City Council/Successor Agency/Public Finance Authority

SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING JANUARY 20, 2022; 5:15 P.M. ONLINE ONLY -PUBLIC MAY PARTICIATE AT 919 SKYLINE BLVD., AVENAL, CA VIA ZOOM VIDEO/WEB CONFERENCING: Web Link: bit.ly/AvenalCouncil or use https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87243440488 Or by calling +1 669 900 6833 and use meeting ID 872 4344 0488 to join. Minutes Mayor Preciado appointed Griselda Price as City Clerk. CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: at 5:20 p.m. by Antony Lopez, City Manager. ROLL CALL: Councilmembers: Louis Gravelle, Ricardo Verdugo, MayorPro Tem Alejandro Ramirez; Mayor Alvaro Preciado. ABSENT: Councilman Pablo Hernandez. STAFF: Lopez, Price, Bermudez. LEGAL COUNSEL: Moses Diaz. CITY CLERK: Government Code Section 54952.3: The members of the City Council/Successor Agency are entitled to receive a total of $300.00 per month because of being elected to the City Council. They receive no other compensation for sitting as amember of Successor Agency. PUBLIC COMMENTS: There being no public comments, it was closed by Mayor Preciado at 5:17 p.m. Antony Lopez, City Manager announced that the lobby at City Hall is avaiable for the public for attendance. NEW BUSINESS: A. Consider Establishing Two Additional Employment Positions within Avenal Police Department and Two Additional Employment Position within City Hall: Antony Lopez, City Manager reported with the recent announcement of Chief Stiver’s pending retirement, scheduled for April 4, 2022, the Police Department currently does not have an Assistant Chief who can assume the responsibilities of Acting Chief of Police in the interim while the search for a new Chief of Police is conducted. Staff has noted that the current jobs market for high level and experienced administrators for local governments is very competitive – added theCity’s location in the Central Valley where most qualified applicants are from out of the area and would have tomove closer and expect a high comparative salary, may mean the Chief position will be vacant for a few months. If a new Chief is not selected and appointed by Chief Stiver’s retirement date, Council directed Staff to prepare a contingency. Given the size and complex needs of the Police Department, Staff recommends the creation of two Captain positions who can equally handle separate duties and assist the Chief in running the day-to-day operations of the Department. In the Chief’s absence, both Captains would share the duties as ActingChief of Police. This structure would provide for more accountability and ensure coverage for this important City service (Attachment A). Upon Council’s approval, Staff will open the positions for internal recruitment, and plan to have two candidatesin place by early February, allowing time to train under Chief Stivers and prepare the Police Department for further changes and transitions. Griselda Price, City Clerk reported that City Hall given the past year of staffing challenges due to COVID-19 and ever chaining regulations for worker health and safety, the current staff at City Hall has often, been overwhelmed in managing the day-to-dayduties of providing quality service to the residents of Avenal, while at the same time promptly responding to finance and human resources duties for fellow staff members. On January 10, 2022, the Federal government published its Final Rule outlining the intended uses for the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, which provided flexibility in the re-hiring and hiring of new staff tohelp local jurisdictions more adequately respond to COVID-19. Specifically: “If the recipient wants to hire above the pre-pandemic baseline and/or would like to have flexibility in positions: Recipients may use SLFRF funds to pay for payroll and covered benefits associated with the recipient increasing its number of budgeted FTEs up to 7.5 percent above itspre-pandemic baseline.” (Treasury, p. 27, Attachment 1). She contunes that based on the Dept. of Treasury’s formula of multiplying the pre-pandemic baseline of full-time equivalent (FTEs) hours by 1.075, Staff calculate that from a pre-pandemic baseline of 52 employees, the City would beallowed to re-hire full staff and hire up to four additional FTE employees, or about a total of 56 full-time equivalent hour employees.  Considering the recent clarification for use of ARPA funds for Public Sector Capacity (employment), staffbelieves it is time to recommend two additional positions that will help City Hall work more efficiently andeffectively, to be paid for through the City’s ARPA budget: 1. Human Resources/Risk Management Assistant – under the general supervision of the Director of Administrative Services, the Human Resource/Risk Management Assistant will perform administrative tasks and services to support effective and efficient operations of the organizations Human Resource and Risk Management departments. Primarily assist in ensuring workplace safety and employee health(Attachment B). 2. Part-Time Customer Service Representative/Office Assistant – under general supervision to perform varied and moderately difficult clerical work; receives and receipts utility services and other services atthe counter and by mail; reporting of Utility Department records; and assists with clerical duties in other departments as needed (Attachment C). Both positions would have a focus on helping City Hall work through the COVID-19 pandemic and meet newand changing regulations with regards to health and safety. The City Council has noted in the past that as the City continues to grow, staff needs will also continue to expand andCity Hall must grow accordingly. Staff recommend by Resolution, approve establishing two additional employment positions within Avenal Police Department and two additional employment position within City Hall. Direct staff to reintroducethis item at the next regular City Council meeting for ratification. FISCAL IMPACT: Police Department- In lieu of filling an Assistant Chief position at the S-9 salary range, two Captain positionswill be created as a S-7 salary range, which is a step above a top-level Sergeant in the K range (Attachment 2).These will be Management, exempt positions, which will provide a more predicable salary schedule in the Police Department as opposed to unexpected over-time for a non-exempt officer. No new positions or “bodies”are being created for the Department, instead Staff will re-arrange positions utilizing existing officers. City Hall- As part of the City’s ARPA budget as approved in August of 2021, $300,000.00 was allocated to help reinstate staff, of which less than $20,000.00 has been expended as of January 2022 (Attachment 3). Staffwill utilize this budget to pay for both position and may later request an adjustment once a mid-year budget review is conducted After a brief discussion, the following action was taken. RESOLUTION 2022-06: Establishment of Two Additional Employment Positions within Avenal Police Department and Two AdditionalEmployment Position within City Hall. A motion was made by Councilman Verdugo, seconded by Councilman Gravelle, and carried. Roll Call Vote: AYES: Gravelle, Verdugo, Ramírez, Preciado. NOES: None. ABSENT: Hernandez. ABSTAIN: None. CORRESPONDENCE/ANNOUNCEMENTS/CLOSING COMMENTS: Councilman Verdugo stated that he hopes this postion is filled soon. Mayor Preciado would like to ecourage residents to protect themselves from Covid and be safe. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business the City Council meeting was adjourned at 6:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Maria Ortiz, City Clerk