City Council Meeting Agenda: 05-12-2026 cc Page 1
Posted: Friday, May 08, 2026
NOTICE AND CALL OF A REGULAR MEETING OF THE
TRINIDAD CITY COUNCIL
The Trinidad City Council will hold a regular meeting on TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2026, at 6:00 PM
at the Trinidad Town Hall, 409 Trinity Street, Trinidad, CA.
NO CLOSED SESSION
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: 858 3974 8147 Passcode: 859405 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. APPROVAL OF AGENDA
IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – 04/14/2026 cc
V. COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS.
VI. PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT (Sheriff and Pacific Coast Security) VII. 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 item VIII. 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 – March 2026
2. Law Enforcement Report – April 2026.
City Council Meeting Agenda: 05-12-2026 cc Page 2
3. Resolution 2026-03; Request November General Election Consolidation with the County of Humboldt.
4. Annual Distribution of Tourist Occupancy Tax Funds to Community Groups/Organizations.
5. Procurement of On-Call Planning Consultant Professional Services - Request for Qualifications.
DISCUSSION/ACTION AGENDA ITEMS
1. Discussion/Decision regarding Trinidad Drinking Water System Comparative Analysis Options.
2. Discussion/Decision to Approve the Second Amendment Contract with Humboldt County Sheriff to provide Law Enforcement Services to the City of Trinidad.
3. Discussion/Decision to Approve the Second Amendment Contract with Humboldt County Sheriff to Provide Animal Control and Shelter Services to the City of Trinidad.
4. Discussion/Presentation regarding FY2025-2026 Budget Preparation.
5. November 2026 City Council Election Calendar.
6. Staff Activity Report – April 2026.
X. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
XI. ADJOURNMENT
APPROVAL OF MINUTES FOR:
APRIL 14, 2026 CC
Supporting Documentation follows with: 10 PAGES
04-14-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 1
MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE TRINIDAD CITY COUNCIL TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 2026 (LIVE/HYBRID)
I. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Kelly called the live-hybrid meeting to order at 6:00pm. Council members in attendance: Breckenridge, Kenny, and Waskiewicz. Tuttle was absent. City Staff in attendance: City Clerk/Interim City Manager Gabriel Adams, Special Project Manager Angela Cather, Administrative Assistant Anton Souza. Approximately (5) participants were present by video-conference, and (16) 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 (Kelly/Kenny) to approve the agenda as submitted. Passed 4-0.
VI. APPROVAL OF MINUTES – 03/10/2026 cc
Motion (Kenny/Breckenridge) to approve the minutes as written. Passed 4-0.
VII. COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS
Waskiewicz: Attended RREDC meeting, welcomed Alaska Airlines back to Humboldt with service to Seattle, and also discussed small community disaster funding programs. Early January was a tough month for Humboldt County dealing with environmental disasters, but there are no programs available to provide us with financial assistance.
Kenny: Attended the HCAOG meeting; MCSD granted a seat on the Technical Advisory Committee. Also discussed regional housing needs and Eureka’s appeal of HCAOG’s decision.
Breckenridge: Nothing to report.
Kelly: Attended the Hazardous Materials Response Authority meeting and reviewed training conducted last quarter.
VIII.PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT – City Manager & Law Enforcement HCSO Lt. McCall was unable to attend, so City Manager Adams summarized the March 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.) Ian McDougall & Renata Olczak – Trinidad area resident/water customers Read from a prepared statement, explaining his wife and children do not feel safe in their home after the tree fallen incident as a result of the exposure created by the Yurok Indian Housing Authority’s recent tree clearing.
Invited staff and officials to visit the property and discuss the issue. It appears that the clear cut area was larger than planned, and that there is another large tree that will be removed. We would like that tree to remain.
Karen Parker – Trinidad area resident
Submitted a prepared statement for the record, addressed to the City Council and Yurok Indian Housing Authority, formally raising concerns regarding forestry operations conducted under the Calfire Conversion Exemption associated with the YIHA land clearing. The permit obtained was not a waiver of responsibility. The registered forester and landowner are legally responsible for ensuring compliance. Tree felling and activities should be performed to avoid unreasonable damage to adjacent property. Forester and landowner should be 04-14-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 2
held liable for any resulting property damage. Request that the City and YIHA recognize and enforce accountability where these violations have occurred and ensure that responsible parties are required to remedy damages caused.
Ana Davis – Greater Trinidad Chamber of Commerce
Announcing summer camp scholarship program. Encourage the public to reach out and learn about how the Chamber can provide support for youth summer camp programs.
X. CONSENT AGENDA
1. Financial Statements – February 2025
2. Financial Statements – March 2026
Motion (Kelly/Waskiewicz) to approve the consent agenda as submitted. Passed 4-0.
Xl. DISCUSSION/ACTION AGENDA ITEMS
1. Proclamation 2026-01; Acknowledging April 2026 as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
Interim City Manager Gabriel Adams explained that this request was made by the North Coast Rape Crisis Team and read the proclamation aloud. Adams introduced counselor/advocate Mel Pena.
Pena explained that the program is expecting 50% of their budget to be cut this year. Annual gala will held at Arcata Community Center on May 02, and provided supporting background information on the program including contributing partners, survivor data, and ways to support the program.
There were no public comments.
Council thanked Pena for attending, sharing the proclamation, and doing great work for the community.
2. Discussion/Decision to Award Construction Contract for Main Street, Patrick’s Point Drive, and Westhaven Drive Rehabilitation, State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) Project RPL5036(022) to GR Sundberg, Inc.
Interim City Manager Gabriel Adams explained that the Main Street, Patrick’s Point Drive, and Westhaven Drive Rehabilitation Project RPL-5036(022) is funded through the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) and includes pavement rehabilitation and pedestrian accessibility improvements on three City roadways. The bid package was released and publicly advertised on February 19, 2026. The bid period closed on March 16, 2024 at 2:00 pm, at which time the City received six (6) responsive bids. As stipulated in the Information for Bidders, the award is made to the lowest, responsive, responsible bidder based on the lowest Base Bid amount.
Project Scope: The Base Bid includes the full scope of pavement rehabilitation and pedestrian accessibility improvements on Main Street, Patrick’s Point Drive, and Westhaven Drive. Work includes sidewalk, curb ramp, and driveway replacement and widening along the south side of Main Street between Trinity Street and View Avenue; pavement dig-outs, cold planing, and repaving on Main Street and Patrick’s Point Drive; and an asphalt overlay on Westhaven Drive. The Base Bid also includes associated concrete work, drainage improvements, utility cover adjustments, thermoplastic striping and pavement markings, signage, traffic control, water pollution control, mobilization, and final cleanup. All work is located within City limits and outside of Caltrans right-of-way.
Additive Bid Item No. 1 provides for additional spot pavement dig-out repairs to address failed subgrade areas that may be identified during construction. Inclusion of this additive item allowed the City to establish a unit price in advance that can be used if these localized repairs are required. This approach provides cost certainty, reduces construction risk, and minimizes the need for negotiated change orders associated with unforeseen subgrade failures encountered during construction.
Additive Bid Item No. 2 adds pavement rehabilitation work on Berry Road, which is not included in the Base Bid. This additive includes replacing the placement, along with related striping and markings, for approximately 190 feet of Berry Road near Trinidad Frontage Road. This work is not eligible for reimbursement through the 04-14-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 3
STIP and would need to be funded entirely with City funds. As such, staff does not recommend awarding Additive Bid Item No. 2.
Award Recommendation: The apparent low bidder is GR Sundberg, Inc., with a Base Bid of $484,397.70.
Additive Bid Item No. 1 is in the amount of $49,000.00, resulting in a recommended construction award total of $533,397.70. Additive Bid Item No. 2 is not recommended for award due to funding eligibility constraints.
The City’s Engineer, GHD, has reviewed the bid submitted by GR Sundberg, Inc. and confirmed it is responsive and that the contractor holds the required active licenses and bonding. GHD recommends awarding the construction contract for GR Sundberg, Inc. for the Base Bid and Additive Bid Item No. 1 only, both of which are eligible for the STIP funding. If approved, construction is anticipated to begin in June 2026.
Financial: The City has a total construction budget of $710,000 funded through the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). The budget includes construction capital in the amount of $620,000, construction engineering services totally $87,060, and City administration costs of $2,940.
Council questions included:
Kenny: Berry Road additive bid is not eligible for funding. Also concerned about thermoplastic failures and microplastics in the environment. Adams explained that Berry Road is not on the eligible road list, but if the overall project cost comes in under budget there’s a chance it may be considered. Regarding thermoplastics, Adams suggested getting more information from the City Engineer on this technology and reporting back.
Breckenridge: Will the contractors be held responsible for product failure post installation? Adams explained that warranty repair terms are listed in the contract specifications.
Public comment included:
Aaron Hakenen – Trinidad
Please include in the bid documents adequate screening of construction staging site behind Murphy’s Market – if that area is intended to be used.
Motion (Waskiewicz/Kenny) to authorize the City Manager to award the Main Street, Patrick’s Point Drive, and Westhaven Drive Rehabilitation Project RPL-5036(022) to GR Sundberg, Inc. for the Base Bid and Additive Bid Item No. 1 in the amount of $533,397.70, and authorize the City Manager to execute contract change orders up to a maximum contract amount of $620,000, with an added condition to enforce good construction staging hygiene for areas used during the project. Passed 4-0.
3. Update/Discussion regarding 2026 Planning Commission Projects & Priorities City Planner Trever Parker explained that staff periodically provide the Planning Commission and City Council with a summary of current and upcoming planning-related projects. This is especially important when there are a lot of projects, particularly ongoing ones such as the general plan update. The intent is to provide an update on the status of ongoing projects, to provide perspective about what staff is working on, and to provide a mechanism for prioritizing limited budget and staff time.
One of the things that is apparent is that there is a backlog of important projects. There are a variety of reasons for this, but staff capacity has been a significant component. Even when projects are prioritized, more pressing issues tend to come up and divert staff time away from them; a good current example is the ALMT. Also, permit applications are usually unpredictable, and complex projects can take significant staff time. Staff are anticipating several project applications this year, including the development of the vacant lot behind Murphy’s. Although permit applications take up staff time, the costs are borne by the applicant.
A report was provided to the Planning Commission for their January meeting (continued to the February meeting). Some of their comments and recommendations are summarized below:
General Plan
- The Planning Commission emphasized completion of the general plan/LCP update as a priority. They are encouraged that the Coastal Commission now seems amenable to a piecemeal approach. 04-14-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 4
- The PC wants the City Council’s support, input, and involvement in the general plan update. - Suggest seeking outside help on the Housing Element update. - Requested the matrix of elements and status/next steps, included in this meeting packet. - The Planning Commission would like to prioritize setting policy to implement the design guidelines drafted as part of the new design element without having to amend the design review regulations (which could be a significant undertaking).
STR Ordinance
- The Planning Commission is not aware of any complaints or pressing issues. While there has been discussion of making some tweaks, such as to the lottery system, much can be accomplished through the use of administrative rules issued by the City Manager rather than the effort required to amend the ordinance and obtain certification from the Coastal Commission.
Annexation
- The Planning Commission would like this to be a priority discussion and analysis item and want to ensure it does not fall through the cracks.
- The two new water service customers will contribute $5,000 each. This should provide some initial information to help determine the feasibility of annexation, but would not get the City through the entire annexation process, which would likely take multiple years with everything else that is going on. - Suggested developing a plan with steps and triggers.
- Consider formation of an annexation committee.
Other
- PC wants to ensure that efforts are followed through to implementation to ensure the benefits of the work put into it.
- Website needs updating and needs to be more user friendly. This work could be outsourced. (Note that changes to the ADA will require most web content to be accessible by April 26, 2027 for small jurisdictions.
This will be a significant undertaking.)
- OWTS enforcement isn’t necessarily a planning task. Develop a prioritized approach. Tie enforcement into licensing (e.g. business licenses). Suggest publishing a list of noncompliant properties (public shaming). - Staff capacity has been a significant hindrance. SHN has had trouble recruiting and retaining planning staff, but seems to have adequate capacity now. But it will depend on City budget considerations and the capacity of City staff to provide support. (Note that the City will need to put out an RFP for planning services in the next couple of months and negotiate a new contract for planning services; SHNs rates, along with most companies, have increased substantially in the last 5 years to keep up with the market.) - City staff support is necessary to implement planning projects, so lack of City staff capacity affects planning projects. Additional City staff could also take some of the pressure off professional staff and complete some of the simpler and more routine tasks, possibly at a cheaper rate.
Council questions included:
Kelly: The City is required by law to have a General Plan. There are at least 8 elements that I’m aware of. This is a big job for a small town, with excellent progress made so far. Suggestion to combine Design Element with the Land Use Element, and also understand that the General Plan is also the City’s LCP since Trinidad is entirely within the City, but there will pieces of the plan that will not be certified by the Coastal Commission – Noise, Safety, and Housing. Regarding annexation, we may want to consider an Ad Hoc Committee formation for strategic discussion, prioritization, and outreach, before it reaches the Planning Commission and City Council.
Kenny: Any information on the development project planned for the area behind Murphy’s Market? Are we able to seek additional help from outside consultants for Housing Element update? ADA website overhaul? Annexation priority? RV parks as visitor serving?
Parker explained that applicant generated projects come up, and this one is in a very preliminary phase. A soils study is currently underway to determine septic capacity. Expecting an application later this year, along with an another one for a new home construction at the bottom of Edwards. Regarding outside consultants, the Housing Element is complicated so finding outside, specialized support may be helpful. Regarding ADA website compatibility, the issue is primarily based on content accessibility. Regarding annexation, Mill Creek and 04-14-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 5
Langford Road, and lot adjacent to the Cemetery priorities are based on existing water service and practicality.
Regarding RV parks, State Housing and Community Development does not consider RV’s as affordable housing, so these areas don’t count towards the City’s affordable housing inventory.
Public comments included:
Aaron Hakenen – Trinidad Planning Commission Chairperson The Planning Commission is very pleased with Parker’s service. Limited budget, backlog of projects, staff capacity, seeking outside help are recurring annual themes. We decided this year not to encourage a joint meeting because they don’t provide enough meaningful ‘bang for the buck’. The desire to offload work to inhouse city staff is admirable. The Commission is not making progress due to the lack of surge capacity to push projects along. Finding outside consultants to execute tasks is important. We are asking for Council’s support to find additional capacity to handle more tasks to avoid the merry-go-round of incomplete projects.
Richard Johnson – Trinidad Planning Commissioner
As you can see from the general plan matrix provided by the City Planner and included in the meeting packet, there are many in a final stage that can be handled individually by the Council, with input provided back to the Commission as needed.
Council comments included:
Kelly: I am disappointed to hear that the Council is not supporting the Planning Commission. I suggest the PC send a short-list of items that need support. The Council asked for this at the last joint meeting but has not received it. We don’t need to wait for meetings to do this. Please send it to the City Council or City Manager anytime, so we can prioritize it during the budget process. We are currently working to fill a vacant position that will help in the long-run, but I want to make sure the PC receives the support needed. Please be clear with what is needed from the Council.
There were no public comments.
Presentation item only. No decision was made.
4. Update/Discussion regarding the April 04, 2026, Westhaven Drive Water Main Leak and Extended Service Outage.
Interim City Manager Gabriel Adams explained that a water main service line break occurred on Friday, April 03, 2026 at approximately 6:00pm, on a 4” section of pipe located in the southbound shoulder at 254 North Westhaven Drive. The break was caused by the impact of a large redwood tree that fell across the road. The tree also took out overhead power and communication lines and completely blocked the road for nearly 36 hours.
The leak occurred on an older segment of mainline that provides a circulation loop in the distribution system, traveling from Westhaven Drive, diving under the freeway to serve customers on Langford Road, and joins the Scenic Drive main. The valving for this segment is complex. The 4” asbestos concrete (AC) line splits off and runs parallel to the 10” main on Westhaven Drive, then reconnects in town at the Main and View Street intersection. At least one of the control valves are inoperable, another is questionable, and others are not intuitively located. The scope of the break, in conjunction with the complex isolation process, severely impaired the Water Department’s ability to minimize the number of customers impacted and duration of the outage.
A precautionary Boil Water Notice was issued on Saturday when the line was isolated and depressurized so utility crews onsite could remove the tree and perform overhead and underground repairs. The break interrupted service to approximately 30 customers connected to the Westhaven Drive and Langford Road 4” distribution segment. The unprecedented, extended outage lasted approximately 76-hours, from 10am Saturday morning, April 04, through 2:00pm Tuesday, April 07.
The incident further emphasizes ongoing concerns about the vulnerability of a small water system with aging infrastructure, challenged by increasing costs, regulatory, and environmental pressures. 04-14-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 6
The discussion is intended to open the conversation with the Council and community, provide access to management and operational staff for questions, capture feedback, identify areas that can be improved, and recognize how this situation compared to the January 03 incident for reference purposes.
Challenges to the timeline complicating water restoration included; • The break occurred after 5:00pm on Friday.
• The City was unable to access the site for excavation and repair until after 8:00pm Saturday (24-hour later) when the tree clean up and overhead line work was complete. • Despite every effort made to reach State Drinking Water Regulators and County Public Health Officials on Sunday, it was Easter and no one responded, postponing testing and water restoration efforts until Monday.
• Bac-T tests require a 24-hour period. Samples were delivered first thing Monday morning. Results were received at 1:00pm Tuesday. The Boil Water Notice was lifted one hour later at 2:00pm.
Fiscal Impact: Not including in-house staff overtime, the contractor repair invoice will cost approximately $15,000..
Community & Business Impact: This incident is unique. The extended outage duration (76-hours for approximately 30 customers, all residing outside city limits) is unprecedented. Re-pressurizing the water line serving the affected customers, without receiving clean tests from the lab and concluding the Boil Water Notice first would have severe consequences to downstream users. The management decision to minimize the number of affected customers shielded the entire system, including Trinidad School and businesses downstream from quarantined water that remained isolated until cleared by lab testing and State drinking water officials.
Council thanked staff for the report and hard work during the incident.
Presentation item only. No decision was made.
5. Continued Discussion/Decision regarding Edwards Street Crosswalk Safety Improvements.
Interim City Manager Gabriel Adams explained that the Edwards Street HSIP road safety improvements were discussed at length at the January and February 2025 Council meetings. Of particular concern to the nearby neighbors were the flashing beacon pedestrian crosswalk signs installed on Edwards Street at Hector and Galindo Streets as part of the safety enhancements designed by City Engineer Josh Wolf of GHD. Wolf did not recommend removing any of the safety elements, but suggested modification alternatives and associated costs.
The City’s insurer and risk manager (CIRA) recommended the City maintain design immunity to avoid exposure in the event of a future traffic incident involving a pedestrians at each crosswalk.
After several meetings where the public expressed their feedback about the signage, the Council directed staff to seek a second opinion from another engineering firm with the goal of finding an airtight solution that eliminated the crosswalk beacons and preserve design immunity.
Former City Manager searched for a willing engineer to take on the project. Of the 10 names contacted, only one agreed to review the design and possibly remove the flashing beacon signage. After many months of discussion, that engineer informed the City Manager that not only could he not find a way to reverse 04-14-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 7
engineering the installation, but his insurance company had also refused to cover his work if he were to continue with this project.
The City Manager informed the City Council at the follow up discussion in September 2025, that;
1. Staff was unable to find an engineer that would provide an alternative to GHD’s recommendations.
2. The City was expecting a $630,000 reimbursement from Caltrans to close out the grant by Dec. 31.
3. Any substantial project modifications prior to receiving reimbursement may put the project at risk.
The recommendation at that time was to bring the discussion topic back after the grant program concluded.
RISK EXPOSURE TO REMOVAL:
Legal exposure: Although CIRA (California Intergovernmental Risk Authority Joint Powers Authority) risk managers do not advise removing safety enhancements designed and implemented by City Engineer, they do not explicitly state the crosswalks would be excluded from coverage should an accident occur. The only temporary coverage exclusion imposed on Trinidad was due to the existence of failed improvements on the Van Wycke Trail, which was lifted by the JPA when repairs were made and adequate signage was posted.
Removing the crosswalk signs could increase the City’s legal exposure in the event of a pedestrian accident, with the question being whether the City ignored a known safety risk, nuisance, or hazard. Design immunity provided by the project as designed and certified by your City Engineer, supported by a decade of planning and community feedback, may be lost. A decision to remove existing safety improvements, in the absence of an alternative recommendation approved by a licensed engineer, should be supported by findings justifying removal.
Financial risk: The Council has been informed that removing the crosswalk signage will put the City at risk of having to return approximately $10k/intersection = $20,000 to Caltrans HSIP program fund. Relocating them to a different location may lower this risk.
Safety risk: The improvements were made to enhance safety for pedestrians crossing Edwards Street after several years of feedback received from the community, project prioritization, public meetings, and Council direction to staff to proceed with the project. Public comments have been received in favor of the project from residents with disabilities, children, or challenges they’ve faced when trying to cross at peak traffic times.
Removing the signage may pose a risk to their safety, and could increase the City’s exposure to ADA Title II compliance lawsuits.
BENEFITS AND FINDINGS SUPPORTING REMOVAL:
Public feedback has been received arguing that the conditions at these intersections do not warrant such dramatic safety installments, pollute the viewshed, and are out of character of the small-town charm. Should the majority of the Council contemplate removal of one or both sets of RRFB crosswalk signs, the findings below could be made in support of the decision;
1. The area has no significant history of traffic accidents in general and specifically that involved pedestrians crossing the street. The speed limit on the street is very low.
2. The city did not contact neighborhood residents directly, just prior to sign installation to solicit input.
While notice was not legally required because traffic safety signs are exempt from CDP requirements, Ocean Ave. residents were all contacted before speed humps with accompanying signage were placed on their street. The city should have consistent standards of notification when neighborhoods stand to be affected by a planned change.
3. In general, signage is heavily regulated under our local coastal plan and Edwards Street afford views of the ocean to the south and west. The city should be cognizant of protecting such views from sign pollution where possible and reasonable.
4. The state guidelines on the use of RRFB's make them optional, not mandatory.
5. The federal guidelines on the use of RRFB's caution against over use of them that can render them less effective.
04-14-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 8
6. Our insurer has stated that the city will be covered on claims made from any accident on Edwards Street regardless of the presence of absence of the signs.
7. Under the California statutes on design immunity, a city council decision that is supported by substantial evidence can supersede an engineer's recommendation.
OPTIONS FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER:
A. No change to the project as designed and conclude the discussion indefinitely.
B. Direct staff to remove BOTH sets of RRFB crosswalk safety signs installed at Hector and Galindo, based on one or more findings provided.
C. Direct staff to remove ONE set of RRFB crosswalk safety signage (either at Hector OR Galindo) based on one or more findings provided.
Council questions included:
Kelly: Have we been able to get the usage data from the signal activation logs? Adams explained that unfortunately we were unable to retrieve that data.
Breckenridge: Can the signs be reused? Wasting city resources is not desirable. Can we take them down and put up stop signs? We could reuse the signs at Trinity & West/Parker intersection. Adams explained the signs can be reused, with the cost primarily being for installation design (street marking, safety codes, location, etc.).
Highway and transportation safety codes determine how signs are installed in certain areas.
Waskiewicz: Is there any sign that can replace the flashing beacons to alert pedestrians and vehicles to use caution when approaching the intersection? I think it’s worth keeping the signage up at the Marine Lab crossing, but support removing the signs at Hector. I walk my dog regularly but there can be a lot going on near these intersections on a busy day.
Kenny: Design immunity has been determined in the findings presented in the staff report for consideration tonight.
Kelly: I agree with Waskiewicz, to remove the signs at Hector and leave Galindo in place, and revisit Galindo in the future after further review and consideration. Trinidad School requested and supported the Galindo Street intersection improvements, and I am considerate of that as well.
Public comments included:
Tim Needham – Trinidad
Lights are a glaring solution to a non-existent problem. There was no traffic study done to install this. Driving a boat up the hill requires a vehicle to gun it up hill, putting pedestrians at the crosswalk in danger. Lights aren’t needed to improve safety at an intersection. Having been a plaintiff’s attorney, I look for prior accident history.
There is no history of prior accidents to support this level of signage.
Aaron Hakenen – Trinidad
I have one regret as a Planning Commissioner, and this solution for crosswalk safety enhancement was a miss.
We should do the right thing and remove them. There is a way to reuse these signs somewhere. There are seven well-written findings supporting removal. We can’t be afraid of everything. Signs don’t stop bad drivers or bad behavior.
Jeff Bairey – Trinidad
I spoke out against these signs many times. They are ugly and ruin views of the ocean. There has never been a traffic study done. The idea that the area will be unsafe without the signs is non-sensical. There was much more input in January and February. There were 18 voices heard in person and by email. 13 people said remove signs, but 5 said keep them. This is a democracy and the comment vote was a landslide in favor of removal.
04-14-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 9
Ana Davis – Trinidad
Thanks for the thorough report. The signs were conceived with goodwill, but may not have been presented to the community very well. We can assume that drivers don’t want to hit pedestrians, and we don’t have history of accidents, drug use, or conditions that cause pedestrian accidents. Thanks for considering removing both signs.
Chris Slay – Trinidad
I’ll lose friends tonight, but I adore these signs. My kids do too because they are empowering. They know drivers bend to our will when the lights are activated and enhance our safety. I was crossing the street, pushing a stroller around sunset across the intersection. As a driver approached, I could read the passenger’s lips saying “it’s flashing”, and at that moment the driver slammed on the brake and stopped. As unbelievable as this sounds, it is true, and it highlights another issue here that people haven’t mentions, which is that Edwards runs due east-west. For somewhere between 30-50% of the year, the sun is setting at a 15-degree azimuth which has the potential to blind drivers. People don’t want to hit pedestrians, but they also have to see pedestrians to avoid them. I have stood in front of the Planning Commission before arguing about detriments to our viewshed, but these signs make our community and children safer. The folks that think these signs are out of character for our community, there is no more distinguishing character to our community than its walkability.
Pete Alcorn – Trinidad
No one wants to see bright blinking lights. Everybody drives slow, and there’s plenty of time to stop when someone is in the crosswalk. The signs are ugly, horrible, and we hate them.
Andrew Davis – Trinidad
There’s not only a financial cost at risk to the City, but also the homeowners. We believe that the value of our home is hampered by these signs. Secondarily, there also could be a financial cost to the town if the signs don’t come down. This has been communicated quietly, but needs to be public.
Council comments included:
Waskiewicz: Marine Lab has many students attending and it might be worth reaching out to them for input from a safety standpoint.
Kelly: We need to move this along, and close this out. I’m frustrated we weren’t able to execute some of the more creative suggestions considered last year.
Kenny: Thanked Chis Slay for presenting a dissenting opinion. His case didn’t convince me to change my viewpoint, but it is very good input. When I’m blinded by the sun, I slow way, way down. I’m not sure the flashing lights are even visible during that time. There was no traffic study done to support the sign installation.
The issue that moved me the most was that the Edwards Street residents did not get the same opportunity for input as we allowed others for speed hump enhancements.
Motion (Kenny/Waskiewicz) to adopt all seven findings listed in the staff report and remove both flashing beacon intersection signs, to be kept in a safe and usable condition for possible future placement in alternative locations that do not have the same aesthetic concerns. Passed 3-1. No-Kelly.
6. Staff Activity Report – February 2026.
Interim City Manager Adams included the full report in the packet, but highlighted challenges and problemsolving hours dedicated to fulfilling the needs of the community, ongoing commitments, partnerships, and projects including:
- Emergency Intertie project update.
- Cash flow and investment monitoring.
- Meeting and discussions with the new Trinidad Coastal Land Trust Director. - Wildlife encounter reporting and education.
- Handling complaints
- Long range water source alternative planning
- Expanding water service connections.
- Neighborhood & resident safety coordination.
04-14-2026 City Council Meeting Minutes Page 10
- Water Customer Financial Hardship Assistance.
- Public Health cooperation.
- Staff support, and Long-range fire service planning.
There were no public comments.
Report only. No decision was made.
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS
- Dark Sky Ordinance consideration.
ADJOURNMENT: 8:45pm.
Submitted by: Approved by:
_____________________________ _____________________________ Gabriel Adams Cheryl Kelly
Trinidad City Clerk Mayor
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 1
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
1. Financial Statements – March 2026
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 2
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
2. Law Enforcement Report – April 2026.
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 3
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
3. Resolution 2026-03; Request November General Election Consolidation with the County of Humboldt.
City of Trinidad: Resolution 2026-03 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 2026-03
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TRINIDAD, CALIFORNIA REQUESTING
THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF THE COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT TO RENDER SPECIFIED
SERVICES TO THE CITY RELATING TO THE CONDUCT OF A GENERAL MUNICPAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 03, 2026.
.
WHEREAS, a General Municipal Election is to be held in the City of Trinidad, California on November 03, 2026; and
WHEREAS, in the course of conduct of the election it is necessary for the City to request services of the County; and
WHEREAS, all necessary expenses in performing these services shall be paid by the City of Trinidad;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TRINIDAD, CALIFORNIA, DOES RESOLVE, DECLARE, DETERMINE AND ORDER AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. That pursuant to the provisions of Section 10002 of the Elections Code of the State of California, the City Council requests the Board of Supervisors of the County to permit the County Election Department to prepare and conduct the general election on the City’s behalf.
SECTION 2. That the City shall reimburse the County for services performed when the work is completed and upon presentation to the City of a properly approved bill.
SECTION 3. That the City Clerk is directed to forward without delay to the Board of Supervisors and to the County Election Department, each a certified copy of this Resolution.
PASSED, APPROVED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Trinidad on this 12th Day of May, 2026.
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City Council of the City of Trinidad by the following roll call vote:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
Attest:
______________________ _____________________
Gabriel Adams Cheryl Kelly
Trinidad City Clerk Mayor
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 4
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
4. Annual Distribution of Tourist Occupancy Tax Funds to Community Groups/Organizations.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
TO: Mayor & City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, City Clerk/Interim City Manager
CONSENT AGENDA TITLE
4. Distribute allocation of TOT revenue to community organizations STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Consent approval is required to confirm budget expense for fiscal year 2025-2026.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
In 2013 the City Council agreed to allocate 10% of the total, annual Tourist Occupancy Tax revenue for community organizations. Each Council serving since then have confirmed their intent to continue this budget allocation in recognition of the work each organization identified does to serve the community.
The Chamber of Commerce, Museum, Library, and Trinidad Coastal Land Trust agreed among themselves to distribute that amount every year to each organization proportionately.
The total, unaudited Occupancy Tax revenue collected in FY 2024-2025 is $215,801. The City will be issuing 10% of the total revenue ($21,580) to each organization in the following payments:
30% $6,474.00 Greater Trinidad Chamber of Commerce
30% $6,474.00 Trinidad Museum
30% $6,474.00 Trinidad Coastal Land Trust
10% $2,158.00 Trinidad Library
Attachments: None
CONSENT AGENDA ITEM 5
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
5. Procurement of On-Call Planning Consultant Professional Services - Request for Qualifications.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
TO: Mayor & City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, City Clerk/Interim City Manager
CONSENT AGENDA TITLE
1. Procurement of On-Call Planning Consultant Professional Services - Request for Qualifications.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
• Adopt January 2026 Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual, Chapter 10 Consultant Selection as City procedure for applicable state and federally funded projects. • Appoint the Interim City Manager/City Clerk and Special Projects Manager to the Consultant Selection Committee and direct staff to recruit one or more additional members with subject matter expertise. • Direct staff to work with the Consultant Selection Committee to proceed with the consultant selection process.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
Summary: Procurement, highly governed by State and Federal requirements and conducted every three to five years, must be completed by the City to procure planning services. To begin the process, the City must submit for publication a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) in a competitive Qualifications Based Selection process, leading to the award of a professional planning services contract.
Background: The City’s general planning services 2021 contract with SHN has expired, triggering the required Request for Qualification (RFQ) process to procure general planning services. As the contract expired, the City is currently operating on an extension ending June 30, 2026. The procurement process will culminate with awarding one professional service contract to an individual or firm to provide general planning services, including, surveying, and environmental services. Services may include assistance with future State, Federal and locally funded projects, as well as proposal and application assistance, project management, project review, consultation and design services.
For contracting with consultants on projects funded by Caltrans, the City must either adopt the Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual (LAPM) Chapter 10 Consultant Selection or get approval of the City’s procedures by Caltrans.
Consultant Selection Process: The process begins with forming a Consultant Selection Committee, then identifying and defining the need for consultant services, and ending with awarding a professional services contract with one consultant. Per Caltrans requirements, the consultant selection committee includes a minimum of three members that meet the conflict-of-interest requirements consisting of the Contract Administrator (a full-time local public employee in responsible charge – City Clerk/Interim City Manager) and subject matter experts. Staff recommends appointing the Interim City Manager/City Clerk and the Special Projects Manager to the committee and directing them to recruit one or more individuals with subject matter expertise. The consultant selection committee reviews materials submitted by consultants, ranks the most qualified proposals and ensures that proper procurement procedures are followed, and all requirements are met.
Consultant Selection Timeline (estimation):
• May – Council forms a Consultant Selection Committee and directs staff to proceed with the consultant selection process. Scopes, schedules and RFQs are developed with Committee input. • May / June – Issue and publish RFQs with a submission deadline in early to mid-June. • June – Consultant Selection Committee reviews RFQ packets submitted by deadline. • July – Council accepts RFQ results and awards a professional services contract for planning services, and directs the Contract Administrator to negotiate the Professional Services contract with the top scoring consultant
Document Link: Caltrans Local Assistance Procedures Manual, Chapter 10 Consultant Selection https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/local-assistance/documents/lapm/ch10.pdf DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 1
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION ATTACHED
1. Discussion/Decision regarding Trinidad Drinking Water System Comparative Analysis Options.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
TO: Mayor & City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, City Clerk/Interim City Manager
DISCUSSION AGENDA TITLE
1. Discussion/Decision regarding Trinidad Drinking Water System Comparative Analysis Options.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Review the opportunities proposed, select a preferred option, and authorize staff to pursue the comparative analysis as directed on July 08, 2025.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
On July 08, 2025, following extensive community discussion regarding the long-term sustainability, reliability, affordability, and governance of the City’s drinking water system, the Council directed staff to pursue a comparative analysis of potential future water supply strategies; 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.
Community feedback has consistently reflected two competing priorities; maintaining local ownership, operational control, and watershed stewardship of Trinidad’s municipal water system, while also addressing long-term affordability, regulatory compliance, staffing challenges, infrastructure reliability, and emergency resilience.
The questions raised at the July 08 meeting echoed similar concerns raised at the October 12, 2021 meeting when the City last questioned its water system reliability. The 2021 discussion was prompted by two primary driving forces; 1) the historic low Luffenholtz Creek flows experienced during 2019-2021 drought period, and 2) the Trinidad Rancheria’s request for additional water resources to support their economic development goals.
In July 2025, however, a new set of circumstances led to the revived discussion; 1) the City’s rapidly depleted $1.04 million dollar reserve due to high operating and certified operator costs leading to a $300,000 general fund bail-out to stabilize the Water Fund (see Resolution 2024-12), 2) the October 2024 implementation of the Water Rate Analysis that included a sharp rate increase followed by five years of consecutive 10% annual increases, and 3) an invitation from Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District to participate in feasibility discussions for the North Mainline Extension request initiated and underway by the Trinidad Rancheria.
The Council once again in July heard many similar arguments, this time mostly from residents from the greater Trinidad area (and beyond) fearful of uncontrolled growth, high water rates, lack of system control, adverse environmental impacts, mandatory district interconnection, and a desire to maintain a small system in a hyper-local watershed. Arguments in favor of exploring all the options available came from Trinidad residents and water system customers facing a 5-year rate structure that puts the City’s system at an affordability risk, and serious concerns about how the depleted reserve fund will affect the water system’s reliability into the future.
The complexity of the discussion led the City Council to carefully draft a motion directing staff to seek a professional, comprehensive comparative analysis in pursuit of the facts, and the expectation that the proposal return for their final review and potential grant funded options.
PROJECT TIMELINE AND IMPLEMENTATION CONSIDERATIONS
July 08, 2025: At that same July 08 City Council meeting, former City Manager Joe Tagliaboschi announced his unexpected resignation, effective at the end of August after his one-month planned vacation starting the following day on July 09.
September 2025: City Clerk/Interim City Manager positions were immediately consolidated. Trinidad-Westhaven Emergency Intertie Project faced significant design, administrative, construction, and deadline headwinds diverting staff attention away from other priorities.
October 14, 2025: Reduced staffing, competing projects and deadlines (Compensation Study, Town Hall Improvements, HSIP Crosswalk sign aesthetic issues, Intertie Project, etc.) prevented the comparative analysis from gaining any significant traction during the months following Tagliaboschi’s departure (September-December).
However, staff performed several tasks that resulted in documents that debuted in the October 14, 2025 Council meeting Staff Activity report (attached).
City Planner Trever Parker developed preliminary findings associated with the potential growth inducing impacts (concerns) from a connection to Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District. City Grant Administrator Angela Cather summarized grant funding opportunities available to the City for the comparative analysis.
City Engineer Steve Allen reviewed 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 Gabriel Adams met with HBMWD GM Michiko Mares to help connect the dots, strategize next steps, and develop a realistic timeline with funding options.
November 13, 2025: North Mainline Extension project was unveiled at the Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District meeting. The Trinidad Rancheria announced an ambitious timeline to completing their project, starting with a soonto-be-released, self-funded feasibility study. City staff anticipated the public release of their study, and felt that it may be cost effective to approach the Rancheria and request permission to engage with their consultant. The City was unable to reach the Rancheria and coordinate a G2G meeting before the holiday season. The City Manager, Mayor, and Mayor Pro-Tem ultimately determined that an independent analysis would serve the community’s interest more effectively (back to the drawing board).
RECENT WATER SYSTEM EVENTS & OPERATIONAL CHALLENGES
January 03, 2026: Scenic Drive water main break, complete and unprecedented 400,000-gallon storage drained in less than four hours, citywide boil water and turbidity exceedance notices issued, and the critical water shortage emergency that followed prevented any meaningful progress on the comparative analysis in January.
March/April, 2026: Recent emergency incidents and operational challenges highlighted both the strengths and limitations of maintaining a small independent water system, while also reinforcing the importance of evaluating long-term infrastructure, staffing, financial, and resiliency considerations through a comprehensive comparative analysis. Members of the public demanded reliability and express serious concern when they found out the water plant is not fully automated.
City staff began working on a 2025 Water Rate Implementation financial performance review. FYE2025 Audit is underway but the final report has not yet been released. The results of both reports will give the Council much needed information necessary to determining whether funding a comparative analysis independently is feasible.
April 04, 2026: An unprecedented four-day water service outage and boil water notice for approximately 30 customers on Westhaven Drive caused by a redwood tree that fell and took out all overhead utilities and water service. The incident further emphasizes the need for continued, significant investment in the City’s aging distribution system, but with the bittersweet reality that the water system has not been adequately funded by the 2024 rate increase to replenish operating or capital improvement reserves.
WATER SYSTEM / PLANT OBSERVATIONS
After eight months overseeing management of the water system, handling several unprecedented water emergencies, listening to demands for water reliability and management accountability from the business community, and witnessing first-hand how difficult it is not only to operate an aging system, but also to fund, train, and retain T3 and T2 certified staff, it’s clear that the City should address this issue with awareness and urgency.
The options below outline the City’s runway to implementing the July 08, 2025 decision to conduct a comparative analysis that will provide much of the data and information needed to make critical and informed decisions moving forward. Staff is looking for guidance from Council as to what method is preferred.
COMPARITIVE ANALYSIS OPTIONS
City Clerk/Interim City Manager Gabriel Adams and Special Project Manager Angela Cather met with a representative of the State Water Resources Control Board, Division of Financial Assistance (DFA) by videoconference on March 23, 2026 to explain what the City Council was looking for and seek guidance on available funding programs. After a thorough summary of the City’s water system, age, recent funding awards, improvements, and challenges, the State presented the following options:
OPTION 1: California State Water Resources Control Board’s, Technical Assistance (TA) Program Under this program, the State contracts with a third-party provider who can coordinate and develop engineering and environmental analysis. The TA provider (a non-profit organization, including universities, and other professional service providers) can and will contract with necessary professionals to complete analysis. The City may have some input when selecting the engineering firm and throughout the analysis. The results of the study will determine future DFA funding eligibility, which should be aligned with the alternative determined to be the most sustainable and costeffective under the study criteria.
As per an email received on 3/6/26 from State Water, Division of Financial Assistance Sanitary Engineer, “DFA can only offer funding for design and construction of the most long-term solution/alternative presented in the feasibility plan. For example, if the plan indicates consolidation is the most long-term solution to the problem, DFA can only provide funding for that; and any other alternative will have to be self-funded by the City.” Note: GHD has been awarded many TA projects by the State, and could end up being the selected consultant to carry out the TA project.
Funding: 100% grant/free money
Timeline: approximately 6 months after submitting a request to begin analysis. The analysis can take 9-18 months.
Application Status: Ready to submit.
Pros: A successful grant award will need the City to provide water system technical/operational information, financial, historical data to seed the study, and staff attendance in regular coordination meetings, but will not require the City to administer the grant. If GHD happens to be selected by the State, their effort assembling data would be more efficient and possibly more cost-effective for the City.
Any recent alternative that has been explored by the City, including the investment made in evaluating upper watershed storage retention concepts, will be considered in the assessment.
Cons: The Council has heard public comment suggesting the study be performed by a third-party. Because under this option the consultant selection and project management would be handled by the State, the City may have less influence over the study scope emphasis, assumptions, methodology, timeline adjustments, and consultant familiarity with local community values and priorities.
OPTION 2: California State Water Resources Control Board’s, Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Program
Under this program, the City will submit a funding application which includes a General, Technical (with a scope of work and budget), Financial and Environmental Package. When awarded, the City will administer the grant and have full control over the process, including solicitation and selection of the consultant, following grant guidelines provided by the funder.
More information regarding the DWSRF can be found here:
https://waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/services/funding/SRF.html The Intended Use Plan can be found here, which discusses planning funding criteria:
https://waterboards.ca.gov/drinking_water/services/funding/documents/2026/2025-26-dwsrf-iup.pdf On Page 34 you will see Table 12 which discusses planning funding criteria (snapshot below) Funding: 100% grant/free money of the proposed scope. No match required.
Timeline: Expect to receive a funding agreement 9-12 months after a complete application is submitted.
Application Status: Planning funding application can be found here: Forms and Instructions | California State Water Quality Control Board Draft scope received and in progress* Pros: The City has a lot of experience administering grants in-house. Handling grants in-house often results in grant payroll allocations that supplement wages of city staff by reimbursing for their time spent participating in the project. By comparison, if the grant is handled by the State in Option 1, then staff time consumed by feeding required information to the consultant would not be eligible for reimbursement, and instead being a cost to the City.
Assuming the grant guidelines are followed to solicit and award a contract to the selected consultant, the City may have more control over the pool of consultants considered.
Cons: A long-range project of this size and scope would become a significant priority for the Grant and Special Project Manager. The City would assume greater administrative responsibility and risks associated with procurement, grant compliance, and project management. Depending on consultant selection, project costs and timelines could fluxuate.
OPTION 3: Self-Funded
With this option, if feasible, the City may be able to expedite the timeline. However, based on preliminary estimates ranging between $80-100k to execute the Council’s July 08 motion, and based on the preliminary financial review of the October 2024 water rates, this option may not be feasible.
Pros: Greater local control over consultant selection, study design, assumptions, and project schedule. The City may also have more flexibility to tailor the scope specifically to community concerns and policy priorities. Faster timeline
Cons: It is still unclear whether the water fund can afford this option. If so, there may not be any room for budget flexibility in response to unanticipated design or scope changes.
ATTACHMENTS
- October 14, 2025 Staff Activity Report Supplemental: Grant Opportunities for a Comparative Analysis and Feasibility Study in Connection with Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District. - October 14, 2025 Staff Activity Report Supplemental: Preliminary Staff Findings on Potential Growth Inducing Impacts from Connection to Humboldt Bay Municipal Water District. - State Water Resources Control Board SAFER Dashboard (City of Trinidad Water System Profile) containing data for the 2025 Drinking Water Needs Assessment.
SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION AVAILABLE FOR DISCUSSION CONTEXT Technical information included in the July 08, 2025 City Council meeting packet:
- Water Production Memo, May 01, 2019 - GHD
- Conceptual Hydro Assessment of Luffenholtz Creek Watershed, September 06, 2019 – GHD - City of Trinidad Alternative Raw Water Source Evaluation, September 06, 2019 - GHD - Resolution 2020-16 Declaring Drought Emergency, Adopted by City Council on September 08, 2020. - Improving the Trinidad Municipal Water System: Fixing Leaks. July 22, 2021 – Richard Clompus WAC - Report on Humboldt Bay Pipeline, August 10, 2021 – Dwight Miller, WAC - Ordinance 2021-03 Water Shortage Regulations, Adopted by City Council on August 21, 2021 - Trinidad-HBMWD Water Main Connection Option Memo, October 06, 2021 – GHD - Overview of Luffenholtz Creek Water Resources and Water Availability, October 12, 2021 - PWA - Water Storage Contingency Plan (current situation with tables and maps), June 28, 2022 – PWA - Prop 218 Public Notice for Proposed Water Rate Increase – July 15, 2024 - 2024 Water Rate Study
Recent water leak incident reports included in the January, March, and April 2026 City Council meeting packets:
- January 03, 2026 Scenic Drive Water Leak Report
- January 03, 2026 Post Incident Report
- April 04, 2026 Westhaven Drive and Langford Road extended service outage
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.
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 2 & 3
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION SUBMITTED
2. Discussion/Decision to Approve the Second Amendment Contract with Humboldt County Sheriff to provide Law Enforcement Services to the City of Trinidad.
3. Discussion/Decision to Approve the Second Amendment Contract with Humboldt County Sheriff to Provide Animal Control and Shelter Services to the City of Trinidad.
TWO RELATED AGENDA ITEMS COMBINED
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, Interim City Manager
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEMS
3. Discussion/Decision to Approve the Second Amendment Contract with Humboldt County Sheriff to provide Law Enforcement Services to the City of Trinidad.
4. Discussion/Decision to Approve the Second Amendment Contract with Humboldt County Sheriff to Provide Animal Control and Shelter Services to the City of Trinidad.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Approve the Second Amendment to the Master Agreement with the Humboldt County Sheriff to Provide Law Enforcement, Animal Control, and Animal Shelter Services for the City of Trinidad for Fiscal Years 2025-2029, updating the fees for services for FY2027.
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
This is the second amendment to the 5-year agreement that began November 01, 2024. The agreement stipulates that each year the Sheriff will compute the upcoming fiscal year cost and notify the City by May for the services provided.
These contracts include Law Enforcement, Animal Control, and Animal Shelter Services. The second amendment to this agreement will result in a $5,911 increase from FY2026 for Sheriff services, and a slight increase of $429 for Animal Control Shelter and Services. The increase is calculated by the County using a population allocation method proportionate to the population base served for services rendered.
This agreement provides the same Sheriff’s Office and Animal Control Services support as the previous agreement.
This will be funded in full with COPS grant funding. That revenue stream is expected to continue in FY2027.
ATTACHMENTS
- Second Amendment Sheriff’s Office Services $66,059.00 (10% increase) - Second Amendment Animal Control Services: $3,501.00 (6% increase) - Second Amendment Animal Shelter Services: $4,131.00 (6% increase)
LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES
- Second Amendment FY2027
Trinidad Law Enforcement Services—Second Amendment Page 1 of 2
SECOND AMENDMENT
AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES
WITHIN THE CITY OF TRINIDAD
BY AND BETWEEN
COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT
AND
CITY OF TRINIDAD
FOR FISCAL YEARS 2024-2025 THROUGH 2028-2029
This Second Amendment to the Agreement dated July 1, 2024, by and between the County of Humboldt, a political subdivision of the State of California, hereinafter referred to as “COUNTY,” and the City of Trinidad, a municipal corporation in the County of Humboldt, hereinafter referred to as “CITY,” is entered into this ____ day of __________, 2025.
WHEREAS, on July 1, 2024, COUNTY and CITY entered into an agreement whereby the COUNTY, through Sheriff, agreed to provide law enforcement services within the CITY; and WHEREAS, COUNTY and CITY now desire to amend the agreement to reflect updated fees for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, as provided for and described in Exhibit A to the Agreement.
NOW THEREFORE, the parties mutually agree as follows:
1. Pursuant to Exhibit A to the Agreement, the charges for services rate agreed to by COUNTY and CITY shall be recomputed annually using the methodology outlined therein. For the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (Fiscal Year 2026-27)the charges for services shall be Sixty-Six Thousand Fifty-Nine Dollars ($66,059.00). Payment shall be made quarterly in accordance with Section 11 of the Agreement.
2. Except as modified herein, the Agreement dated July 1, 2024 shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of this Second Amendment and the original Agreement, the provisions of this Second Amendment shall govern.
[Signatures on Following Page]
Trinidad Law Enforcement Services—Second Amendment Page 2 of 2 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have entered into this Agreement as of the first date written above.
ATTEST: ATTEST:
City Clerk
By: By: Willliam F. Honsal, Sheriff County of Humboldt
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT AND
RECOMMENDED
By: By: City Manager Chair City of Trinidad Board of Supervisors County of Humboldt By:
Mayor City of Trinidad
ANIMAL CONTROL SERVICES
- Second Amendment FY2027
Trinidad Animal Control Services—Second Amendment Page 1 of 2
SECOND AMENDMENT
AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE ANIMAL CONTROL SERVICES
WITHIN THE CITY OF TRINIDAD
BY AND BETWEEN
COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT
AND
CITY OF TRINIDAD
FOR FISCAL YEARS 2024-2025 THROUGH 2028-2029
This Second Amendment to the Agreement dated November 1, 2024, by and between the County of Humboldt, a political subdivision of the State of California, hereinafter referred to as “COUNTY,” and the City of Trinidad, a municipal corporation in the County of Humboldt, hereinafter referred to as “CITY,” is entered into this ____ day of __________, 2026.
WHEREAS, on November 1, 2024, COUNTY and CITY entered into an agreement whereby the COUNTY, through Sheriff, agreed to provide animal control services within the CITY; and WHEREAS, COUNTY and CITY now desire to amend the agreement to reflect updated fees for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, as provided for and described in Exhibit A to the Agreement.
NOW THEREFORE, the parties mutually agree as follows:
1. Pursuant to Exhibit A to the Agreement, the charges for services rate agreed to by COUNTY and CITY shall be recomputed annually using the methodology outlined therein. For the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (Fiscal Year 2026-27) the charges for services shall be Three Thousand Five Hundred and One Dollar ($3,501.00). Payment shall be made quarterly in accordance with Section 9 of the Agreement.
2. Except as modified herein, the Agreement dated November 1, 2024 shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of this Second Amendment and the original Agreement, the provisions of this Second Amendment shall govern. [Signatures on Following Page]
Trinidad Animal Control Services—Second Amendment Page 2 of 2 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have entered into this Agreement as of the first date written above.
ATTEST: ATTEST:
City Clerk
By: By: Willliam F. Honsal, Sheriff County of Humboldt
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT AND
RECOMMENDED
By: By: City Manager Chair City of Trinidad Board of Supervisors County of Humboldt By:
Mayor City of Trinidad
ANIMAL SHELTER SERVICES
- Second Amendment FY2027
Trinidad Animal Shelter Services—Second Amendment Page 1 of 2
SECOND AMENDMENT
AGREEMENT TO PROVIDE ANIMAL SHELTER SERVICES
FOR THE CITY OF TRINIDAD
BY AND BETWEEN
COUNTY OF HUMBOLDT
AND
CITY OF TRINIDAD
FOR FISCAL YEARS 2024-2025 THROUGH 2028-2029
This Second Amendment to the Agreement dated November 1, 2024, by and between the County of Humboldt, a political subdivision of the State of California, hereinafter referred to as “COUNTY,” and the City of Trinidad, a municipal corporation in the County of Humboldt, hereinafter referred to as “CITY,” is entered into this ____ day of __________, 2025.
WHEREAS, on November 1, 2024, COUNTY and CITY entered into an agreement whereby the COUNTY, through Sheriff, agreed to provide animal shelter services within the CITY; and WHEREAS, COUNTY and CITY now desire to amend the agreement to reflect updated fees for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, as provided for and described in Exhibit A to the Agreement.
NOW THEREFORE, the parties mutually agree as follows:
1. Pursuant to Exhibit A to the Agreement, the charges for services rate agreed to by COUNTY and CITY shall be recomputed annually using the methodology outlined therein. For the period of July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 (Fiscal Year 2026-27) the charges for services shall be Four Thousand One Hundred Thirty-One Dollars ($4,131.00). Payment shall be made quarterly in accordance with Section 12 of the Agreement.
2. Except as modified herein, the Agreement dated November 1, 2024 shall remain in full force and effect. In the event of a conflict between the provisions of this Second Amendment and the original Agreement, the provisions of this Second Amendment shall govern. [Signatures on Following Page]
Trinidad Animal Shelter Services—Second Amendment Page 2 of 2 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have entered into this Agreement as of the first date written above.
ATTEST: ATTEST:
City Clerk
By: By: Willliam F. Honsal, Sheriff County of Humboldt
APPROVED AS TO CONTENT AND
RECOMMENDED
By: By: City Manager Chair City of Trinidad Board of Supervisors County of Humboldt By:
Mayor City of Trinidad
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 4
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS WERE PROVIDED
4. Discussion/Presentation regarding FY2025-2026 Budget Preparation.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, City Clerk/Interim Manager
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Review staff report, discuss, and provide recommendations and feedback to staff for FY2027 Budget
DISCUSSION/BACKGROUND
On March 10 the Council conducted a mid-year review to budget assumptions and to adjust the budget if needed to capture unforeseen circumstances or needs in the organization. The second part of the discussion peeled back a layer and focused on the current year priorities, identified achievements, and discussed the overall health of the General Fund and Special Revenue Funds. The takeaway from the March 10 meeting was positive as forecast General Fund revenues were a bit ahead of estimates.
The health of the Water Fund is still under review. The City received a small grant award to have RCAC conduct a water rate performance review following the Rate Study that concluded in October 2024. Preliminary estimates indicate that the fund is falling short of expectations. The rate structure selected was not intended to fully replenish the fund, but rather only to “stop the bleeding”. The modest operating cash reserve forecasted into the rate structure adopted appears to be missing the mark by nearly 50% or more. Staff will dive deeper into the analysis with RCAC in the second half of May and return to the Council in June with more concrete details baked in to a final draft budget.
This meeting will provide information on the General Fund and reserves and how they are assigned, committed, or unrestricted, Special Revenue Funds, and our Water Enterprise Fund.
There will be a discussion of our current proposed staffing plan and the financial statements for FYE June 30, 2025, and through March 30, 2026. The statements were reconciled by Cunningham, Malone and Morton Bookkeeping Service, and our Auditor Brett Jones at JJCPA who conducts Audits for the City. The FY2025 Audit, has not yet been concluded, but staff expects it for review and approval in June.
The Council also agreed on a list of goals and objectives with the FY2026 budget. These items included:
• Invest in maintenance and upkeep of Town Hall, and recreation assets such as trails and parks. • Prioritize strategies to stabilize water funds and staff. Including in house T3/CPO. • Prioritize developing a classification and compensation plan, and updating the Employee Policy and Procedure Manual, which aligns staff responsibilities and wages with the needs of the City, encourage retention, and rewards advancement.
• Preparing for ongoing litigation to reach the trial before the end of FY2026, and set aside funding in advance. • Dedicate staff resources to bringing the Trinidad-Westhaven Emergency Intertie project to a conclusion.
Maintaining and enhancing the current service levels provided to the city, achieving compliance with state mandates, coordinating with other local and regional planning efforts to the best of our abilities, and maintaining public facilities and infrastructure are just of few of the underlying fundamentals incorporated into your budget planning process. Staff hopes to conclude the May discussion with some additional discretionary spending input from the Council that can be incorporated into the final draft. Some of those wish list items may include:
• A request from North Coast Children’s Services to provide backfill funding support if needed to keep Salmonberry Preschool solvent through the 2027 school year. • A request from the Friends of Trinidad Library to take on 100% of the additional Library hours (previously a 60/40 split), along with possible backfill funding with the County Library system facing budget cuts. • Investing in preliminary annexation analysis and prioritization, and pursuing additional consultant resources to gain traction on backlog of Planning Commission recommendations. • Phase II funding for Town Hall Improvements – Civic Club Room, Big Room interior paint, lighting, etc. • Tennis Court resurfacing.
• Preparation/Recognition of a potent el Nino winter season predicted.
STAFFING PLAN – CLASSIFICATION AND COMPENSATION – PHASE II On October 14, 2025, Council adopted the Classification and Compensation Study submitted by Regional Government Services (RGS). The study concluded with several findings and recommendations:
Compensation Findings
• Sufficient compensation data was found for three of the seven classifications. • None of the base pay salaries or total compensation for the City’s classifications are considered competitive with the market (+/- 5% of the median).
• Base pay and total compensation for the City’s positions ranged between 8%-28% below the market median.
Salary Recommendations
• Adjust salaries so the maximum top-step salary rate is within five percent of the market median. • If fiscal restraints exist, develop a phased-in approach that provides for annual or biannual increases over a multi-year time period until the salaries for all classifications are competitive with the market. • Memorialize the internal salary alignment structure as part of the City’s compensation policy to be used when conducting salary surveys or establishing new classifications.
In addition to adopting the 2025 Classification and Compensation Study, the Council approved a 10% across-theboard increase to seed the beginning of the recommended multi-year, phased approach to reaching the market median pay rates, with direction to staff to return during the FY2027 budget discussion with a draft of the next phase.
With the payroll apportionment being one of the first bricks laid in the budget foundation each year, staff is recommending phase 2 of the multi-year adjustment to bring all classifications to within 10% of the market median beginning July 01, resulting in a payroll increase of approximately 7.5% overall increase ($54,246), while also maintaining the internal alignment proposed by RGS.
Significant savings from FY2026 consolidation of the City Manager/Clerk, and Special Projects/Grant Coordinator positions are estimated at close to $137,000. With the Water Fund struggling to gain positive ground, and with the volatile economic climate as a result of high energy costs that are rippling through cost-of-goods and services, staff is confident that prioritizing recruitment for the Grant Coordinator position and running lean through December 2027 with a consolidated Clerk/Manager position is a fiscally responsible administrative staffing approach.
REVENUE PROJECTIONS
General Fund revenues are projected to be on budget this year (FY2026), approximately $965,000. This includes Sales, Property, Occupancy Taxes, Rents, and fees for service.
EXPENSE PROJECTIONS
General Fund department expenses are projected to be under budget this year (FY2026). Although City Attorney expenses are over budget, savings from unfilled positions (City Manager and Grant Coordinator) significantly decreased expenses overall.
GENERAL FUND RESERVE ALLOCATION
Approximately $140,000 was invested in Town Hall improvements in FY2026, along with $18,000 budget reserve adjustment for the CSA4 Fire Planning Study. Cost savings from consolidated staff classifications are projected to decrease reserve spending by approximately 50%. Final reserve numbers will be received as soon as the FY2025 Audit is complete.
NEXT STEPS
Consider the information presented, provide additional input to staff from questions/insights received during the discussion, and direct staff to return in June with a final, proposed draft FY2027 budget.
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 $ 599,685 $ -
Public Works $ 268,212 $ -
Fire $ 26,850 $ - *Transition fund place-holder included Police $ 25,667 $ - *Private security option included
Cemetery $ 24,797 $ -
Waste Management $ 12,500 $ -
Total Expenses $ 957,710 $ -
Balance $ 10,013 $ - *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
5/8/26, 6:27 PM
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Fw: request from The Friends of the Trinidad Library
From essence Torres <[email protected]>
Date Fri 5/8/2026 6:11 PM
To Cityclerk Trinidad <[email protected]>
To: Trinidad City Council From: Friends of the Trinidad Library Date: May 8, 2026 Subject: Request for Supplemental Funding for Library Staffing Dear Members of the Trinidad City Council,
The Friends of the Trinidad Library (FOTL) is writing to formally request that the City of Trinidad assume the cost of four additional hours of library staff time per week.
As a cornerstone of our community, the Trinidad Library provides essential resources, digital access, and educational programming for residents of all ages. We would like to express our sincere appreciation for the City’s ongoing partnership and the financial support provided through Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) funds. This contribution has been instrumental in maintaining our current operations.
The Challenges Facing the Friends Group Currently, the FOTL covers 60% of staffing costs while the City covers 40%. While we have been proud to bridge this gap through fundraising and volunteer labor, several factors have made this ratio unsustainable:
Declining Membership: A reduction in active members has limited our ability to sustain long-term financial pledges.
Volunteer Shortages: A lack of new volunteers has curtailed our capacity to execute the large-scale fundraising events necessary to meet our 60% obligation.
A Sustainable Path Forward By requesting that the City fund an additional four hours of staff time, we aim to ensure that library services remain consistent and professional. While we remain deeply grateful for the continued support from the City, this shift would provide the operational security needed to keep our doors open reliably. It would also allow the FOTL to pivot our remaining resources toward collection development and special community events.
5/8/26, 6:27 PM
https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/mail/inbox/id/AAQkADkxOWYxMDM…A4Zi05MTBhLTY4Y2I3NTgyYTFjMwAQAOc1sVJGppxCjx%2FU8XsEG%2FY%3D Page 2 of 2 The Trinidad Library is a vital public service, and we believe that investing in these additional hours is a direct investment in the literacy and connectivity of our residents.
We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this proposal further at the next City Council meeting. Thank you for your time and your dedication to the Trinidad community.
Sincerely,
The Friends of the Trinidad Library
Essence Torres
Northcoast Children’s Services 1266 9th Street Arcata, CA 95521 (707)822-7206 Fax (707)822-7962 Dear Trinidad City Council members,
I am writing about the Salmonberry preschool and the challenges we are facing continuing to operate this program. Our enrollment has been quite low this year and based on projected enrollment for next year, we may need to close this classroom. Salmonberry is one of our oldest programs and we are exploring the options we available to keep it open.
Parents in the program have shared that the community and city have expressed an interest in finding ways to help us keep this program open, including fundraising eEorts. Given the costs of operating, if we can reach half enrollment, eight children, we project that we will still need to raise an additional $7,000 per month to meet our operating costs. Currently we have 2 children who we anticipate would be returning next year from the current class and potentially 5 additional children whose parents have turned in applications. Under this scenario, we would have a $60,000 -$70,000 deficit for the year.
We are currently exploring options to reduce operating costs that could help cover some of that budget shortfall. While the ultimate decision to close the site would be made by our Board of Directors, I feel confident that if we can successfully raise $30,000 by the end of July, we could plan to keep the program open next year. While we would still need to raise the remainder of the money during the school year, this would give us some level of certainty of being able to meet our financial obligations for the first half of the year and would go a long way in demonstrating to the Board the commitment of the community to support this eEort.
We are seeking the City’s support/assistance to help us reach our fundraising goal. I plan to attend the May 12th Board meeting and am available to meet with City staE to further discuss this situation and explore ideas for continuing this program during the next school year as well as ideas for the long-term success of the Salmonberry preschool.
Sincerely,
Rodney Oien
Executive Director
4/28/26, 8:09 AM
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Cal Cities Legislative Update, 4/27
From Sara Sanders <[email protected]>
Date Mon 4/27/2026 6:31 PM
To Sara Sanders <[email protected]>
Good evening, Redwood Empire Division,
Last week there were over 400 city officials in Sacramento participating in the City Leaders Summit and Cal Cities Lobby Day. It was a pleasure to see members of the Redwood Empire delegation last week at the City Leaders Summit in Sacramento. I enjoyed connecting with our legislators alongside all of you. For those who were unable to attend — you were missed, and we hope to see you at a future gathering. Photos from lobby day meetings can be found HERE and photos from the City Leaders Summit and California Cities Week activities are available on Cal Cities flickr page.
On Lobby Day, city officials discussed a list of the biggest bills for city officials (so far) with their legislators and shared the Cal Cities advocacy priorities pamphlet.
During this year’s Summit, we were pleased to feature a special election-year conversation with candidates for governor. The Cal Cities 2026 Cities Gubernatorial Candidate Forum took place on Thursday, April 23, in Sacramento. This onstage discussion provided city officials with an opportunity to hear directly from the candidates on issues that matter most to cities, including housing and homelessness, public safety, climate and energy, and affordability. The conversation also explored each candidate’s leadership style, values, and personal perspective, offering deeper insight into how they may partner with cities moving forward. The discussion was moderated by Scott Shafer, Senior Politics Correspondent and co-host of KQED’s Political Breakdown. Cal Cities invited the top ten gubernatorial candidates based on publicly available polling; while five candidates accepted the invitation, three participated in the forum. The two candidates who accepted and did not join, former State Controller Betty Yee suspended her candidacy a week prior and San Jose Mayor, Matt Mahan cancelled his participation in the forum a few days before the event.
You can find the recording of the gubernatorial forum HERE.
This week should be relatively quiet on the legislative front as the legislature prepares for the news on the state budget. Earlier this year, Governor Gavin Newsom’s office released a $348.9 billion budget proposal. Although state revenues have surpassed projections, policymakers continue to grapple with a multiyear deficit that has thus far been managed through short-term solutions. The Governor has already advised some lawmakers to prepare for potential budget reductions.
In early May, Newsom is expected to release a revised budget proposal informed by updated tax return data. This timeline coincides with the Legislature’s “suspense file” process, a biannual review during which numerous bills are set aside or halted. As a result, legislative activity tends to slow in 4/28/26, 8:09 AM
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Key deadlines are approaching: May 1 for non-fiscal bills to clear committee, and May 15 for bills to advance through the appropriations committees.
Cal Cities shifts to oppose problematic homelessness bill SB 866 Cal Cities has adopted an oppose position on SB 866 (Blakespear). The measure would require all but 14 cities to add extensive homelessness reporting requirements to their housing elements.
While Cal Cities had originally requested amendments to the bill, it passed out of committee with just one no vote.
Only a handful of the state’s largest cities get direct state funding to address homelessness. To receive HHAP funding, recipients must submit regional plans that include performance metrics. SB 866 would require cities that do not receive HHAP funding to add these same metrics to their housing elements.
SB 866 is now headed to the Senate Appropriations Committee for consideration.
Support letters needed for Cal Cities’ fire hazards bill The Assembly Appropriations Committee will hear Cal Cities’ fire mapping bill, AB 2517 (Calderon) soon — and city support letters are needed. The bill would improve the Fire Hazard Severity Zone (FHSZ) designation process conducted by the Office of the State Fire Marshal by ensuring the office provides consistent and timely updates to local FHSZ maps.
Legislators mull CEQA changes
Cal Cities will weighed in on two bills that would overhaul the state’s environmental review process.
Heard on April 20 in Assembly Natural Resources, AB 2170 (Boerner) would impose unworkable CEQA translation requirements that could invalidate land use decisions if they are inaccurate. This could drastically increase litigation risk for cities and delay critical housing and infrastructure projects.
Cal Cities opposes the measure.
Heard last week in the Senate Environmental Quality Committee, SB 1075 (Reyes) would force agencies to consider air quality over all other environmental factors when considering projects. In addition to undermining CEQA, this would expose cities to new legal risks, in part by expanding the Attorney General’s ability to sue local governments based on citizen petitions to void land use decisions. Cal Cities is opposed to the bill unless it is amended to ensure local land use authority and holistic environmental reviews are upheld.
Both of these bills are headed to Appropriations for consideration.
Cal Cities changes position on SB 79 clean-up bill
4/28/26, 8:09 AM
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Given the new amendments, Cal Cities verbally informed the Senate Housing Committee that it will move from a support if amended position to a neutral position. Cal Cities is encouraging the Legislature to consider a wide-scale cleanup of SB 79 to assist cities with implementation and does not believe this measure will help in these efforts.
Senate bill seeks to cap impact fees for ADUs
Senate Local Government heard SB 1117 (Cervantes) on April 22. The bill would dramatically limit the impact fees cities could collect for accessory dwelling units larger than 750 square feet. For example, if a project applicant proposes a 1,000-square-foot unit, local governments could only charge impact fees for 250 square feet. This would severely limit the funding for essential infrastructure and public services. Local agencies can only charge the amount necessary to provide services and infrastructure; these fees are not used to generate revenue. Cal Cities and a coalition of several local government groups oppose the measure. This bill will be heard in Senate Appropriations in early May.
Wildfire insurance bill passed out of committee
On April 22, the Senate Insurance Committee heard SB 877 (Pérez). The measure would require insurance companies to disclose all claim documents, so homeowners can clearly see how their payout was calculated, what changes were made, who made them, and why. SB 877 is one of many bills this session addressing California’s ongoing residential insurance crisis. Increased transparency around insurance payouts is essential to ensuring homeowners are paid what they are owed. Cal Cities supports the bill.
City leaders mobilize in Sacramento in support of Cal Cities’ HHAP funding bill On April 23, over 20 city officials came in person to support AB 1708 (Solache) during an Assembly Human Services Committee hearing. This bill would require regions to work directly with cities under 300,000 residents to identify programs and interventions that serve unhoused residents and identify funding to help the financial needs of those programs.
With the help of cities, AB 1708 passed out with unanimous support and will be up in the Assembly Appropriations Committee in the coming weeks.
4/28/26, 8:09 AM
https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/mail/inbox/id/AAQkADkxOWYxMDM1…jYtNDA4Zi05MTBhLTY4Y2I3NTgyYTFjMwAQAKhp3Ggk3gRAgoiyoqcntM8%3D Page 4 of 5 Zoning overlay bill advances with a caveat
On April 29, Assembly Local Government will hear AB 2741 (Muratsuchi), a bill that could give cities more time to respond to court rulings that invalidate state-certified housing elements with zoning overlays before fines or other accountability measures are imposed. Last week, Asm. Matt Haney, chair of Assembly Housing, expressed concerns about the grace period but allowed the measure to pass out of his committee. He noted that if the author did not address those concerns, he would pull the bill back into committee.
AB 2741 would allow the over 100 cities that likely used zoning overlays with state approval during the 6th Regional Housing Needs Allocation Cycle to use them for the rest of the cycle, as long as they provide specific affordability and housing incentives in tandem with the targeted, optional zoning tool. However, it is unlikely that cities will be able to use them in the long term, given the court ruling in New Commune DTLA LLC v City of Redondo Beach.
Zoning overlays provide flexibility for developers and balance economic development with smart residential growth. Both Cal Cities and affordable housing advocates agree that a longer conversation about the future use of overlays is needed. Cal Cities and a coalition of local government organizations recently submitted a support if amended letter, citing the need for dialogue with the Legislature about these important affordable housing tools.
Contracting measure could speed up smaller, standardized public works projects On April 29, the Assembly Local Government Committee will review AB 2033 (Papan). The bill would allow general law cities to use job order contracting — a competitive, unit-price procurement method — for routine repairs, remodeling, and repetitive public works projects. This change would address delays and cost escalation caused by the rigid design-bid-build process, a significantly longer process that discourages contractors from working on ADA upgrades, basic facility rehabilitation, and other small-scale projects.
The bill aligns general law cities with authorities already granted to charter cities, counties, and schools, while maintaining safeguards: Contracts would need to go to the lowest responsible bidder, projects would be capped at $500,000, and existing labor and transparency requirements would remain in place. Cal Cities supports the measure.
Two homeowner protection bills advance to Assembly Appropriations On April 29, the Assembly Appropriations Committee will hear AB 1934 (Bennett) and AB 2038 (Harabedian). Both measures are focused on protecting homeowners and residential insurance access for those impacted by wildfires. A January report from CalMatters found that most survivors of last year’s deadly Los Angeles County wildfires have yet to return home, in part because of the statewide residential insurance crisis.
4/28/26, 8:09 AM
https://outlook.cloud.microsoft/mail/inbox/id/AAQkADkxOWYxMDM1…jYtNDA4Zi05MTBhLTY4Y2I3NTgyYTFjMwAQAKhp3Ggk3gRAgoiyoqcntM8%3D Page 5 of 5 Guardrails for tax-sharing agreement consultants in talks The Senate Revenue and Taxation Committee on April 22 heard SB 1172 (Hurtado), which seeks to put common-sense guardrails around sales tax-sharing agreements by limiting the compensation received by a consultant who negotiates or facilitates the agreement. Cal Cities supports the measure. In some instances, consultants who negotiate these tax-sharing agreements receive significant compensation — funds that could otherwise be used for public services or other economic development opportunities.
Prevailing wage check bill could saddle cities with new legal risk Assembly Appropriations is scheduled to hear AB 1859 (Ortega). The bill would force cities to allow representatives of a joint labor-management committee to access active public works sites for the purpose of ensuring compliance with prevailing wage and apprenticeship requirements. It would also allow them to lodge lawsuits against cities when a lead general contractor allegedly prevents or creates barriers to access. Cal Cities is opposed to the measure unless it is amended to address several concerns, including the heightened legal risk.
A quick reminder: To see all tracked bills by issue area or priority, visit the Bill Search page.
Sara Sanders
Special Initiatives Manager
Regional Public Affairs Manager, Redwood Empire Division League of California Cities
cell: 916-548-9030
[email protected] | www.calcities.org
Strengthening California Cities
through Advocacy and Education
Twitter │ Facebook │ YouTube │ LinkedIn
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 5
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS WERE PROVIDED
5. November 2026 City Council Election Calendar.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
TO: Mayor & City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, City Clerk/Interim City Manager
DISCUSSION AGENDA TITLE
5. November 2026 City Council Election Calendar.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Briefly present and review upcoming timeline. No decision required.
NOVEMBER 2026 CITY ELECTION CALENDAR
May
• Adopt Resolution requesting Election Consolidation with the County.
June
• Announce the upcoming election season calendar and prepare candidate nomination packets.
July
• Publish Election Notice for Upcoming November Council Seats on July 08. o (3) 4-Year Terms; Kelly, Breckenridge, Tuttle
o (1) 2-Year Term (Waskiewicz)
• Candidate Nomination Period opens on July 13.
August
• Filing period for City Council Candidate nominees closes on August 07 if an incumbent files. • Filing period for City Council Candidate nominees is extended to August 12 if no incumbents file by August 07.
September
• Staff works with County Elections to prepare the ballot.
October
• Publish notification of (2) upcoming Planning Commission vacancies November
• General Election, Tuesday, November 03, 2026.
December
• When County Elections results are certified, swear in new Council members, appoint Mayor, and re-distribute or confirm Committee/Commissionership assignments.
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM 6
SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS WERE PROVIDED
6. Staff Activity Report – April 2026.
CITY OF TRINIDAD STAFF REPORT
DATE: Tuesday, May 12, 2026
TO: Mayor and City Council
FROM: Gabriel Adams, Interim City Manager
DISCUSSION AGENDA ITEM: Staff Activity Report – April 2026 STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Review content, discuss, and receive public input.
DRAFT MOTION TO CONSIDER: Accept Staff Activity Report for April 2026.
APRIL 2026 SUMMARY
- STAFF PRODUCTIVITY
o ADMINISTRATION: April started with a significant water leak that occurred on Friday, April 04 due to a fallen Redwood tree on Westhaven Drive. The incident caused an extended power and communication line outage that was isolated to residents included in that utility grid segment, and caused the City to issue a boil water notice and extended service outage for 30 customers in the area. A full report was presented to the Council on April 14. That same meeting agenda included a discussion about Planning Commission priorities, a bid award to GRS for the Main Street STIP project, and the removal of the Edwards Street flashing beacon signage.
The rest of the month dedicated to problem-solving, meetings, responding to inquiries, routine operations, maintaining community partnerships and outreach, and managing complex projects, as summarized below:
• Occupancy Tax Quarterly Returns: Received and processed Jan-March quarterly TOT returns. • Cash Flow & Investments: Managed the city’s cash flow and investment • Payroll: Coordinating bi-weekly payrolls.
• Complaints: Coordinated handling of several complaints received from speeding vehicles, unauthorized wood cutting activity occurring in the City right-of-way, and business disturbances • Damage Claim: Processed a second damage claim received due to the January 03 Scenic Drive water leak. This one will be paired with the first one to consolidate the City’s self-insured retention cap ($5,000 deductible).
• Water Department Support: Supporting the water staff in completing annual reports and coordinated communication with consultant staff.
• Town Hall Curtain Repair: Thank you Nick Roney at North Coast Awning for fast and seamless repair of our beloved Town Hall stage curtain.
• Long-Range Water Planning: Continued strategizing with the State Water Board and Special Projects Manager Angela Cather to develop an understanding of the City Council’s best options to conduct a comparative analysis for the city’s water supply, to be presented to the Council in May. • Community Engagement & Safety Coordination: Issued a coordinated burn permit with the Trinidad Coastal Land Trust for safe controlled burning of brush on the pasture property. • Neighborhood Safety: Assisted a homeowner with a fast-track application for a hazardous tree removal.
• Water Customer Financial Hardship Assistance: Conducted water system past due account audits and developed alternative payment plans for customers having difficulty keeping up with rising costs. • HSIP Flashing Crosswalk Signs: The signs were removed and replaced with reflective delineators, protecting the receiver stock embedded in the concrete
foundation.
o California Intergovernmental Risk Authority (CIRA): The City is required to attend one of CIRA’s two, annual board meetings that are held in Sacramento. The consequence of not meeting this obligation is that the City’s self-insured retention (SIR) will be raised from $5k to $15k per occurrence should a damage claim for liability be awarded against the City. The City Manager will be attending and away from the City May 13-15. The cost of attendance is fully reimbursable by CIRA.
o STAFFING: Staff will be conducting the annual budget process through May and will hopefully be able to begin outreach for recruitment of the Grant Coordinator position before June. 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 project.
Financial statements included in the May meeting packet indicate business as predicted this time of year, with no anomalies or areas of concern that are not anticipated. We will be discussing FY2027 budget in depth, starting May 12 and concluding June 09.
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 kicked off with a meeting between RCAC staff and City on April 16. Budget assumptions were complicated by a series of large expenses due to leaks and failed equipment, therefore delaying the final review. Staff anticipates having meaningful information for Council review on May 12, developing into a comprehensive fund outlook by June 09. o PUBLIC WORKS: In addition to their daily routine, Public Works staff has dedicated a significant amount of time staying on top of spring mowing and vegetation maintenance. This time of year, the vegetation is in full bloom and the natural beauty of our surroundings is on full display. Your public works staff helps keep the vegetation in check so trails are passable, roadsides are manicured, and the vista points are enjoyable. o STREETLIGHTS: Met with PG&E Government Affairs Liaison and Regional VP on April 03 for a walkthrough town, pointing out every streetlight that is in need of repair. Both representatives left with an awareness of the issue, but have not since offered any meaningful input. Staff will continue to reach out to PG&E until progress is made.
o WATER: In addition to performing daily routine water sampling, staff focused on delivering high quality water to all customers in April.
APRIL 04 Extended Service Outage and Boil Water Notice
Thank you Public Works and Water Department staff for all your hard work and dedication limiting the impacts of the extended outage and restoring water service to the customers along Westhaven Drive and Langford Road.
Thank you Westhaven Drive and Langford Road water customers, who were prepared, equipped, courteous, and understanding during the incident.
In early April the City received news that the current T3 Operator In-Training’s application for certification was denied, requesting that another 750 hours be served before the Water Board would issue the license.
This is a major blow to the City’s current operation, and yet another challenge facing the City’s 5-year long quest for in-house T3 independence. We are currently in conversation with contract T3 consultant Eric Sanders who may need to resign in the near future due to other employment opportunities. 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, thought he had fulfilled the amount of hours required to qualify for the T3 license but did not, according to a letter received by the Water Board on April 02. Staff will have to dedicate considerable time and resources to strategize the City’s next steps.
Kyle Shipman (T2) passed his Distribution exam on April 14, and is now a certified T2/D2 Operator.
Congratulations Kyle.
o PLANNING: The Planning Commission met on a special meeting date of April 21. Discussion topics included 2026 Planning Project Priorities, the Draft Safety Element, and the introduction of the Dark Sky Ordinance topic. City Planner Trever Parker has provided routine support with OWTS permit issuance, handling various project inquiries from the public and other agencies, met with Coastal Commission staff for a regular monthly coordination session, and continues to provide much needed senior-level guidance and input to in-house staff on miscellaneous projects.
o ENGINEERING: GHD staff provided ongoing support in April with two primary projects; Main Street STIP project, and Trinidad-Westhaven Emergency Intertie Project closeout. o BUILDING: City Building Inspector Dan Dimick provided professional, routine services to builders needing permit assistance during his regular weekly Thursday visits. He keeps the City Manager informed, is always willing to help, and the service he provides to the City is extremely professional, cooperative, and thorough.
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: Received and processed several requests for information of deceased/burial records. Communicated with several families preparing for the inevitable, and coordinated plot locations and final details for several burials (cremation and standard) that were conducted in April.
Also, public works pressured washed the cemetery shed and will be giving it a fresh coat of paint soon.
- FUTURE AGENDA TOPICS UNDER DEVELOPMENT
o Underground Utilities: Tabled until further notice due to rising cost estimates provided by PG&E recently, with no funding sources currently available or identified.
- GRANT PROJECTS
o Trinidad-Westhaven Emergency Intertie Project: A mold and mildew outbreak in the newly constructed pumphouse caused a controversy that complicated the final stages of grant closeout, calling into question building design and construction integrity, which is currently under review.
The good news is that the City completed the final grant close-out by the April 30 deadline to the satisfaction of the State Water Board, and the pump test was performed as requested by WCSD’s engineer PACE on April 29. Trinidad was able to pump water to WCSD successfully.
The not so good news is that when the pump was tested on April 29, WCSD experienced an unanticipated pressure issue at higher elevations in the distribution system that call into question their ability to provide the City a useful amount of water in an emergency – or at least until their new treatment plant is operational in 2027 (or later). City staff will be meeting with WCSD soon to determine the best path forward to address mold remediation and pump test issues. The Council should expect to see a formal update in June or July. 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. The BIA responded in February, confirming receipt of the application and notifying the City that the project has been assigned to a staff member named in the letter. The City received a response from the BIA on April 22 to confirm they will be reaching out to the Trinidad Rancheria for input. Trinidad has invested approximately $90,000 of staff time over a 4-year period developing the repair plan for the boardwalk, and risks losing it if the Per Capita program expires before the City is able to get reimbursed for the eligible expenses. o STIP: The bid has been awarded to GRS, Inc. Construction will begin after School closes on June 12. - TRIBAL GOVERNMENT CONSULTATIONS: No consultations pending, but may be needed to discuss various projects of mutual intertest, such as the boardwalk improvement project. - 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 April 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: The Town Hall sign is getting a refresh from Victory Signs. The color scheme has been selected and the work is in progress. Hope to have the sign on the new and improved Town Hall in June.
STAFF REPORT SUPPLEMENTAL
Date: Tuesday, April 14, 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 2022 184,103
September 2022 216,470 March 2023 152,813
September 2023 200,348 March 2024 125,188
September 2024 200,050 March 2025 136,579
September 2025 208,873 (19.32% Water Loss) March 2026 165,706 (21.57% Water Loss) October 2021 203,176 April 2022 173,115
October 2022 180,065 April 2023 145,504
October 2023 188,335 April 2024 176,413
October 2024 206,875 April 2025 171,808
October 2025 206,839 (23.22% Water Loss) April 2026 156,370 (22.13% 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 April was low on average, but the loss was in part due to the April 04 water leak on Westhaven Drive. 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.