peaks and troughs of stream discharge and rainfall throughout the year. On the primary axis, peak discharge is immediately triggered by large intense 24-hour rainfall periods. A bar graph of 24-hour rainfall in Westhaven, California is displayed on the secondary axis. Summer baseflows begin after the last rainfall. Each discharge measurement is dated and displayed with a yellow star.
The PWA MkII telemeter has been accurately recording stream stage (water levels) and documenting bypass flows during annual low flows in Luffenholtz Creek just downstream of the Trinidad pump station’s point of diversion site since 2017. Currently, data is being streamed directly to a computer terminal and receiving gateway via a LoRa radio link at the drinking water treatment plant; a second dedicated computer and battery backup that is always left operating the telemeter was installed in the summer of 2025. This computer can only be accessed by PWA, from here the data is continuously transmitted to a cloud platform. In addition to the telemeter, water surface elevations are measured continuously by a pressure transducer deployed in the water column and calibrated using another pressure transducer that captures atmospheric barometric pressure in the project area.
This data can be downloaded quarterly to help support and calibrate the hydrologic instrumentation.
Gabriel Adams December 29, 2025
City of Trinidad Page 3
Pacific Watershed Associates • PO Box 4433 • Arcata, CA 95518-4433 / 707-839-5130 / www.pacificwatershed.com Geologic and Geomorphic Studies • Wildland Hydrology • Erosion Control Planning • Septic Evaluation • Environmental Services Photo 2. PWA discharge measurements bolster the accuracy of the regression equation developed from the project’s rating curve. A large number of discharge measurements at various flow rates and elevations increases the relationship and strength of the hydrograph.
Peak storms and rainstorms have an immediate impact on stream discharge. Annual rainfall amounts and late season rains impact baseflow levels, which is important to monitor at the municipal water treatment plant. The hydrograph can help determine the rate and volume of water bypassing the water treatment plant. The hydrograph shows Luffenholtz Creek receded to less than 3 CFS a total of 66 days during summer 2025. No flows were less than the low water threshold (0.86 CFS). The hydrograph shows Luffenholtz Creek exceeded 100 CFS a total of 11 times during Water Year 2024-2025. The largest peak event exceeded 200 CFS after receiving 3.18 inches of rain in 24 hours. A total of 6 storms brought us more than 2 inches of rainfall in a 24-hour period. Annual rainfall has huge implications in summer during the Critical Low Flow Period, while peak storm events help shape the creeks geomorphology.
PWA is pleased with the results of our 2024-2025 bypass flow monitoring efforts for the City of Trinidad. PWA will continue to measure streamflow in Luffenholtz Creek through December 2025. We appreciate the community’s support and collaboration, PWA is committed to helping with this project in 2026. If there are any questions or project needs, please feel free to call me (707) 496-7091.
Sincerely,
PACIFIC WATERSHED ASSOCIATES INC.
Todd Kraemer, Project Manager/Hydrologist
[email protected]