111 E. COMMERCIAL STREET
WILLITS, CALIFORNIA 95490
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WILLITS CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 28, 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; Dusty Duley, Community Development Director; Manuel Orozco, Finance Director; Walter Kolon, Services and Facilities Director; and Delores Pedersen, City Clerk.
1. Little Lake Fire District Chief Alvarez gave a report of the Little Lake Fire Districts activities for the month of July.
> There were 99 calls for service in the month of July. • Held their Annual Open House was a success.
• Applying for Grants to help fund smoke and carbon dioxide detectors for seniors and families with children.
> The department participated in the following fires: Sites, Blue Nose, Pepperwood, Miner and Park Fires.
» Completed the EMT Recertification. This is done monthly. • Regular drill was radio etiquette and radio operations. • The fire department has a new Wildland Fires Rig. Engine 5469. • Had a fundraiser to hopefully purchase new Turnouts. Also looking for grants to help with this expense, a new set of Turnouts costs between $8,000 and $10,000 a set.
2. Public Communications
• None presented.
3. Public Matters
a. Presentation of a Proclamation recognizing Laurie Burghardt and her commitment to the community and kindness.
Mayor Rodriguez read the Proclamation and along with Councilmember Kanne, Lisa Kvasnicka, Chamber President and Misty Johnston, Chamber Coordinator, presented Ms.
Burghardt with flowers and certificates from the Chamber.
b. Noticed Public Hearing - Presentation and Discussion of General Plan Land Use Element Update and Land Use Diagram.
presentation on the General Plan Land Use Element Update and Land Use Diagram. provide for vital downtown and S. Main Street, provide a logical land use map, streamline permitting, and protect natural resources.
Public Comment:
• Citizens of the community spoke for and against expanding the City's Sphere of Influence (SOI) with emphasis on Exley Lane being removed from the SOI Map. • Tamara Alaniz, Brooktrails General Manager, spoke on behalf of the Brooktrails Community Services District. Ms. Alaniz stated that she was at the City Council Meeting to express Brooktrails appreciation of the City of Willits' efforts to include Brooktrails in the planning efforts to update the Land Use Element of the General Plan. After reviewing the draft Environmental impact Report (EIR) Brooktrails will be recommending that the City of Willits revise the draft (EIR) to include the information provided by the City's own wastewater flow data provided by the wastewater flow meters over the past five years. The current EIR is based on a five-year-old Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) Municipal Service Review (MSR). Ms.
Alaniz states that it appears the expansion of the Sphere of Influence (SOI) and the potential population growth would need further analysis, and the proposed expansion may trigger the need to expand the City's wastewater treatment capacity.
Ms. Alaniz thanked both Dusty Duley, Community Service Director and Brian Bender, City Manager for continuing to maintain the relationship with Brooktrails.
Council direction to Community Development Director, Dusty Duley is as follows:
Language added to Goal LU4 regarding protecting the character of Main Street, North of Hwy 20 to the High School as well as the Commercial Street corridor. • Remove Exley Lane from the Sphere of Influence map.
Public Hearing closed at 8:59 pm.
Enactment of Ordinances
None presented.
Consent Calendar
The following items) are recommended for approval or denial, as follows:
a. City Council Minutes:
i. August 14, 2024.
Public Comment: None presented.
Moved by Strong/Seconded by Stranske 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. a. Business License Activity Report - July 2024.
b. Building Activity Report - July 2024.
Willits City Council Minutes of August 28, 2024. Page 2 of 5 Commissions, Agencies and Authorities
None presented.
City Manager Reports and Recommendations+
a. Proposal to install Identification Signs at Babcock, Bud Snider, Haehl, & Recreation Grove Parks.
Council asked to have "paid for with Measure K funds" taken off of the signs.
Public Comment: None presented.
Moved by Rodriguez/Seconded by Gonzalez and carried unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 2024-44 authorizing the installation of identity signs at Babcock, Bud Snider, Haehl Creek, and Recreation Grove Parks.
b. Review of the End of Term Benchmarks as required by the September 28, 2022 Agreement between the Willits Chamber of Commerce and the City for the Allocation of Transient Occupancy Tax. The said benchmarks consist of the following: (a) Increase membership by 10-percent; (b) Develop a reporting system to track promotional and marketing efforts; and (3) A report compiling comments from all members noting what strategy is working and the ones that are not.
• Misty Johnston, Chamber Coordinator presented a PowerPoint presentation on the benchmarks.
• Developed Local First Willits - to support local businesses during the Covid Pandemic.
• Created in 2020 - Love Local Mendo - Online gift cards. • Updated community events. The Car and Bike Show on Main Street in downtown Willits.
> Redesigned Website to better serve the members, community and those relocating to Willits.
• New membership software.
• Revitalized social media accounts.
• Utilizing Google Business Profile for better outreach. > Dedicated page on website for Volunteer Opportunities.
Council members expressed their hope that the Community Calendar will be expanded to the whole community as soon as possible.
Public Comment: Tom Mann thanked the Chamber of Commerce and said that they are doing a good job.
c. Verbal Reports - No Action.
i. Update on the 2023 Pavement Preservation Plan.
• Walter Kolon, reports that the project is at 85% completion. Expect completion by the third week of September.
ii. Update on the 2024 Pavement Preservation Plan.
• Mr. Kolon reports that this project started a little over two weeks ago it is expected to be at 85% if completion of the project by the end of September. With hopes of being completed by mid-October.
Update on the 2024 Underground Utilities Project.
• Mr. Kolon reports that the contractor is making very quick progress with hopes of completion within the next couple months.
Willits City Council Minutes of August 28, 2024. Page 3 of 5 City Manager Bender expressed his gratitude to the two volunteers that stepped up, after the last City Council meeting, to lock the park restrooms each day.
Public Comment: None presented.
Department Recommendations (Action Items)
a. Presentation and Possible Adoption of Fiscal Year 2024/2025 Budget.
Public Comment: None presented.
Council expressed concern that there was no explanation of the changes made to the way that funds are tracked in the budget. The new layout makes it hard for the public to understand.
• City Manager Bender responded that an addendum would be added with notes on how changes were made internally.
Moved by Gonzalez/Seconded by Kanne and carried unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 2024-45 approving and adopting the Annual Operating Budget for the City of Willits for fiscal year 2024-2025.
10. Department Monthly Reports - (presented at the second meeting of each month). a. Airport.- Nothing more to add.
b. Community Development. - Nothing more to add.
c. Finance. - Nothing more to add.
d. Police Department. - Nothing more to add.
e. Services & Facilities.- Nothing more to add.
f. Utilities. - Nothing more to add.
No action taken.
City Council Announcements, Communications and Reports
Councilmember Kanne
Expresses her appreciation of Davey Bowles, Building Official, for information he was able to give her on a difficult situation she encountered.
Councilmember Gonzalez
Water/Wastewater Committee -
• Reported that Groundwater was being used because of a crack in the clarifier which caused water levels to drop, a second use was due to power outage and the Scada system having a glitch. Water plant has had to increase security due to a break in.
Mayor Rodriguez
• Mendocino Transit Authority (MTA)-
• Explored how secure they were at the MTA Grounds and on the buses.
Opportunities to increase security were identified.
• Mendocino College Route 9 will quit running at 11 pm. each evening.
Willits City Council Minutes of August 28, 2024. Page 4 of 5 • Mendocino Council of Government (MCOG) may have the authority to take MTA's share of CAREs funds.
Public Comment: None presented.
No action taken.
12. Good & Welfare
• Councilmember Strong -
• Willits Economic Localization (WELL) sponsored a garden tour open house at the Willits Integrated Service Center (WISC). The WISC has plots available for anyone that would like to grow plants.
• WELL along with the Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a Candidates Forum on October 6th at the Grange. 4:00 pm.
• September 21st - is the Harvest Moon Festival.
• Mayor Rodriguez
• September 7 & 8 - Roots of Motive Power event at the Rec Grove and Willits Youth Soccer Opening Day.
Dusty Duley, Community Development Director, announced that the Brews and Blues event is Saturday, September 1, 2024 at the Recreation Grove Park.
Adjourned to closed session at 10:36
13. Closed Session Notice
a. Conference with Legal Counsel - existing litigation (CA Govt. Code §54956.9 (d)(1)); in the matter of Craig Anthony Gelber vs City of Willits, et al, Case No. 3-23-cv-00681- JSC, United States District Court for the Northern California District.
Willits City Council reconvened to open session at 10:50 p.m. with no action to report from Closed Session.
14. Adjournment
Mayor Rodriguez declared the meeting adjourned at 10:50 p.m. in Podia
SAPRINA RODRIGUEZ, Mayor
City Council for the City of Williss
ATTEST:
Delores Pederson
DELORES PEDERSEN
City Clerk
Willits City Council Minutes of August 28, 2024. Page 5 of 5