City Council Meeting

CITY OF LOS BANOS CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES MAY 19, 2021 ACTION MINUTES – These minutes are prepared to depict action taken for agenda items presented to the City Council. For detail of this meeting refer to the electronic media (CD and/or audio) kept as a permanent record. SPECIAL NOTE: This meeting was held by teleconference due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Faria called the City Council Meeting to order at the hour of 4:03 p.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Acting Police Chief Hedden led the pledge of allegiance. ROLL CALL – MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL PRESENT: Council Members Brett Jones, Ken Lambert, Deborah Lewis, Refugio LLamas, Mayor Tom Faria; ABSENT: None. STAFF MEMBERS PRESENT: Acting City Manager Brizzee, City Attorney Vaughn, City Clerk/Human Resources Director Mallonee, Finance Director Williams, Community & Economic Development Director Elms, Acting Police Chief Hedden, Fire Chief Hurley, Public Works Operations Manager Via, Parks & Recreation Operations Manager Heim. CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Motion by Lambert, seconded by Jones to approve the agenda as submitted. The motion carried by the following roll call vote: AYES: Jones, Lambert, Lewis, LLamas, Mayor Faria; NOES: None; ABSENT: None. PRESENTATIONS. PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING THE RETIREMENT OF KIM PARREIRA. Mayor Faria read the proclamation and presented it to Ms. Parreira who in turn thanked the City Council for the recognition. PROCLAMATION RECOGNIZING NATIONAL POLICE WEEK AND PEACE OFFICERS’ MEMORIAL DAY. Mayor Faria read the proclamation and presented it to Detective Surina Gonzales who in turn thanked the City Council for the recognition. CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION. WESTSIDE UNION ELEMENTARY SCHOOL 6TH GRADERS – FIRST PLACE OVERALL IN THE MERCED COUNTY ACADEMIC PENTATHLON. Mayor Faria presented the Certificate to Maggie Ordunez and Tammi Shultz who in turn thanked the City Council for the recognition. CREEKSIDE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 7TH GRADERS – THIRD PLACE OVERALL IN THE MERCED COUNTY ACADEMIC PENTATHLON. Mayor Faria presented the Certificate to Kathy Bartlett who in turn thanked the City Council for the recognition. CREEKSIDE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL 8TH GRADERS – SIXTH PLACE OVERALL IN THE MERCED COUNTY ACADEMIC PENTATHLON. Mayor Faria presented the Certificate to Kathy Bartlett who in turn thanked the City Council for the recognition. PUBLIC FORUM: MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC MAY ADDRESS THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS ON ANY ITEM OF PUBLIC INTEREST THAT IS WITHIN THE JURISDICTION OF THE CITY; INCLUDES AGENDA AND NON-AGENDA ITEMS. NO ACTION WILL BE TAKEN ON NON-AGENDA ITEMS. SPEAKERS ARE LIMITED TO A FIVE (5) MINUTE PRESENTATION. DETAILED GUIDELINES ARE POSTED ON THE COUNCIL CHAMBER INFORMATIONAL TABLE. Mayor Faria opened the public forum and asked the City Clerk if she had received any comments by email, for which City Clerk Mallonee stated that she received no comments and the public forum was therefore closed. CONSIDERATION OF APPROVAL OF CONSENT AGENDA. Motion by Lewis, seconded by LLamas to approve the consent agenda as follows: Check Register for #226735 – #226908 in the Amount of $625,060.47; Third Quarter Investment Report for the 2020/2021 Fiscal Year; Minutes for the April 21, 2021 City Council Meeting; Minutes for the April 26, 2021 Adjourned City Council Meeting. The motion carried by the following roll call vote: AYES: Jones, Lambert, Lewis, LLamas, Mayor Faria; NOES: None; ABSENT: None. 2021/2022 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET WORKSHOP. Finance Director Williams presented the staff report, which included a PowerPoint presentation. There was Council Member and staff discussion regarding certain aspects of the proposed budget material and how to move forward with certain items. It was determined that: the money budgeted for the legislative lobbyist services would remain in the budget but that a different firm should be selected to advocate for the City. The money budgeted for the Volunteer Firefighter Program will stay in the budget, but funds shall not be utilized until reviewed and verified. There was discussion pertaining to the cost of landscape services around the City and how/where trees will be planted through the grant that was recently awarded to the Parks and Recreation Division. Planting trees along the trail There was Council Member and staff discussion regarding the need for a second budget workshop and it was determined that if any Council Member had more questions or needed clarification on anything pertaining to the budget, they could schedule a meeting with Finance Director Williams who would answer their questions and address their concerns. This would eliminate the need for a second workshop a dire need is brought up. COVID-19 STATUS UPDATE. Acting City Manager Brizzee provided an update on COVID-19 referencing the Merced County COVID-19 website and all the information that it provides regarding COVID-19, tier information, and vaccine statistics. The Fire Department is partnering with Golden Valley Health Center to offer vaccinations at the Los Banos Community Center. ADVISEMENT OF PUBLIC NOTICES (Two Reports). Community & Economic Development Director Elms stated that there is a cottage food operation permit for Maggie Sanders so she can make and sell low risk food from her home. The second item is for a conditional use permit for Courtyard Mimosas. They are looking to intensify their current Type 41 alcohol license to a Type 47 alcohol license. There will be a public hearing for both of these items at the next Planning Commission meeting on Wednesday, May 26 at 5:30 p.m. CITY MANAGER REPORT. Acting City Manager Brizzee stated that his daughter is a senior and her last volleyball game was tonight in Ceres. He thanked Finance Director Williams for her budget presentation tonight. REPORT/UPDATE ON MERCED COUNTY ASSOCIATION OF GOVERNMENTS (MCAG), PENINSULA CLEAN ENERGY (PCE), AND MEASURE V COMMITTEE. Mayor Faria stated that he attended the One Voice Trip put on through MCAG and how there is a lot of money coming down for broadband expansion and vaccinations. MCAG has expanded The Bus transportation program to include The MicroBus program which works exclusively on the west side of Merced County. PCE has hired a representative for Los Banos to connect residents to PCE and help with the roll out of the program which will be announced at the next board meeting and then eventually be brought to Council for informational purposes. CITY COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS. DEBORAH LEWIS: Council Member Lewis spoke regarding a recent San Joaquin Valley Air Quality Control District email sent out regarding grants available to replace your wood burning fireplaces because by 2025, they will not be allowed in California .There are talks about California looking at moving from fireworks shows to lights fireworks shows and would like the City to have a heads up on that. REFUGIO LLAMAS: No report. BRETT JONES: No report. KEN LAMBERT: Council Member Lambert thanked Finance Director Williams for a great budget presentation. He stated that there are still issues at the dog park and would like to talk about it on the next agenda. MAYOR TOM FARIA: Mayor Faria stated how nice it is to see a new sign on the College Greens building. He met with a local pickle ball group and expanded the opportunity to talk to and join the group to the community. He spoke to how Tensix and WeHope will be in Los Banos tomorrow and will be providing a shower and laundry trailer tomorrow for the less fortunate to use. The facilities will be open for use starting at 9 a.m. at the Salvation Army located at 1231 Fourth Street. CLOSED SESSION – CONFERENCE WITH LABOR NEGOTIATORS, PURSUANT TO GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54957.6, AGENCY DESIGNATED REPRESENTATIVES: ACTING CITY MANAGER BRIZZEE, CITY ATTORNEY VAUGHN, CITY CLERK/HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR MALLONEE, FINANCE DIRECTOR WILLIAMS, LEGAL COUNSEL TUFFO; EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATIONS: LOS BANOS POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (LBPOA), LOS BANOS POLICE SERGEANTS ASSOCIATION (LBPSA), LOS BANOS FIRE FIGHTERS ASSOCIATION (LBFFA), LOS BANOS POLICE DISPATCHERS/COMMUNITY SERVICES OFFICERS ASSOCIATION (LBPDCSOA), LOS BANOS PUBLIC EMPLOYEES UNION (PUBLIC WORKS) LOCAL 1/AFSCME AND UNREPRESENTED MISCELLANEOUS EMPLOYEES. No reportable action. CLOSED SESSION – CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED LITIGATION; INITIATION OF LITIGATION PURSUANT TO PARAGRAPH (4) OF SUBDIVISION (D) OF GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 54956.9: ONE POTENTIAL CASE. No reportable action. ADJOURNMENT. Motion by Lambert, seconded by Lewis to adjourn the meeting at 8:53 p.m. Note: The meeting was NOT adjourned to 4:00 PM, Thursday, May 27, 2021 in the Council Chambers, 520 J Street, Los Banos, California to Attend a 2021/2022 Fiscal Year Budget Workshop, Which Will Be Held Virtually as it was the consensus of the City Council that it was not needed. APPROVED: /s/ Manuel Thomas Faria III____ Manuel Thomas Faria III, Mayor ATTEST: /s/ Lucille L. Mallonee_________ Lucille L. Mallonee, City Clerk