Memorandum – October 23, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: October 23, 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.
WATER
Two moderate rain storms in two weeks and the situation is looking good. I am thankful to Mother Nature for what appears to be an early arrival of seasonal rains. The recent rains did not yet significantly impact reservoir levels. The trend line on reservoir capacity continues downward. Be that as it may, it is estimated that there is 714 acre feet of water in storage in the City reservoirs as of October 15, 2009. The City is well above the November 1st Phase One Water Emergency trigger point, which is set at 500 acre feet.
I am hopeful that moderate seasonal rains continue in order that conditions may be favorable for a distribution system flush project. Staff is beginning the process for planning a water main flush project with execution being targeted for February or March 2010. Steve Anderson, Water Operator 2, is in charge of flush project planning. Due to the drought conditions, it has been at least three years since the last time sediment was flushed from the water system pipes.
MEASURE B
Measure B is a special election called by the Willits City Council for the purpose of asking City voters to permit the City Clerk and City Treasurer positions to be appointed rather than elected. The concept behind Measure B is to streamline and save money in City bureaucracy by eliminating two separate elected positions. The Willits News published a good analysis regarding Measure B written by Linda Williams on October 14, 2009. I encourage City voters to educate themselves on Measure B, and exercise their franchise on or before Election Day (November 3, 2009).
WILLITS KIDS CLUB SNEAK PEEK OPEN HOUSE
On Wednesday, October 28, 2009 from 4pm to 7pm, there will be a “Sneak Peek Open House at the newly completed Kids Club Building at 1265 Blosser Lane. I am really looking forward to seeing the building occupied by the children and staff. This is a dream that is now being realized.
RETIREMENT PARTY PLANS FOR NOVEMBER 21ST DEVELOPING
As reported in my previous reports, the BIG retirement party is set for November 21, 2009, in the Community Center to honor Leah Oberdorf, Denny Caine, David Madrigal, Kristi Yde, Marilyn Harden and Joe Mondo. Catered dinner will be served sit down style at 7:00pm. On the menu is a choice of meat or veggie lasagna. The cost is $13 per person. Cash contributions for each retiree are being collected. Anyone interested in dinner reservation cards or retiree contribution cards should contact Cathy Sanders at 459-4601.
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING ON NOVEMBER 12TH
Typically the Willits City Council only meets once per month in November and December. The City Council meeting in November will be a special meeting on November 12, 2009, because the regular meeting date, which is November 11th, is a National Holiday (Veterans’ Day).
Memorandum – October 9, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: October 9, 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.
WILLITS BRANCH COURT CLOSURE
The Mendocino Superior Court officially announced last week that the Willits Branch Court will be closing effective December 31, 2009, due to severe funding reductions from the State of California. I have spoken to County and Superior Court leaders to express the Willits community’s disappointment and dissatisfaction with this decision. The Willits Branch Court closure is going to lead to inconvenience and expense for City operations, especially in the Police Department. In addition, I believe that the community at large will be inconvenienced by having to travel to Ukiah for judicial services, whether civil or criminal.
WATER
I have been reviewing City water usage data which compares the amount of water “shipped” to the City from the treatment plant at Morris Reservoir for the past three years in the month of September. It appears that City water usage is down by 16.8% when comparing September 2007 to September 2009. Please see the following table:
Gallons of Water “Shipped” in September the Past Three Years
September 2007
38.54 million gallons
September 2008
34.41 million gallons
September 2009
32.06 million gallons
This information indicates that citizen water conservation efforts in combination with an emphasis on leak repair are paying off. If you want more information on water conservation, please contact Quinton Rowland at 459-7125.
H1N1 FLU COMMUNITY WORKSHOP
According to Mendocino County Health and Human Services Agency, there have been 17 H1N1 related hospitalization and two deaths in Mendocino County as of October 5, 2009. Public health experts are expecting to see increased H1N1 cases as the seasonal flu season arrives. Mendocino County Community Health Services (CHS) will be conducting a community workshop in Willits on Tuesday, October 13, 2009, at 5:30pm the Willits City Council Chambers (111 East Commercial Street). Public Health Officer Dr. Marvin Trotter will be giving a presentation on H1N1 symptoms, high risk categories and vaccination. There will be time for community question and answer. Anyone with questions on the workshop should contact Theresa McNerlin at 472-2794. This is an issue that the Police Chief Gerry Gonzalez and I have been following closely, and I plan to attend the meeting on October 13th.
BIG RETIREMENT PARTY IS SET FOR NOVEMBER 21ST
As I reported in my last blog, there is going to be a large group of City employees retiring before the end of 2009. This is definitely a “sweet and sour” event. Of course, I am happy to be celebrating this group of long time dedicated City employees, however I am sad that their combined experience will be exiting the scene all at once. So what does a City Manager do? Let’s have a BIG retirement party! Please mark your calendar for the evening of Saturday, November 21, 2009. So please save the date and start recalling your favorite anecdote to share at the party. Cathy Sanders is in charge of party planning. If you want more information, contact Cathy at 459-4601
MENDOCINO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING AT BROOKTRAILS ON OCTOBER 20TH
I received notification that the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors will be meeting at the Brooktrails Community Center on October 20th. It looks like the meeting will start at 9:30am. The Board of Supervisors has been “taking their show on the road” for the past several years. In my opinion, this is a very valuable program and demonstrates the Board of Supervisors’ interest in reaching out to many outlying communities in Mendocino County. Vice Mayor Bruce Burton and I are planning to be at the meeting to welcome the BOS to the Willits area. People interested in more information on this meeting should contact the Clerk of the Board’s Office at 463-4221.
PG&E ANNOUNCES PLANNED POWER OUTAGE ON OCTOBER 24-25, 2009
Pacific Gas and Electric transmitted notices that there will be a planned power outage in Willits starting on October 24, 2009 at 10:00pm and ending on October 25, 2009 at 8:00am. The purpose of the outage is to replace substation equipment at the Willits Substation. There will be a follow up planned power outage on November 14, 2009, in order to complete substation work.
CONVERSATION WITH CALTRANS ON BYPASS PROJECT
I received a telephone call from Dave Kelley at Caltrans earlier this week. Dave said a few important things that may interest the City Council and community: 1) The Willits Bypass Project must be delivered for California Transportation Commission approval before June 30, 2010; 2) Caltrans management is committed to making the project go and is reassigning personnel to work on it; 3) There is as of yet no resolution on the project’s environmental mitigation plan, however Caltrans has conceptual concurrence from both Federal and State resource agencies on the plan being developed; 4) Caltrans is continuing to purchase right-of-way and mitigation property necessary for the project; and 5) Caltrans wants to continue relinquishment agreement talks with the City of Willits and resolve all issues by June 30, 2010, however there is no requirement that an agreement be approved in order for the bypass project to proceed.
Memorandum – September 18, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: September 18, 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.
VOLUNTEERS HELP OUT AT THE SWIMMING POOL
A BIG thanks to Judy Donaldson and Silvia Welykholowa! Judy and Silvia lead a group of volunteers that painted and improved the swimming pool restrooms. The in-kind donation equaled $2,440. This is an excellent example of volunteers that making a difference in the Willits community. Again thanks Judy, Silvia and everyone that helped out and donated to the effort.
WATER
As the dry season enters the final stretch many people ask me how Willits is doing for water supply. I can report that the situation appears good. As of September 15, 2009, the total water storage capacity in Morris and Centennial Reservoirs is 800.5 acre feet. Water storage is approximately 309 acre feet greater than last year at the same time. Based on the present usage trends, the City of Willits water supply will be well above the November 1st Phase One Water Emergency trigger point, which is 500 acre feet.
I am hopeful that seasonal rains will arrive early this season and thus begin reservoir recharge, because the City very much wants to conduct a water main flush project this year. This is a project that has not been carried out in several years due to water shortage issues. The flush project uses a fair volume of water, however it is critical for the removal of sediment that accumulates in the water distribution pipelines.
RETIREMENTS
There are a number of retirements in the City staff that have been recently announced. Some of the familiar City employees that have recently announced that they will retire before the end of 2009 are City Clerk/Human Resource Director Marilyn Harden, Public Work Director David Madrigal, Water Plant Supervisor Denny Caine, Customer Relations Coordinator Leah Oberdorf, Sewer Operator I Joe Mondo, and Police Dispatcher Kristi Yde. Plans are underway for a big farewell for these experienced and dedicated public servants. These retirements are part of the City’s voluntary retirement incentive project.
PROP 1A SECURITIZATION FAILS TO BE ENACTED
On Friday, September 11, 2009, SB 67 failed to be enacted in the State Senate prior to the adjournment of the Legislature. SB 67 is critical because it allows financing of the State’s approximately $1.9 billion (statewide) borrowing of local government’s Proposition 1A revenue. The taking of Proposition 1A tax revenue from local government is an element of the State’s July budget agreement. SB67 provided for an accelerated schedule for securitize the Proposition 1A loan to the State, thus ensuring that local government will receive critical revenue on exactly the same schedule as property taxes would normally be distributed. The failure to pass SB67 is a critical setback for the cities throughout California. I am hopeful that reason will prevail in Sacramento, and that a solution can be found and enacted in the next few weeks. I contacted Assembly Member Wes Chesbro’s office to express concern on this matter. I was assured by Assembly Member Chesbro’s local representative that he supports SB 67, and he is actively lobbying his State Senate colleagues.
WALK TO SCHOOL DAY IS OCTOBER 7TH
International Walk to School Day is October 7, 2009. I received a notice from the Willits Walk to School Committee that they are planning events at every school in Willits that day, which promote walking and bicycling to school safely. Anyone interested in more information should call Alan Falleri at City Hall (459-7124).
SALES TAX REVENUE
The preliminary City of Willits sales tax revenue report from the 2nd Quarter of 2009 is in. The news is not encouraging for the City, region or state. The comparison of 2nd Quarter data from 2008 to 2009 indicates a decrease in the City of Willits of 20.9%. This downward trend for the 2nd quarter sales tax is the same for Mendocino County (-18.6), the North Coast Region (-21.5), and statewide (-20.8).
Memorandum – September 4, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: September 4, 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.
KIDS CLUB GRANT
The City of Willits recently received a letter from Ms. Patti Keating of the California State Parks and Recreation Department Office of Grants and Local Services. The letter stated that the “new liquidation date” for the Kids Club of Willits project is June 30, 2010. This is very good news, because it means that the City will be completely reimbursed within the terms of State grant for the Kids Club construction. The project was not completed by the grant’s original deadline date of June 30, 2009, due to the suspension of grant progress payments by the State of California. The construction of Kids Club is now proceeding well. It is anticipated that the building completion date will be October 1, 2009.
PERMITS FOR SEWER PLANT IMPROVEMENTS
The City received a letter from the North Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board that the Federal Clean Water Act Section 401 Permit application is complete. On August 26, 2009, the required public notice for comment was posted. The comment period is 21-days. The 401 permit is for activities related to building the next two phases of the improved wastewater treatment plant. Specifically, the 401 Permit addresses the construction of a series of enhanced wetlands, a new plant outfall structure, and pipeline and equipment creek crossings.
Last month, the City finalized the 1600 Permit with the California Department of Fish and Game. The 1600 Permit is another water quality permit needed for the construction of the new wastewater treatment plant. Specifically, the 1600 Permit addresses stream bed alterations needed in Outlet Creek.
Another water quality permit needed for the project is the 404 Permit issued by the United States Army Corps of Engineers. As of the writing of this report, the 404 Permit application has been deemed complete. The permit is undergoing what is known as Section 7 consultation with various resource agencies. It is my hope that the final 404 Permit will be forthcoming soon.
WATER
As of September 1, 2009, the total water storage capacity in Morris and Centennial Reservoirs is 853 acre feet. Water storage is approximately 301 acre feet greater than last year at the same time. The next important water capacity trigger point for declaring a potential Phase One Water Emergency is November 1st, wherein there must be greater than 500 acre feet in storage.
In regard to the water meter replacement project… As of the writing of this report, approximately 150 water meters have been swapped out.
CITY MANAGER’S BROWN BAG LUNCH
The City Manager’s Brown Bag Lunch is on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month at Noon in the City Council Chambers. Just remember that the lunch is the same day as the regular City Council meeting. Some times the lunch is moved into the City Hall Conference Room because the chambers is busy. The twice per month Brown Bag Lunch was started six months ago. It is a way for City employees to have an opportunity to communicate directly with the City Manager in an informal setting. Employees bring their sack lunches from home and there is no set program or agenda at the lunch. The next Brown Bag Lunches will be on September 9th, September 23rd and October 14th.
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.
Memorandum – July 17, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: July 17, 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.
WATER
As of July 13, 2009, the total water storage capacity in Morris and Centennial Reservoirs is 1,177 acre feet. This is a very welcome development. Water storage is approximately 244 acre feet greater than last year at the same time. The next important water capacity trigger point for declaring a potential Phase One Water Emergency is August 1st, wherein there must be greater than 830 acre feet in storage. There is no water emergency in Willits right now.
In other positive news regarding water, it appears that the City’s overall water usage in June 2009 compared to the previous two years is also down. This statistic is based on how much drinking water is produced at the Water Treatment Plant, and then shipped by pipeline in the City. In June 2008 and June 2007, approximately 40.5 million gallons was pumped into the City to meet customer demand. In June 2009, the amount pumped was 32.05 million gallons. This equals a 20.8% decrease. City staff believes that this reduction is due to customer water conservation efforts, and leak repair. This reduction in demand is critical in the dry summer months in order to get the City through until seasonal rains bring relief.
RECEIPT OF STATE MONEY FOR BALL FIELDS PROJECT
More good news on the State Parks Grant Funds… On July 9, 2009, the City received a disbursement check for $280,000 for the grant related to the Ball Fields Project. I am happy to that it was not an IOU. This takes a lot of pressure off of the City’s General Fund being liable for closing out this project.
MONIES RECEIVED DUE TO GOOD WORK BY CONCERNED CITIZENS
A BIG thank you to Wendy Copperfield, and her dedicated sponsors and volunteers for the good community work they did to put on the Kids Fitness and Nutrition Fair. The result of the fair was much good public education on healthy life style choices for children. As an added bonus, Wendy’s effort generated nearly $1,100 in proceeds which will be used for City Parks improvements. Again thank you Wendy!
AB 1362 PASSED STATE SENATE GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE
This item is related to State Parks Grants as related to the need to extend deadlines for grant funded project, especially the Kids Club project. On July 9, 2009, AB 1362 passed out the State Senate Government Organization Committee as an urgency item. The next step in the bill process is the State Senate Appropriations Committee. The Kids Club project experienced significant delays due to the state freeze on grant disbursement payments earlier this year. The City supports AB1362 (Evans) in order to permit state agencies to give grant deadline extensions to projects that experienced suspensions. The Kids Club grant needs a grant extension because construction was not completed before July 1, 2009.
Memorandum – June 19, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: June 19, 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.
SKATE PARK
A check was received from the State of California Department of Parks and Recreation equaling $247,000 for the grant related to the Skate Park project. This is good news, and has very positive impact on the City’s budget outlook.
KIDS CLUB
The Kids Club construction project is back underway. This project was suspended in January 2009 due to the State of California freezing grant disbursements caused by the budget crisis. The State made a disbursement payment to the City of Willits of approximately $360,000. Based on this action, I lifted the project suspension. Work to complete the project began on Monday, June 15, 2009.
BUDGET
Much of my time along with City Finance Director Joanne Cavallari has been dedicated to work preparing the Fiscal Year 2009-2010 Budget. A proposed Final Budget will be presented to the City Council on Wednesday, June 24, 2009. Due to the general economic slowdown, this has been a very challenging document to prepare. Also, there will continue to be many complex unknown factors that will be up in the air, such as what will be the role of local government in the plan to reconcile the State’s budget, and what will happen to the City’s greatest General Fund revenue source: Sales Tax. The City’s budget will have to be returned to and adjusted through out the year as events play themselves out. I want to express my deepest gratitude to City employees, the City Council members and the public that have participated in the many long meetings and budget planning sessions. These are very difficult times that are demanding great sacrifice and causing sleepless nights.
SALES TAX
Related to the City Budget as discussed above, the preliminary sales tax data for the first quarter of 2009 has been received. The information is indicating that there was a 13.8% sales tax decrease in Willits when comparing the 1st quarter of 2008. On the whole, the City of Willits experienced the smallest decrease for jurisdictions in the County: Mendocino County decreased 22.9%, the City of Ukiah decreased 15.1%, and the City of Fort Bragg decreased 14.7%. When comparing the total sales tax collected in the most recent four quarters, Willits has experienced a 5.8% decrease.
LAKE LEVELS
As of June 16, 2009, the total water storage capacity in Morris and Centennial Reservoirs is 1,236 acre feet. This is a very welcome development. There is no water emergency in Willits right now. Water storage is approximately 230 acre feet greater than last year at the same time. The next important water capacity trigger point for declaring a potential Phase One Water Emergency is August 1st, wherein there must be greater than 830 acre feet in storage. At this time with the dry season upon us, it appears that the downward water storage trend line will be greater the water emergency trigger point.
SWIMMING POOL IS OPEN
The Swimming Pool is open for business. Open swim is Monday through Saturday from 1:00pm to 4:30pm. Open swim admission is $3.50. A 20-swim pass is available for $62.00. Persons interested in swim lessons, adult lap swim, pool parties and water aerobics should contact the Pool Office at 459-5778.
PLEDGE FOR THE BALL FIELDS
A pledge of $1,000 has been received from the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Activity League (MCSAL) for the Ball Fields project. A BIG thanks to MCSAL Director Tom Allman and MCSAL President Mike Tobin.
Memorandum – June 5, 2009
City of Willits.
MEMORANDUM
Date: June 5, 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.
STATE PARK GRANTS AND OTHER MATTERS
On Monday June 1, 2009, a check was received from the State of California equaling $359,159 for the State Park Grant related to the Kids Club Project. This is an extremely welcome event. There is hope that additional disbursement payments for other State Park Grant projects will be forthcoming too. In another positive development, AB1364 was approved by the California State Assembly moved into the State Senate as an urgency matter. This bill would permit State agencies administering grant agreements to extend statutory deadlines for grant projects that were suspended due to the State freezing payments. The City Council took action to support AB1364. The Governor has indicated that he is supportive of grant agreement deadline extension.
KIDS CLUB
This matter is closely related to the receipt of State Park Grant payments. City staff has been working on a City Council agenda item for consideration at the June 10, 2009, City Council meeting, wherein the project suspension and whether to paint the building is planned. City staff still plans to bring the Kids Club project forward for discussion at the June 10th Council Meeting, however as of the writing of this report it appears that the possible decision will center on lifting the project suspension and directing the contractor to proceed with all work.
BUDGET
On Wednesday, June 10, 2009, the City Council is scheduled to take up the budget matters related to Council Member and City Treasurer benefit reductions and Redevelopment Agency budget cuts. On Tuesday, June 2nd, the City Manager conducted an “All Employee Meeting” when City budget information was shared with all interested employees followed by a question and answer session. The group consensus of attendees was that the meeting was positive, and that there should be follow up meetings to keep the employees up-to-date.
LEAK DETECTION
The City Water Department conducted a leak detection program in the past two weeks. Seven leaks were detected in City distribution lines. As of the writing of this report, five of the seven leaks have been repaired. Eighteen leaks were detected in private water lines. Letters noticing the applicable customers of the detected leaks have been sent out. Also, all the City main lines in the area of Mendocino and North Streets were checked for leaks, and no leaks were detected. It is deduced that the wet area on North Street near Mendocino Street is not the result of leaking City water pipes, rather it is a surfacing groundwater spring.
PEDESTRIAN SAFETY OPERATION
On the morning of Thursday, May 21, 2009, an operation for pedestrian safety was conducted in Willits. Utilizing only on-duty personnel from the Willits Police Department, Sgt. Scofield, Officer McNelley, Officer Harris, Community Service Officer Gamble, and Investigator Warnock conducted a decoy operation on Main Street. One officer acted as a decoy and crossed the roadway in designated crosswalks. The operation was videoed. The operation resulted in seven citations, one warning and a DUI arrest.
Memorandum – May 22, 2009
City of Willits
MEMORANDUM
Date: May 22, 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.
LAKE LEVELS
Total reservoir storage as measured on May 20, 2009 is 1,320 acre feet. This is 143 acre feet greater water storage than last year at the same time. It is important for City water users to use good water conservation techniques and be water conscience. However at this time, there are no water restrictions in place for City of Willits water system users.
NEW SEWER TREATMENT PLANT HEADWORKS ON-LINE
The new Willits Sewer Treatment Plant Headwork started operation this week. The $3.9 million project is a high capacity lift station for all waste water in-flow from the Willits sewer system. The new Headworks includes new high efficiency pumps, new in-flow metering, new screens and grit removal system, and a new automated control system. The Headworks is the first phase improvement to the sewer treatment plant. The next phase, which includes installation of new clarifiers, disinfectant system, extended wetlands storage pond and discharge structure, is under final development at this time. The preliminary sewer rate setting study for the next phase of the sewer treatment plant improvement project is scheduled for the May 27, 2009, City Council meeting.
BANK ROBBER ARRESTED IS SUSPECT IN CHASE BANK ROBBERY
This week a bank robbery suspect taken into custody after a bank robbery in Hopland is linked to a bank robbery in Ukiah, as well as is strongly suspected to be the robber of the Chase Bank that occurred on March 31, 2009, in Willits.
BUDGET
The City Council met for a Budget Workshop on Thursday, May 21, 2009. The projected budget deficit is $2.852 million with a $373,858 deficit in the General Fund. The City Council took action to authorize the City Manager to open negotiations with the collective bargaining units over wage and benefit adjustments. The Council authorized offering a two-year health insurance payment as an incentive for employees to retire. In addition, the Council set the goal of reducing Fiscal Year 2009-2010 General Fund appropriations by $600,000. Other budget matters, such as Council Member and City Treasurer benefit reductions and Redevelopment Agency budget cuts, will be taken up at the City Council meeting scheduled for Wednesday, June 10, 2009.
WEST COMMERCIAL STREET REHABILITATION PROJECT DESIGN REVIEW
A design review before the City Council of the West Commercial Street Rehabilitation Project is scheduled for the June 10, 2009, Council Meeting. This design review is being conducted to resolve a number of issues related to traffic calming, sidewalks and parking prior to the final construction plans being approved for bidding.