Memorandum – August 21, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: August 21, 2009
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Paul Cayler, City Manager
Subject: Administrative Progress Report
The following developments may be of interest to you and the community-at-large. Please contact me at (707) 459-4601, if you have any questions.
HEARING ON SEWER RATES SCHEDULED FOR OCTOBER 14TH
The City Council approved a sewer rater setting study and scheduled a Proposition 218 rate setting public hearing on October 14th at 6pm. Notices of the proposed sewer rate setting were mailed to property owners this week. The notice contains specific information on the proposed rate, and how property owners may get involved in the rate setting process. This sewer rate setting is important for moving forward with the new two phases of the sewer treatment plant improvement. The plant improvements are ordered by the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board.
CITY HALL REORGANIZATION
Regular visitors to City Hall will notice that there has been reorganization. Laura Knispel retired last week after many years of dedicated service to the City of Willits. Laura’s sunny and happy personality will be missed. In response to Laura’s retirement, there has been some reorganization in the front office. Cathy Sanders has moved downstairs from the Community Development Department to work in the front office. Visitors will also notice that City Hall hours of operation are posted: 8:00am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday. City Hall is closed on the following holidays: New Year’s Day, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday, Presidents’ Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving Day, the day after Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve Day and Christmas Day.
WATER CONSERVATION SPECIALIST
Quinton Roland has joined the City of Willits as the Water Conservation Specialist. The position is grant funded. Quinton comes to the City with a wealth of experience in planning in the public and private sector. He is very talented. Quinton has a full plate of water conservation projects before him. Many people in the community may know Quinton due to his involvement in the West Commercial Street project design. Welcome Quinton!
KIDS CLUB AND STATUS OF AB1364
Kids Club construction is progressing. Indoor finish work is proceeding at this time. I visited the project recently and saw that bathrooms were being tiled. The project completion date is on or about October 1, 2009.
In another matter related to the Kids Club… The City has been supporting and closely following the progress of AB1364 by Assembly Member Evans. This bill will permit State grant deadlines to be extended for projects that were suspended due to the grant disbursement freeze earlier this year. The Kids Club is funded through a State grant. The project was not able to meet the grant deadline because of the funding freeze. AB1364 is very important in order that the Kids Club project may be fully reimbursed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation. AB1364 was amended on August 17th by the author. I reviewed the amendments, and I found that AB1364 still does what the City needs. The bill passed the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 18th, and looks to be approved by the full State Senate very soon.
Memorandum – August 7, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: August 7, 2009
To: Honorable Mayor and City Council
From: Paul Cayler, City Manager
Subject: Administrative Progress Report
The following developments may be of interest to you and the community-at-large. Please contact me at (707) 459-4601, if you have any questions.
MEASURE B
The special election called by the Willits City Council to determine whether the City Clerk and City Treasurer should become appointed positions, or remain elected positions, has been assigned Measure B by the Mendocino County Assessor/Clerk-Recorder. The City voters will be able to vote on the matter at the Combined Special District election on November 4, 2009. The City Attorney has prepared an impartial analysis, and a notice for ballot measure arguments has been published. The deadline for arguments is Monday, August 17, 2009.
WEST COMMERCIAL STREET PROJECT
City staff and citizen stakeholders, known as the West Commercial Street Implementation Committee, conducted a very positive meeting on July 30th. The emphasis of the meeting was to come to decisions on the design of the West Commercial Street project. Of especial interest has been how the project will improve pedestrian and bicycle circulation. The City Council in June 2009 directed that City staff work toward a conceptual design called “Plan E”. Since the City Council direction, City staff has been working on implementing the design elements in Plan E. The crux of the design issues came down to how to incorporate diagonal parking and bicycling lanes into the project. A consensus between interested parties developed at the meeting on July 30th wherein a bicycle lane would be inserted into the project by having parallel parking on the northside of West Commercial Street and diagonal parking on the southside. There was also consensus agreement on a number of other important design element. The plan is now undergoing finalization and review by the traffic engineer.
FEDERAL RECOVERY ACT FUNDS FOR THE POLICE DEPARTMENT
The Willits Police Department was recently notified that it will receive $17,592 in grant under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) through the E. Byrne Memorial Program. ARRA is commonly known as the “stimulus funding”. The grant is to be used for a radio repeater to improve reception in a degrade area of the City, and extra funding for community foot patrols.
WATER
There are three notable events regarding water in the City of Willits:
1) A commendation for the Water Department was received from Fort Bragg City Manager Linda Ruffing. Linda Ruffing noted the assistance of Willits city employee Denny Caine, Bennie England, Tom Bond and Steve Anderson during a recent incident with the water treatment plant’s control system. Linda Ruffing wrote, “The City of Fort Bragg’s treatment operators’ ongoing professional relationship with you and your staff at the City of Willits water plant is an invaluable resource.”;
2) The water meters authorized for purchase by the City Council on August 22nd have been received, and as of this week the meter replacement project is underway;
3) The proposed revised water ordinance that was presented to the City Council on July 29th for input is posted on the City’s website. Interested parties should review the proposed draft ordinance and send comments to me by the end of August 2009. The draft is written in strike out and underline so that you can easily identify the proposed changes.
Agenda for August 12, 2009
AGENDA
WILLITS CITY COUNCIL
111 EAST COMMERCIAL STREET
WILLITS, CALIFORNIA
* * * * * * * *
August 12, 2009* * * * 6:00 p.m.
1. OPENING MATTERS -
a) Call to order
b) Pledge to flag
c) Roll Call
2. PUBLIC MATTERS
A. Certificates of Appreciation to Willits Airport Volunteers
B. Public Service Award to Clyde Davis for Service on the Airport Commission
C. Discussion and Possible Action on Revised Sewer Rates and Setting of Public Hearing for October 14, 2009
3. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS – Council welcomes participation in its meetings. Comments shall be limited to five minutes per person so that everyone may be given an opportunity to be heard. To expedite matters and avoid repetition, whenever any group of persons wishes to address the Council on the same subject matter, the Mayor may request that a spokesperson be chosen by the group. This item is limited to matters under the jurisdiction of the City Council which are not on the posted agenda. Public criticism of the City Council, Commission, Boards and Agencies will not be prohibited. No action shall be taken.
4. CONSENT CALENDAR – Matters listed under the Consent Calendar are considered to be routine by the City Council and will be enacted by one motion.
ACTION RECOMMENDED
A. City Council Minutes of 7/22/09 Approve
B. Warrants #13243 – 13347 = $707,807.23 Approve
C. RESOLUTION 2009-28 Establishing the Appropriations Approve
Limit for the 2009-2010 Fiscal Year Pursuant to Article
XIIIB of the Constitution of the State of California
D. Closing of Swimming Pool Rehab Fund Approve
E. Voluntary Early Resignation/Retirement Waiver and Release Approve
Agreement for Laura Knispel
F. RESOLUTION 2009-29 Designating the City’s Authorized Approve
Agents to Execute and File Documents Necessary to the
Process of Seeking State or Federal Disaster Finance
Assistance
G. Letter to Mendocino County Library Re-Appointing Barbarie Approve
Gonzalez as the Willits Representative to the County’s Library
Advisory Board
H. RESOLUTION 2009-30 Finding and Determining an Industrial Approve
Disability Retirement for Police Office David Tiller
5. RIGHT TO APPEAL – Persons who are dissatisfied with the decisions of the City Council may have the right to a review of that decision by a court. The City has adopted Section 1094.6 of the Code of Civil Procedure which generally limits to 90 days the time within which the decisions of the City boards and agencies may be judicially challenged.
6. COMMISSIONS, AGENCIES AND AUTHORITIES
None
7. OLD BUSINESS
None
8. CITY MANAGER REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Discussion and Possible Action on an Agreement between the City of Willits and the County of Mendocino for Building Safety Services
B. Discussion and Possible Action to Adopt Resolution Accepting Completion of Phase I of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Project, Project #2007-06, and Authorize Filing Notice of Completion
C. Other Reports – Oral/No Action
9. DEPARTMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
A. Police Chief
B.City Planner
C. City Attorney
D. Public Works Director
E. City Engineer
F. Finance Director
10. CITY COUNCIL AND COMMITTEE REPORTS
A. MCOG
B. LAFCO
C. MTA
D. REVIT-ED COMMITTEE
E. MSWMA-JPA
F. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & FINANCING CORP. (EDFC)
G. LEAGUE OF CALIFORNIA CITIES
H. WATER RESOURCES COMMITTEE
I. SEWER SYSTEM COMMITTEE
J. CALTRANS AD HOC COMMITTEE
K. EXPLORATION OF POTENTIAL ENERGY SOURCES AD HOC COMMITTEE
L. OTHER COMMITTEE REPORTS
11. COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
12. ENACTMENT OF ORDINANCES
A. Next Ordinance: 2009-03
B. Next Resolution: 2009-31
C. Next Planning Commission Resolution: 2009-02
D. Next Community Development Agency Resolution: 2009-03
13. GOOD & WELFARE
14. CLOSED SESSION NOTICE
A. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL-ANTICIPATED LITIGATION
PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.9(b): One case
15. ADJOURNMENT
NOTE: The meeting room is wheelchair accessible and disabled parking is available. If you are a person with a disability and you need disability-related modifications or accommodations to participate in this meeting, please contact Marilyn Harden at (707) 459-7120 or FAX (707) 459-1562. Requests for such modifications or accommodations must be made at least two full business days before the start of the meeting.
NOTE: Materials related to an item on this Agenda submitted to the Willits City Council/ Planning Commission/Community Development Agency after distribution of the agenda packet are available for public inspection at City Clerk’s office at 111 E. Commercial Street, Willits during normal business hours.