111 E. COMMERCIAL STREET
WILLITS, CALIFORNIA 95490
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WILLITS CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES
WEDNESDAY APRIL 24, 2024
Mayor Rodriguez called a regular meeting of the City Council to order at 6:30 p.m., in Council Chambers. The meeting was preceded by the pledge to the flag.
Roll Call: Councilmembers Madge Strong, Larry Stranske, Greta Kanne, Vice Mayor Gerardo Gonzalez and Mayor Saprina Rodriguez were present.
Also present were staff members: Brian Bender, City Manager; Cathy Moorhead, Assistant City Manager; Jim Lance, City Attorney; Walter Kolon, Services and Facilities Director; Chris Dewey, Interim Police Chief; and Delores Pedersen, City Clerk.
2. Public Communications
• None presented
3. Public Matters
a. Bi-monthly update from the Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber will also provide a status of the Memorial Day Week Car Show.
John Kvasnicka, Chamber Volunteer, provided the following updates. • The Chamber of Commerce has two candidates for the Chamber Coordinator position. They hope to have the position filled and the new Chamber Coordinator starting Monday April 29th
• Planning for the car show is ongoing, they are currently working out the logistics for the new venue on Main Street. Mr. Kvasnicka thanked City Staff, specifically Taylor Perry, City Planner, for helping to make this event possible. • The Chamber website is up and running and being updated daily. • Within the week new membership rates and tiers will be available to local businesses, it will point out all of the advantages of being a member of the Chamber of Commerce.
The Chamber expects their membership drive to launch in July. • The Chamber is in the planning stages of two new annual events, one being a town wide yard sale; date has not yet been determined. The second event would be a vendor fair held at the Evergreen Shopping Center, in late July or early August. This event would encourage Shop Small Shop Local and will have a carnival theme. • The Chamber is participating in the Clean Canvas event, being put on by the City of Willits, at Bud Snider Park on Saturday April 27th
• The Car and Bike Show will be on Sunday, May 26'h. Preparations for the event will begin two days prior. The day of the event registration will begin at 8:00 am at Tri- Counties Bank. At 10:00 am Boy Scouts of Troop 42 will raise the flag at the Rexall parking lot. Volunteers will have a red shirt with Event Staff on the back for those needing assistance. To encourage shopping at the local Willits businesses there will
be no pop-up vendors located on Main Street. Businesses that are not in the downtown area have been invited to have a booth in the Busters Parking Lot. For a fee, pop-up venders will be able to set up in Bud Snider Park. There will be a sign at Wood Street advertising the event. The Car Show event ends at 3:00 pm. • Councilmember Kanne requested that the No Parking signs have the date in bold writing, so as to not detour shoppers from parking on the days that are not affected by the no parking order.
b. Update from the Little Lake Fire District (written report available in agenda packet). c. Update from Third District County Supervisor John Haschak. • Mendocino Council of Governments (MCOG) hosted the California Transportation Commission at a Town Hall on April 17h in Fort Bragg. The event was well attended.
Supervisor Haschak commended Councilmember Kanne for attending and representing Willits. April 17" was the Town Hall meeting, followed by a tour of some of the critical transportation sights on the coast on April 18th • The Great Redwood Trail had their opening for their Master Plan on April 10", the plan can be viewed online at https://greatredwoodtrailplan.org. • The County signed an agreement with Ameresco, an energy consulting firm, they will be performing the work on the energy efficiency projects the County has. The first one they will start with is the Willits Library Solar.
• The Mendocino County Museum continuing with their transition plan, the plan will be presented to the Board of Supervisors at the May 7' meeting. • The Mendocino County budget deficit is at approximately $12,000,000. d. Willits Police Department - Commendation of Service Excellence for Officers Pearson, Angell, Gale, and Dispatcher Stainbrook for their combined performances on March 28t • Interim Police Chief, Chris Dewey read a Letter of Commendation describing the investigative efforts, of Officer C. Pearson, Officer D. Angell, Officer J. Gale and Dispatcher M. Stainbrook, that resulted in the successful locate and return of a kidnapped child in Willits.
• Interim Police Chief, Chris Dewey read a second Letter of Commendation describing the life saving efforts of Officer J. Gale, his willingness to assist was noticed by a community member that said how proud she was of the Willits Police Department and its personnel, for their willingness to help those in need, and wanted to make sure that Officer Gale knew his life saving efforts were both noticed and very much appreciated by the Willits community.
4. Enactment of Ordinances
None presented.
5. Consent Calendar
The following items) are recommended for approval or denial, as follows:
a. City Council Minutes:
i. April 10, 2024.
Public Comment: None presented.
Moved by Kanne/Seconded by Gonzalez and carried unanimously to approve Consent Calendar items) (a).
6. Monthly Activity Reports
Matters that do not require action by the City Council but are of public interest.
Willits City Council Minutes of April 24, 2024 Page 2 of 6 a. Building Activity Report - February 2024.
b. Building Activity Report - March 2024.
c. Business License Activity Report - March 2024.
7. Commissions, Agencies and Authorities
None presented
City Manager Reports and Recommendations+
a. ARPA Projects. A project list and budget adhering to the instructions provided by the City Council at the April 10t meeting
• Councilmember Kanne wanted to make sure that the Lions Club is communicating with the Scouts regarding any of the renovations that they are planning at the Scout Hut. Ms. Kanne wants to make sure it benefits both groups. • Mayor Rodriguez asked that more information be provided as to what the plans for the Scout Hut are.
Moved by Kanne/Seconded by Strong and carried unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 2024-15 approving the use of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Funds in the total amount of $1,169,792.
Public Comment: None presented.
b. Review of Capital Projects. An assessment of the Capital Improvement Plan implementation alongside the City Council Goals - [see attached documents].
City Manager Bender gave a description of the Capital Improvement Plan (CIP). • Councilmember Kanne mentioned that the plan has items that have already been identified in alternate funding sources, the fountain in Babcock Park is listed in the Clean California Grant, the new floor for the Community Center is identified in ARPA Funding. She requested that there be some indication on the list that funding is already identified.
• City Manager Bender stated that as staff and council navigate through the budgeting process the CIP will be identified in the larger accounting practices but will also be separate so it can be tracked and identify how we are doing. Measure K and ARPA Funds will also be handled in this fashion.
• Councilmember Gonzalez requested that when the budget is produced that anything that is Grant Funded, Measure K, or ARPA Funds be identified with a different color.
Public Comment: Stephanie Stainbrook inquired if the park equipment would be updated and become all inclusive.
City Manager Bender responded that yes, the City is planning on having the parks upgraded to accommodate a range of ages, mobility, and development scales for young adults and children.
c. Verbal Reports - No Action.
• City Manager Bender recognized that today is Administrative Professionals Day and he wanted to recognize the City Administrative Staff for the success that they have • provided and their commitment and dedication to the City.
Public Comment: None presented.
Willits City Council Minutes of April 24, 2024
9. Department Recommendations (Action Items)
None presented
10. Department Monthly Reports - (presented at the second meeting of each month). a. Airport.
• Airport Manager Cathy Moorhead reported that last week the City held the quarterly tenants meeting, Ms. Moorhead wanted to thank Armstrong Consultants for coming to the meeting.
California Department of Transportation was supposed to inspect the airport, but was unable to come due to weather.
b. Community Development.
Clean Canvas Event at Bud Snider Park on Saturday April 27, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm.
Community Development Director, Dusty Duley, invited the community to come out and celebrate Earth Day.
• Community Development Director, Dusty Duley added the first community meeting regarding the Revolving Loan Housing Rehabilitation Program is on Wednesday May 1st, from 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm. The hope is to provide loans to those that apply later this summer.
c. Finance - Nothing more to add.
d. Police Department.
Interim Police Chief, Chis Dewey reported that the Police Department recently modified their schedule to give everyone in the department one weekend day off. Officers and Dispatchers work an average of 60 hours a week and 120 hours a pay period. The department has been able to focus more on community priorities. With an emphasis on to and from school traffic safety. Officers are out patrolling during the times that kids are going to and from school. Foot patrols are happening in the downtown area as well as the parks.
• Invited Council to the Promotional Ceremony at 6:00 pm in Council Chambers, Rodrigo Avalos is being promoted to Sergeant and Michael Stainbrook is being promoted to Dispatch Supervisor.
Chief Dewey thanked Mayor Rodriguez for bringing students to the Police Department for Dispatch Appreciation Week.
e. Services & Facilities.
• Services and Facilities Director, Walter Kolon gave an update of the 23/24 Pavement Preservation Project. Currently working on Boscabelle and Lenore. The homeowners in the area are contracting with the same contractor to put sidewalks in front of their homes where there are none. Precision Concrete is currently doing mapping of every sidewalk in the City Limits. The mapping will assist with identifying the sidewalks that need to be fully replaced or repaired and the cost estimates. Once the mapping is complete Precision Concrete will provide the city with a sidewalk assessment report as well as the mapping program. f. Utilities. - Nothing more to report
No action taken.
11. City Council Announcements, Communications and Reports Councilmember Kanne
Willits City Council Minutes of April 24, 2024 Page 4 of 6 Mendocino Council of Governments (MCOG) -
Meeting was held in Fort Bragg, MCG hosted the California Transportation Commission. Three California Transportation Commissioners were in attendance, was a great opportunity to showcase the variety of transportation projects that are happening throughout the County. Mendocino County Resource Conservation District, Chris Bartow from Willits and former Willits City Manager Stephanie Garrabrandt-Sierra were there to discuss the successes of the Willits Bypass Mitigation.
• Finance Committee -
• Transportation Committee -
Councilmember Strong
• Economic Development & Financing Corporation (EDFC)
Support for a large loan to assist with acquisition of the Noyo Theater.
Mendocino Solid Waste Management Authority (MSWMA)- Meets May 2nd Councilmember Kanne added that there was a hazardous waste collection in Willits that was successful and well received by the community.
Councilmember Kanne reported that she was approached by a resident on Sherwood Road regarding a roadside cleanup. There are some old appliances and trash that has been dumped, Ms.. Kanne contacted Mendocino County Supervisor Maureen Mulheren. Supervisor Mulheren contacted C&S Waste Solutions and the appliances and trash will be cleaned up on Friday, April 26, 2024. • Sonoma Clean Power - Meets May 2nd, will be having a celebration of 10"h anniversary. Public is invited.
Councilmember Stranske
• Water/Wastewater Committee - Water-Wastewater meets April 26th Councilmember Gonzalez
• League of California Cities/Redwood Empire Division - Meets the week of April 29th
Mayor Rodriguez
• Mendocino Transit Authority (MTA) - Canceled
• Finance Committee
Received reports on capital improvement accounts. Measure K and items that would come before the Measure K Committee. Learned about the shortfall from sales tax. Part of the reason there will be a shortfall is because all of the deferred maintenance that has been taking place.
Transportation Committee - Meeting 4/25/2024
Met with Bruce McCracken of Redwood Waste Solutions. Mayor Rodriguez inquired if since Redwood Waste Solutions took over did their rates increase. The rates did increase as a result of Councils vote in November 2023 based on fuel costs, the increase did not go into effect until January 1, 2024. Mayor Rodriguez asked what the general policy was for possible increases in the future. Mr.
McCracken responded that very seldom is an increase asked for but if one was needed it would not be requested until January 2025 and it would be just the Consumer Price Index (CPI). The trucks are shaped differently but are actually the same size trucks as Solid Waste of Willits. Community Members in town are able to get bear cans at a higher rate than the regular garbage cans. Mayor Rodriguez asked about the cans being left open after the trash had been emptied out of them.
Mr. McCracken stated it was a result of the lift arm, Mr. McCracken states he will look into getting the lift arms adjusted. Installing drive cameras to increase drivers' safety. There are plans to make the transfer station larger and take in food waste in the future. There are hopes to move the truck scale across to the other side of the creek. Mr. McCracken invited the Mayor, Councilmembers and members of the public to tour the Ukiah Transfer Station to see what is recycled.
Willits City Council Minutes of April 24, 2024 Page 5 of 6 Public Comment: None presented.
No action taken.
12. Good & Welfare
• Councilmember Kanne - Thanked all the gardeners in the City. • Mayor Rodriguez - Sober Grad doing Tri Tip Dinner. Willits Police Department is doing a promotion ceremony on Friday, April 26t at 6:00 pm. Clean Canvas event in the City Park on Saturday, April 27'11:30 am to 3:00 pm.
• City Clerk Pedersen extended an invitation to the retirement luncheon for Bud Fritz, Water Operator, to the Council.
• Assistant City Manager Moorhead wished Clarence Tarver, Water Operator, a Happy Birthday, and announced that Thomas Gallups, Building Maintenance, and his wife welcomed a baby girl this week.
13. Closed Session Notice
None presented.
14. Adjournment
Mayor Rodriguez declared the meeting adjourned at 8:21 p.m. soch sou
SAPRINA RODRIGUEZ, Mayor
City Council for the City of Willits
ATTEST:
Delored Redersen
DELORES PEDERSEN
City Clerk
Willits City Council Minutes of April 24, 2024 Page 6 of 6