Alturas City Council

Regular Meeting

City Hall Council Chambers

March 15, 2016 2:00 p.m.

The meeting was called to order by Mayor John Dederick at 2:00 p.m. Councilmembers present: Bobby G. Ray, Cheryl Nelson, Jim Irvin, Mark Steffek. Councilmembers absent: None. Staff present: City Clerk Cary L. Baker, City Treasurer Heather MacDonnell, City Attorney Al Monaco, DPW Joe Picotte, Police Chief Sid Cullins, Alturas Fire Chief Keith Jacques, Asst. Airport Manager Paula Jessup. Public attending: 8. All present joined together in the pledge of allegiance followed by a moment of silence.

No one is present under the public forum.

Steve Jacques, Modoc Co. Deputy Road Commissioner, requests City Council letter of support for the Modoc County/U.S. Fish & Wildlife Modoc Trail Project, which is a 100% federally funded project. The proposed project consists of the construction of approximately 2 miles of a 10’ wide Class I path from the City to the Modoc National Wildlife Refuge outside the city limits. He further states that he has encountered some resistance from Lake Railway; they do not want to give permission for the trail to cross the tracks on County Road 56. The widening of the existing at-grade crossing CR 56 is proposed to include the pathway as part of the roadway section.

Council supports the project and would like to add that a copy of the support letter be sent to the Lake Railway director to encourage their approval.

MOTION by Councilmember Ray, SECONDED by Councilmember Irvin to authorize the Mayor to sign the support letter for the Modoc County/U.S. Fish & Wildlife Modoc Trail Project with the amendment that a copy of the letter is sent to the Lake Railway director. ALL AYES.

Fire Chief Jacques explains Resolution #2016-06, regarding the Federal Excess Personal Property, is an annual resolution to show the Fire Department still owns and operates a truck that was received through this program; he will check to see if the duration of the resolution could be extended for several years at a time.

MOTION by Councilmember Irvin, SECONDED by Councilmember Nelson to adopt Resolution #2016-06 authorizing application for Federal Excess Personal Property in accordance with United States Forest Service Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act (CFAA) of 1978. ALL AYES.

MOTION by Councilmember Irvin, SECONDED by Councilmember Steffek to adopt Resolution #2016-07 approving the amended job description for Fire Marshal with the following amendments: 1) the Fire Marshal is required to wear a uniform; 2) the Alturas Fire Department will make a recommendation to the City Council, and the City Council will make the appointment to the position; 3) must possess a valid Class A driver’s license or be able to obtain one within 6 months of employment. ALL AYES.

Councilmember Steffek reports the Pool Committee has been working since last fall with NorthStar Engineering to develop a feasibility study on different options to rehab the City’s existing pool, while keeping in mind what would be best for the community.

Larry Coffman, from NorthStar Engineering, is present and gives a presentation on the findings for the proposed project. Matt Reynolds, representing Terracon – the company who specializes in building and rehabbing pools, is also present in the meeting via speaker phone.

Terracon completed a site visit on October 6, 2015 to the existing Alturas Municipal Swimming Pool. The report is based on staff interviews, the visual observations during the site visit, and information provided by staff in the form of reports, drawings, and specifications. The three options are as follows: Option #1: Refurbish pools, upgrade locker room building, refurbish pool equipment building, add geothermal, and site access upgrades – estimated cost $2,111,560; Option #2: New pools, upgrade locker room building, refurbish pool equipment building, add geothermal, and site access upgrades – estimated cost $2,526,784; Option #3: New pools, upgrade locker room building, refurbish pool equipment building, add geothermal, and site access upgrades – estimated cost $2,901,500. There are two different options to enclose the pool with a cost of $5,400,000 and $2,025,000 plus the cost of the upgrade to the pool.

City Councilmembers question some of the cost components included in each option; the availability of geothermal heating versus a gas fired heating source should lower the cost.

Larry Coffman replies that the costs are flexible depending on the decision of the City. There are some compliant issues with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) along with the Federal Virginia Graham Baker (VGB) regulations, which are addressed in all options. These are liability issues that need to be addressed to protect the City. The Americans with Disabilities Act is a Civil Rights law and not a building code regulation.

Councilmember Ray comments that the City can’t afford to operate and maintain a covered year-round pool. This should narrow the scope for the Pool Committee.

Karen Shimamoto, Pool Committee member, states that the Committee has closed the door on that idea, but would like to possibly consider extending the pool for a few months longer, or have extended hours.

Larry Coffman also states there are grant funding sources available that are very viable for the City of Alturas; we have a lot of pluses on our side including the geothermal. He will put the grant writer in touch with DPW Picotte.

Mayor Dederick comments that he would like to see the City build a new pool, but we would need to be successful at obtaining at least $1,000,000 in grant funding.

Councilmember Steffek thanks NorthStar Engineering for doing a great job in putting together the different options for the Committee and City to consider. This information, along with other ideas, will be used to move forward to come up with a plan and project to fit the City’s needs as well as available funding.

DPW Picotte explains the Memorandum of Understanding with Modoc Joint Unified School District covers in writing that they will mow and maintain the ballfield lawns and the City gives the School District the right to use the ballfields. This has always been done this way, but now it will be in writing.

MOTION by Councilmember Steffek, SECONDED by Councilmember Irvin to approve the Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Alturas and Modoc Joint Unified School District relating to the baseball fields, and authorize the Director of Public Works to sign. ALL AYES.

City Clerk Baker reports that at the close of the nomination period ending March 11, 2016 for the June 7, 2016 election, there are not more candidates than offices to be elected. A notice of these facts will be published in the March 17th Modoc Record. The City will need to hold a special meeting by March 24th to appoint the incumbents to their respective positions.

Council agrees to call a special meeting on Tuesday, March 22nd at 2:00 p.m.

MOTION by Councilmember Irvin, SECONDED by Councilmember Nelson to approve the amendments to the City 2015/2016 budget as follows:

Mill Site/Dept. #08: (1) Property Tax/Acct #4456 increase by $45.

General Government/Dept. #10: (1) Election Expense/Acct #4395 increase by $300, (2) Legal Notices/Acct #4380 increase by $1,200, (3) Travel-Training/Acct #4430 increase by $500, (4) Worker’s Comp/Acct #4120 increase by $701, (5) Liability Insurance/Acct #4140 increase by $1,485, (6) State Use Tax/Acct #4460 increase by $401.

Alturas Airport/Dept. #12: (1) Postage/Acct #4211 increase by $100, (2) Travel-Training Acct #4430

increase by $200, (3) Property Tax/Acct #4456 increase by $31.

Police Department/Dept. #20: (1) Worker’s Comp/Acct #4120 increase by $5,000, (2) Garbage Service/Acct #4218 increase by $50, (3) Repairs-Maintenance/Acct # 4240 increase by $2,000, (4) Legal Service-Fees/Acct #4455 increase by $10,000.

Street Department/ Dept. #30: (1) Salary/Acct #4010 increase by $8,000, (2) FICA/Acct #4020 increase by $625, (3) SUI/Acct #4030 (snow removal) increase by $150, (4) SUI/Acct #4030 increase by $150, (5) SDI/Acct #4040 increase by $30, (6) Health Insurance/Acct #4050 (Chip Seal Grant) increase by $25, (7) Health Insurance/Acct #4050 (snow removal) increase by $1,300, (8) Insurance Stipend/Acct #4051 increase by $1,400, (9) Retirement/Acct #4070 (Chip Seal Grant) increase by $25, (10) Retirement/Acct #4070 (snow removal) increase by $2,000, (11) Retirement/Acct #4070 increase by $13,000 (12) Office Supplies/Acct #4210 increase by $300, (13) Haz Mat Plan/Acct #4322 increase by $59, (14) Heating Fuel/Acct #4350 increase by $200, (15) Heating Fuel/Acct # 4350 (snow removal) increase by $1,300.

Public Works/Dept. #40: (1) FICA/Acct #4020 (Weed Abatement) increase by $90, (2) Dues &

Subscriptions/Acct #4420 (Mosq. Abatement) increase by $100.

Community Projects/Dept. #50: (1) Electricity/Acct #4330 (for Tennis Courts) increase by $120.

Business Enhancement/Dept. #53: (1) Materials-Supplies/Acct #4220 increase by $2,000.

Water Department/Dept. #60: (1) Gym Membership/Acct #4107 increase by $168, (2) Worker’s Comp/Acct #4120 increase by $1,000, (3) Liability Insurance/Acct #4140 increase by $1,485, (4) Haz Mat Plan/Acct #4322 increase by $64, (5) Equipment/Acct #4705 increase by $500.

Sewer Department/Dept. #65: (1) Insurance Stipend/Acct #4051 increase by $2,400, (2) Worker’s Comp/Acct #4120 increase by $2,000, (3) Property Tax/Acct #4456 increase by $195.

Fire Department/Dept. #70: (1) Services Rendered/Acct #4215 increase by $200, (2) Materials-Supplies/Acct #4220 increase by $1,500, (3) Shop Tools/Acct #4230 increase by $200, (4) Repairs-Maintenance/Acct #4240 increase by $1,000, (5) Electricity/Acct #4330 increase by $2,000, (6) Garbage/Acct #4218 increase by $500, (7) Dues & Subscriptions/Acct #4420 increase by $500.

Jr. Livestock Show Grounds/Dept. #79: (1) Materials-Supplies/Acct #4220 increase by $100, (2) Electricity/Acct #4330 increase by $800. ALL AYES.

MOTION by Councilmember Ray, SECONDED by Councilmember Steffek to adopt Resolution #2016-04 adopting the Appropriations Limit for Fiscal Year 2015/2016 in the amount of $4,850,153. ALL AYES.

On recommendation of the Council Finance Committee (Councilmembers Dederick & Ray), MOTION by Councilmember Irvin, SECONDED by Councilmember Steffek to appoint Sara Peet as City Treasurer/Finance Director when that position becomes vacant; unexpired term for the City Treasurer position is through June 2018; starting salary will be $50,861. ALL AYES.

DPW Picotte reports the public review period and public outreach for the Modoc County Local Hazard Mitigation Plan, including hazard mitigation planning elements specific to the City of Alturas, will be through April 1st. The purpose of hazard mitigation is to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to people and property from hazards. The County and City are vulnerable to several hazards that are identified, profiled, and analyzed in this plan. Floods, wildfires, and severe weather are among the hazards that can have a significant impact on the County and City. This document is quite large and can be viewed on the City’s website, with a hard copy in the front office. The County also has the document on their website and hard copies for public review.

MOTION by Councilmember Irvin, SECONDED by Councilmember Nelson to approve the consent agenda as follows: a) Approve minutes of February 16 & 23, 2016 meetings; b) Approve City warrants for February 2016 in the amount of $161,937.45; c) Adopt Resolution #2016-05 removing inactive water & sewer accounts in the amount of $762.91. ALL AYES.

COUNCIL/STAFF REPORTS: The annual City sponsored Fire Department dinner will be April 4th; the Councilmembers appoint their food committee.

Councilmember Steffek received correspondence from the League of California Cities regarding a Director at Large position being vacant on the Board of Directors; reports the Pool Committee met on March 8th and will meet again on the 24th; also, attended the Modoc Co. Groundwater Advisory Committee meeting, with the next meeting on April 28th.

Asst. Airport Manager Paula Jessup reports the privately owned car at the Airport that was stolen was found in the Adin, CA area – it is being assessed for damages.

Mayor Dederick notes that at the ALS Awareness dinner/fundraiser there were over 500 meals served and over $20,000 raised for Janet Server and family.

With no further business to come before Council, meeting adjourned at 4:26 p.m. to return in special session on Tuesday, March 22, 2016 at 2:00 p.m., City Hall.

Respectfully,

Cary L. Baker