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WILLITS CITY COUNCIL
MINUTES
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 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; Davey Bowles, Building Official; Walter Kolon, Services and Facilities Director; Chris Dewey, Interim Police Chief; and Delores Pedersen, City Clerk.
OFF AGENDA ITEM
(Amendments to the agenda require a 4/5ths vote of the City Council).
Motion to add item 9e - Adopt a Resolution to Amend the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Project's Budget Table to Allow for the Asbestos Remediation and Flooring Upgrade Project at the Community Center.
Moved by Gonzalez/Seconded by Stranske and carried unanimously to add off agenda item 9e. Adopt a Resolution to amend the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Project's Budget Table to allow for the Asbestos Remediation and Flooring Upgrade Project at the Community Center.
Public Communications
• None presented.
3. Public Matters
a. Proclamation and Moment of Silence in Remembrance of September 11, 2001. • Mayor Rodriguez read the proclamation and asked the chamber attendees to join in a moment of silence in Remembrance of the events of September 11, 2001. b. Recommend Olga O'Neill for the Library Advisory Board. • Mayor Rodriguez recommended Olga O'Neill to be appointed to the Library Advisory Board. Vice Mayor Gonzalez and Councilmember Stranske spoke in support of Ms.
O'Neill being appointed to the Library Advisory Board.
C. Update from Third District County Supervisor John Haschak. • Supervisor Haschak expressed his gratitude to the Council for recognizing Patriots Day, with a Proclamation, at the opening of the City Council Meeting.
• Spoke in support of the recommendation of Olga O'Neill to the Library Advisory Board.
• The County of Mendocino approved a contract with a contractor to repair the roof and install solar panels on the Library. There are hopes to have this complete before the rainy season starts.
• The Covelo library was recognized as the greatest Small-town library in America. • The County of Mendocino is working on a Noise Ordinance, this will be presented at the Board of Supervisors meeting on September 24, 2024. • The County of Mendocino was awarded $2,000,000 through the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities Grant (BRIC). Sherwood Rd and the Willits Airport will benefit from this grant.
• Supervisor Haschak with be speaking about campaign finance at the next Board of Supervisors meeting.
• Groundbreaking for the new Psychiatric Facility took place on August 21st. Hopes for completion to take place during the fall of 2025.
• County Council had a new interpretation of the Cannabis Ordinance which would double to size limit of cultivation space to twenty thousand square feet. Supervisor Haschak felt that the Board of Supervisors needed to make a decision to the policy.
The Board decided to keep the cultivation space to ten thousand square feet as originally intended
• Supervisor Haschak and Supervisor Gjerde had meetings with Amtrak. There will now be one stop per day in Willits, with additional stops in Laytonville and Leggett. • Salary increases for the Supervisor passed 2/3 with Supervisor Haschak was one of the no votes. Supervisor Haschak feels they should wait until the County has a structurally balanced budget.
• Mobile Outreach Unit that is available to County residents that are having an emotional crisis is operational twenty-four hours a day seven days a week. • Redwood Region Rising was held in early August. Supervisor Haschak discovered at the meeting that Mendocino County has similar economic development stressors as all the other surrounding counties.
Vice mayor Gonzalez inquired if Greyhound is still in business. Supervisor Haschak confirmed that they are not.
d. Noticed Public Hearing: Review and Possible Adoption of the City of Willits' Emergency Operations Plan | Part 1 Base Plan.
• Logan Shine, Contract Planner, presented a PowerPoint presentation on the Willits Emergency Operations Plan.
• Councilmember Stranske expressed there needs to be more assistance identified in the plan for the City Manager. Vice Mayor Gonzalez explained that the City Manager has the authority to direct staff to assist with situations in the event of an emergency situation as well as reach out to outside agencies for assistance. - Vice Mayor Gonzalez expressed the need to have evacuation routes in the plan. • Vice Mayor Gonzalez stated that the plan is a good start and feels that the City Council needs to adopt the plan for legal purposes but there is still more work to be done Mayor Rodriguez expressed concerns over the lack of access to the FEMA trailer during the last emergency situation, the Mayor would also like to see Brooktrails Community Services District Emergency Plan to allow for ease of working with Brooktrails during an emergency situation.
Mayor Rodriguez pointed out that on page fifteen of the plan is missing links to the City of Willits Emergency Information Website, Social Media and Future Technology, they all say, "insert link".
Mayor Rodriguez would also like it identified in the plan what the plan is for mass care and shelter.
Willits City Council Minutes of September 11, 2024 Page 2 of 6 • Mayor Rodriguez would like there to be a defined role for Council Members to receive information that they are able to disburse.
Councilmember Kanne expressed the need for guidelines regarding the Brown Act identified in the plan. An example she used was a phone tree, the City Manager contacts the Mayor and how would the Mayor be able to share the information with the Council without violating the Brown Act.
• Councilmember Kanne would like to see what is identified in the plan to actually implemented
• All of the Councilmembers would like to have emergency contact information listed in the plan.
• City Manager Bender explained that some of the purpose of the plan is to identify the City Manager as the lead point of contact so that he/she may be able to disburse the information or identify someone to assist with this.
Public Comment:
• Supervisor Haschak stated that during the Covid Pandemic the county was having nightly meetings to update the Supervisors which allowed them to be able to answer the public's questions when they were asked.
• Sydnee Bowers expressed concern over the lack of a plan not already existing and is there a back up plan. Vice Mayor Gonzalez responded that there is already a plan in existence, this is an update of the plan.
• Councilmember Strong inquired about a timeline for when the plan will be updated with what should be done during specific emergency situations and the requests that council has made.
• Mayor Rodriguez asked for a timeline to be brought back to council identifying what the plan is when it comes to fire, earthquakes and floods. City Manager Bender responded that in the next two to three months Community Development would be bringing the Emergency Flood Plan to council.
City Manager Bender states that a scope of work would be put together identifying how the Emergency Operations Plan can be refined. The intent is to bring this back to council in the next couple months.
Moved by Gonzalez/Seconded by Strong and carried 4/1 with Stranske dissenting to adopt Resolution No. 2024-46 adopting the 2024 Emergency Operations Plan (EOP), Part 1: Basic Plan.
e. Notice Public Hearing: Presentation and Discussion of General Plan Land Use Element Update with a Focus on Proposed land Use Designations and Land Use Maps. • Dusty Duley, Community Development Director presented a PowerPoint presentation on the Land Use Element.
Public Comment:
• Robin Leler expressed gratitude to Dusty Duley, Community Development director working with her to be able to keep her home zoned for commercial use. • Tamara Alaniz, Brooktrails General Manager, expressed her appreciation for the changes that were made to the Land Use Element. As the City plans and moves forward for growth, she urged PlanWest to use the existing recorded wastewater data to determine capacity and the ability to grow rather than the LAFCo Municipal Service review number from 2019.
• Matthew Alaniz expressed concern over having this plan needing to be passed now rather than after elections. Mr. Alaniz feels it is being rushed • Councilmember Strong responded that the present sitting Councilmembers have been through multiple presentations on the General Plan Land Use Element and the Sphere of Influence, they have a history of knowledge, and she does not see anything Willits City Council Minutes of September 11, 2024 Page 3 of 6 inappropriate for the current council to go forward with the process that began two years Victor Hollister, North Fork Lumber Company, inquired as to how their land zoning proposal is separate from the General Plan Land Use Element? • Mr. Duley responded that staff is working with the applicant to obtain the information needed to move forward with the CEQA determination. The two key issues that staff is aware of related to the rezoning is the understanding that the log yard is a water intensive project, it is the understanding by comments council has made, that the log yard supply their own water to support the expanded log yard, the second concern is shared by the City of Wilits and the Little Lake Fire District, they want the log yard to have fire suppressant resources on site.
4. Enactment of Ordinances
None presented.
Consent Calendar
The following items) are recommended for approval or denial, as follows:
a. City Council Minutes:
i. August 28, 2024. Pulled by City Clerk.
Public Comment: None presented.
6. Monthly Activity Reports
Matters that do not require action by the City Council but are of public interest. a. None presented.
7. Commissions, Agencies and Authorities
None presented.
8. City Manager Reports and Recommendations+
a. Verbal Reports - No Action.
i. Project Updates:
* 2023 Pavement Preservation.
At 85% completion, hopes to complete the project by the end of September. * 2024 Pavement Preservation.
Argonaut is progressing very fast with the project and expects to complete the project by the end of October.
* 2024 Underground Utilities.
Argonaut expects to complete this project by early November.
Main Street Fiber Optic.
Arcadian should have this phase of the project complete in about a week and a half.
* PG&E groundbreaking of the Baechtel Road project was on September 6t.
PG&E's public outreach has contacted over two hundred residents and businesses that are in the area of the project.
Public Comment: None presented.
Department Recommendations (Action Items)
a. Approval of a Services Agreement Between the County of Mendocino and the City of Willits for After-Hours Police Services, in an Amount not to Exceed $18,000 and Budget Amendment to Fund 100.2000.65400 in the Amount $18,000.
Presenting Staff Member: Chris Dewey, Interim Police Chief.
Public Comment: None presented.
Willits City Council Minutes of September 11, 2024 Page 4 of 6 Moved by Gonzalez/Seconded by Kanne and carried unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 2024-47 approving an agreement with the County of Mendocino for the performance of supplemental law enforcement services within the City of Willits by the Mendocino County Sheriff's Office
b. Discussion and Acceptance of an Explanatory Addendum to Fiscal Year 2024-2025 Budget.
Presenting Staff Member: Manuel Orozco, Finance Director / City Treasurer.
Public Comment: None presented.
Moved by Strong/Seconded by Kanne and carried unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 2024-48 approving the inclusion of an explanatory addendum to the Annual Operating Budget for the City of Willits for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. c. Adoption of Resolution Identifying the Proposed Project List for SB1: Road Repair and Accountability Act for Fiscal Year 2024/2025.
Presenting Staff Member: Walter Kolon, Services and Facilities Director.
Public Comment: None presented.
Moved by Gonzalez/Seconded by Stranske and carried unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 2024-49 to replace a previously adopted resolution authorizing the submittal of the 2025 Pavement Preservation Project to the California Transportation Commission (CTC) in order to receive Fiscal Year 2024/2025 apportionment of SB1 Road Maintenance and Rehabilitation Account (RMRA) Funding.
d. Approval of the City of Willits Local Road Safety Action Plan (LRS/AP) completed September 2024.
Presenting Staff Member: Walter Kolon, Services and Facilities Director.
Public Comment: None presented.
Moved by Gonzalez/Seconded by Stranske and carried unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 2024-50 to accept the 2024 Willits Local Road Safety Action Plan. e. Adopt a Resolution to Amend the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Project's Budget Table to Allow for the Asbestos Remediation and Flooring Upgrade Project at the Community Center.
Presenting Staff Member: Walter Kolon, Services and Facilities Director.
Councilmember Kanne expressed concern about the cost of the project.
Public Comment: None presented.
Moved by Strong/Seconded by Gonzalez and carried 4/1 with Kanne dissenting to adopt Resolution No. 2024-51 to amend the American Rescue Plan (ARPA) Project's budget table to allow for the asbestos remediation and flooring upgrade project at the Community Center.
10. Department Monthly Reports - (presented at the second meeting of each month. a. None presented.
No action taken.
Willits City Council Minutes of September 11, 2024 Page 5 of 6
11. City Council Announcements, Communications and Reports Councilmember Kanne
• Mendocino County Museum - Created an addendum to bylaws, not enough voting members. New Bylaws would allow them to have a quorum with less members.
Councilmember Stranske
• Councilmember Kanne contacted someone to get rid of train cars, Councilmember Stranske wished her luck.
Councilmember Gonzalez
• League of California Cities/Redwood Empire Division - Meets September 13, 2024.
• Water/Wastewater Committee -
• Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCo) -
Mayor Rodriguez
• Mendocino Transit Authority (MTA) - MTA was taking care of everyday business during their last meeting.
• Measure I Bond Oversight Committee - No longer serving on the committee.
Public Comment: None presented.
No action taken.
12. Good & Welfare
• Councilmember Strong - Willits Economic Localization (WELL) newsletter is out for September and October. The main event that WELL is promoting is the Candidates forum scheduled for October 6th.
Mayor Rodriguez - Harvest Moon is on September 21, 2024.
13. Closed Session Notice
a. None
14. Adjournment
Mayor Rodriguez declared the meeting adjourned at 10:10 p.m.
For more information on the September 11, 2024 Willits City Council Meeting please view the recording on YouTube.
City Council for the City of Willits
ATTEST:
Delines Pacerson
DELORES PEDERSEN
City Clerk
Willits City Council Minutes of September 11, 2024 Page 6 of 6