City Council/Successor Agency/Public Finance Authority

AGENDA ITEM NO. 5. – A. CITY OF AVENAL “Pistachio Capital of the World®” REGULAR CITY COUNCIL/SUCCESSOR AGENCY/PFA MEETING FEBRUARY 27, 2025, 5:15 P.M. AVENAL THEATER & EVENT CENTER, 233 E. KINGS ST., 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 CALL TO ORDER & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: by Mayor Preciado at 5:15 p.m. ROLL CALL: Councilman, Ricardo Verdugo, Pablo Hernandez, David Reynosa, Mayor Pro Tem Leticia Gamez, Mayor Alvaro Preciado. ABSENT: None. STAFF: Lopez, Ortiz, Price, Bermudez, Davis, Velasco. 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 $450.00 per month because of being elected to the City Council. They receive no other compensation for sitting as a member of Successor Agency. PUBLIC COMMENT/ANNOUNCEMENTS & UNSCHEDULED APPEARANCES: City Clerk Maria Ortiz reported that no comment cards had been submitted. However, the opportunity was provided for the public to approach the podium and provide comments. Chief Velasco introduce New Officers: Gerard Mendez, Francisco Martinez, and Jesse Lopez; Sergeant Darryll Van Deursen and Promoted: Commander Edward R. Griselda Price, Director of Administrative Services introduced New Employee: Adriana Martinez, HR/Risk Assistant, Ms. Martinez is a longtime resident and Avenal High School graduate and is happy to working for the City of Avenal. Veronica Aguirre expressed concerns about the increasing garbage at the landfill, particularly the congestion caused by large trucks. She noted that while the manager had cited weather as the cause of the traffic issue, the weather on the day in question was clear, so weather couldn't be blamed. She criticized the mismanagement of the landfill, arguing that if the landfill knows how much waste is coming in, they should be prepared and not rely on police resources for traffic control. Aguirre also raised concerns about transparency, particularly regarding the materials being accepted at the landfill, especially after recent protests in nearby communities. She emphasized the need for clarification on what "special waste" includes and expressed concern that the community might unknowingly be accepting waste like fire debris. She called for written assurance that the community would refuse such waste to protect public health. Antony Lopez, the City Manager, responded to Veronica's concerns. He mentioned that he met with the California Highway Patrol (CHP) to discuss traffic issues. While traffic isn't a major concern, they are addressing mud tracking onto 269, and the site operator is looking into solutions like rumble strips. Regarding the LA fire waste, Lopez clarified that the landfill would need a special permit to accept such materials, which they are not seeking. He assured that these issues are being addressed. Veronica Aguirre raised concerns about the environmental impact of the trucks at the landfill, particularly the methane emissions, which she believes could negatively affect the community’s health, especially for those living nearby. She emphasized that it's not just a traffic issue, but also about the health risks posed by excessive emissions. Aguirre also argued that it shouldn’t be the responsibility of the Avenal Police Department to manage traffic for a business like the landfill, and Joint Meeting City Council/Successor Agency/PFA – February 27, 2025 Page 2 that the company should be accountable for controlling traffic, especially after their discussions with Caltrans. She called for the landfill to pay for traffic management, rather than using community resources. City Manager Antony Lopez responded by saying that he had met with George and Caltrans plans to be on-site, possibly Monday and Tuesday or Tuesday and Wednesday, to handle cleanup. He emphasized that they are working on mitigation efforts, especially since they will be short-staffed. Regarding truck idling, Lopez mentioned that it was a concern raised by staff and the mayor. George had confirmed that, in the past few weeks, all the trucks passing through have been displaying clean air stickers, which could address some of the environmental concerns. Comments closed 5:36pm by Mayor Preciado. CONSENT \CALENDAR: All items listed under the consent calendar are routine or for approval only and are enacted by one motion: (Action). A. Consider City of Avenal/Successor Agency’s Approval of Minutes for February 13, 2025. B. Consider Cash and Financial Statements, Check Register (January 2025). C. Consider Renewing Agreement with 4Creeks for Planning Services. D. Approve Offering of a Discount for Utility Customers who Participate in 2025 Community Climate Survey. E. Consider Approval of Utility Space Lease Agreement with Property Owner at 613 Sonoma Lane for Internet Services to the Ken Brown Safety Center. RESOLUTION 2025-18: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AVENAL, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING A THREE-YEAR AGREEMENT WITH 4CREEKS, INC. FOR CITY PLANNING SERVICES. Council Member/Successor Agency Member Verdugo motioned to approve Consent Calendar, seconded by Councilman/Successor Agency Member Reynosa, and motion carried. RESOLUTION 2025-19: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AVENAL, CALIFORNIA, APPROVING A ONE-TIME $10 UTILITY BILL DISCOUNT FOR RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMERS WHO COMPLETE THE 2025 COMMUNITY CLIMATE SURVEY Council Member/Successor Agency Member Verdugo motioned to approve Consent Calendar, seconded by Councilman/Successor Agency Member Reynosa, and motion carried. RESOLUTION 2025-20 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AVENAL AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE A UTILITY SPACE LEASE AGREEMENT WITH THE PROPERTY OWNER OF 613 SONOMA LANE FOR INTERNET SERVICES TO THE KEN BROWN SAFETY CENTER. Council Member/Successor Agency Member Verdugo motioned to approve Consent Calendar, seconded by Councilman/Successor Agency Member Reynosa, and motion carried. ROLL CALL VOTE: AYES: Verdugo, Reynosa, Hernandez, Gamez, Preciado. NOES: None. ABSENT: None. ABSTAIN: None. MAYOR & COUNCIL MEMBERS/ SUCCESSOR AGENCY/ITEMS FOR CONSIDERATION: A. None. ACTIVITY REPORTS/SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS& COMMITTEE REPORTS: A. Activity Reports: 1. Police Department Activity Report: Cecilio Velasco, Chief of Police. Cecilio Velasco, Chief of Police reported the following: 1) Leadership Stability; 2) Recruit and Retain the Best; 3) International Model of Community Trust; 4) Among the Safest Cities in America; 5) Embrace Wellness; and 6) Data for 2025 Joint Meeting City Council/Successor Agency/PFA – February 27, 2025 Page 3 2. Community Development Activity Report: Kelsey George, Contract City Planner, 4Creeks. Kelsey George, Contract City Planner, 4Creeks reported the following: 1) Current Planning: • 7th Avenue General Plan Amendment and Rezone & • Community Garden CUP; and 2) Long Range Planning: Fresno and Kings County Boundary Change/Avenal Annexation and Coordinate with Kings County on the Multi-Jurisdictional Housing Element. 3. Economic Development & Grant Writing Report: Emily Engelsgaard, Grants Manager, the CrisCom Company. Emily Engelsgaard, Grants Manager, the CrisCom Company reported the following: 1) Legislative Update; 2) Federal Budget Request; 3) State Budget Request; 4) Sacramento Snapshot; and 5) Economic Development - steadfast pursuit of various venues to ensure the City of Avenal; 6) Grant Writing Update: As always, our Team continues to research numerous grant funding opportunities. The following are grant funding opportunities that are coming up. Upcoming Grants:  Californians for All Youth Service Corps - Due March 21St;  T-Mobile Hometown Grant - March 31St;  Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program - Due April 7Th; and  Community-Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative Site-Based -April 15th B. Special Presentations/Reports: 1) PG&E Utility Updates – Nathan Alonso, Local Government Affairs Nathan Alonso, Local Government Affairs reported the following: 1) What are we doing; 2) How can State Policymakers & Regulators Help; 3) What do Energy Prices Pay for; 4) Key Regulatory Proceedings; 5) How PG&E increasing Capacity & implementing new solutions by: Exploring new technologies to manage constraints; Redirecting customers to available, capacity where possible, Accessing federal grants and other funding sources for capacity and resilience projects Combining capacity upgrades with grid solutions to address multiple needs. City Manager Lopez gave Nathan Alonso a gift of appreciation. Nathan Alonzo was grateful and thank all. PUBLIC HEARING(s): Joint Hearing of the City of Avenal Successor Agency RDA Trust Obligations Fund/Public Finance Authority: A. None OLD BUSINESS: A. Consider Approving SRO Agreement with RSUSD (Resolution 2024-4X) (Discussion/Action). City Manager Lopez provided an update on several community and school-related activities. There's been no progress on the SRO agreement, and the current School Resource Officer (SRO) will remain at the middle school unless circumstances change. The city and school district may hold a joint meeting for further clarification. City Manager Lopez and Mayor Preciado attended a school board meeting in Kettleman City, where upcoming events were discussed, including the Cafe con Policia meeting and Confia event on March 26. City Manager Lopez continue that he met with the Family Engagement Center to coordinate the CompTIA event, with the Hispanic Foundation's involvement. The event will be at the middle school from 6:00-8:00 PM on March 26. The Rotary will donate 100 hot dogs for an open house on April 9, and the city will provide brochures to share information about city services. Lopez also proposed a visit for city council members to adult school courses to engage with students and share information about city initiatives, with flexible times for council attendance. NEW BUSINESS: A. None. CORRESPONDENCE/ANNOUNCEMENTS/CLOSING COMMENTS: Any Council member may request an item be placed on a future agenda, provided that a simple majority also support adding said item. Discussion or action on Joint Meeting City Council/Successor Agency/PFA – February 27, 2025 Page 4 any item not on the current agenda is strictly prohibited. Closing comments are intended for Council members to report attendance of any special events and pertinent information back to the public. • Upcoming/Future Agenda Items to Consider- None. • Correspondence/Announcements/Information/Closing Comments: Closing comments. Will be going into closed session after this next time. Shortly after. Do we have any correspondence? None at this time. And everybody. We do just April. The April first is the before April first you need to have your 700 form. I'm available anytime. Have an open door policy if you need to. Like that we could do it online and that way you have it processed and completed. 1st. PC will find you $100. When you have that format. We'll do it online. Everything since the first of the year will be online. City Manager Lopez provided a comprehensive update on recent and ongoing initiatives. 1. Community Engagement: o Last week’s Coffee with the Cop event was a success, with strong attendance and valuable resources shared by Valley Forces on immigrant rights. o The Meet the Council event also went well, and there's a consideration to rotate locations for future events to increase accessibility and engagement, with a potential future venue at the gallery or another city site. 2. Congressional Relations: o Lopez met with a representative from Congressman Valadao's office to emphasize the importance of securing $4 million for local projects. The office also introduced a case manager focusing on immigration and confirmed no complaints had been raised from the district. They noted that in-person interviews would begin soon. 3. Traffic and Liability Concerns: o Lopez met with CHP officers and a Caltrans representative, along with Public Works Supervisor Scott Davis, to address concerns about mud on 269 and potential liability issues. While they are working to prevent the problem from escalating, Caltrans is planning to clean the area next week but may have a reduced crew in the future. 4. Environmental and Community Projects: o Lopez met with Ruben Rodriguez from CEJN to discuss tree planting in Avenal. Rodriguez is working on a grant to provide trees and funding for infrastructure like watering systems, which could help with dust control and odor mitigation. 5. Community Climate Survey: o The city is preparing to launch a Community Climate Survey as part of the $10 discount initiative, with about 30 volunteers signed up. The survey will be conducted over the next four Sundays, with a dry run planned for this weekend. The goal is to gather valuable community input, and Lopez suggested it could become an annual event in collaboration with the Family Engagement Center. In addition, the city is preparing logistical plans for volunteers and working on social media outreach to ensure the success of the survey Thank you.. Do you have any closing comments? Just like to thank the people that came to the meeting greet. I think it was approved. The staff did wonderful job presenting us. The format that they did. The people that were there did do their rounds. Like I thought that was pretty. Productive, yes, I wish there were more of a lot more people there, but the people that were there were asking. It's a good practice and yes, but definitely a special thanks to IT for getting the business cards. I didn't even think about it. Thank you for planning on that and our city clerks who went in and set up the whole location. Just give a quick update. Mayor Preciado shared several updates on his recent and upcoming engagements: 1. Community and Board Involvement: o Mayor Preciado has been actively involved in representing the city at various community boards, attending events like the economy meeting and the February 14 government event, despite the rain. The events were well-attended and informative, with a focus on supporting farmers and residential needs. Joint Meeting City Council/Successor Agency/PFA – February 27, 2025 Page 5 o He also attended the Board of Supervisors meeting with Chief Velasco, where discussions were held regarding the Gang Task Force. The meeting emphasized the need for collaboration between city leaders, police chiefs, and county officials to address the needs of rural communities, particularly with evolving policing methods and resource allocation. 2. Community Health: o The First Clinic in the 90s, now renamed the Community Health Center, was highlighted as a significant addition to the city. The mayor commended its professionalism and positive impact on beautifying King Street and the city's downtown area. 3. Transportation and Senior Services: o During the Kings County meetings, Mayor Preciado discussed senior transportation for special events. He suggested moving events to different cities to make it easier for seniors to access them without having to travel far. The goal is to better plan and communicate these services in advance to ensure they meet community needs. 4. Community Engagement and Future Collaboration: o The mayor expressed disappointment at the low turnout at the Meet the Council event, hoping that more community members would attend in the future to voice concerns and offer solutions. He emphasized the importance of collaboration and problem-solving within the community. 5. Upcoming Sacramento Visits: o The mayor will be attending several meetings in Sacramento to represent the city on March 6th and 7th with the California Community Association of Governments, followed by meetings with the San Joaquin Valley Policy Council on March 11th and 12th. These visits include meetings with various Assembly members and Senators, focusing on advocating for the needs of the entire Central Valley region, including issues like High-Speed Rail and transportation. 6. Unified Voice for Central Valley: o The mayor emphasized the strength of a unified Central Valley voice when advocating for regional issues in Sacramento or Washington, D.C., compared to individual community voices. He highlighted the collective efforts to represent the entire region, rather than just one community’s needs. The mayor concluded by thanking everyone who attended the meeting and mentioned that a closed session would follow. The City Council went into Closed Session at 7:30 p.m. CLOSED SESSION: (City/Successor Agency): It is the intent of this governing body to meet in closed session to review its position and to instruct its designated representatives: Any person may directly address the Council/Agency at this time on items of interest regarding Closed Session. A. Personnel (Government Code §54957(b)). Consider Public Employee Performance Evaluation for the Position of:  City Manager B. Conference with Real Property Negotiator(s) (Government Code § 54956.8). It is the intent of this governing body to meet in Closed Session to confer with its real property negotiator(s) concerning the purchase, sale, exchange, or lease of real property by or for this agency as follows: 1. Property Description: APN: 040-320-009-000; & 040-320-014-000 Negotiator(s): City Manager/City Attorney. Party with whom negotiating: CrisCom Company. Instructions to negotiator concerning: Terms of Payment. Mayor Preciado reopened meeting at 10:19 p.m. with nothing to report. ADJOURNMENT: Respectfully submitted, Maria Ortiz, City Clerk