City Council - Regular Meeting

I don't have any public speakers for closed session. I don't see anybody on Zoom. Madam City Attorney.

Okay, thank you. We stand in recess till open session. Thank you. Good evening. I'd like to reconvene the city council meeting, and I'm going to defer the rest of the meeting run by Mayor Pro Tem Shaw.

Good evening. At this time, we'll reconvene, and we'll begin with our invocation by Council Member Tejeda with the Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation. Please stand.

Thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. Thank you, Mayor Salcedo. Today I'd like to start off by recognizing the men and women in our military who have lost their lives in the conflicts that are going on around the world, but especially in the Middle East. I'd ask for a moment of silence, please. Thank you. I also want to say that today the city council will be voting on the MOUs. And before we do, I'd like to offer this prayer. Lord, would you please hear this prayer in honor and in name of everyone who works for this community. our police department, police officers, fire department, firefighters, our cit

Thank you, Council Member Tejeda. At this time, we'll have our closed session report. Madam City Attorney.

Thank you, Madam City Attorney. At this time, we'll go to public comment. I have three speaker slips. First will be Mr. Samuel Vasquez. For public comment, we have a three-minute period. There's some little lights up there. They'll let you know when you're at 30 seconds, and then when the red light comes up, your time is up. So please speak into the microphone. Welcome.

Thank you, Mr. Hoder. Before we go on to our consent calendar, we have two introductions of some new staff that we would like to give them an opportunity to say hi. We'd like to welcome them to Redlands. First off will be our new HR and Risk Management Director, and that's Ms. Gina King. So, Gina, you can have the floor.

Thank you and welcome. And also joining us on day two would be our newest assistant city manager, and that would be Kurt Wilson.

Thank you. Welcome to you both. And I know we mentioned it at the last meeting kind of briefly, but congratulations in order to our former finance director, now assistant city manager, Daniel Garcia. So welcome to your new role as well. And just to double check, Mr. Moderator, we didn't have any other public comment on Zoom.

Great. Thank you. We'll move on to the consent calendar. We're going to pull item H7 for discussion. And other than that, I have nothing else to be pulled. So I'll enter to move approval of the balance of the calendar. All right. So we have a motion and a second. Did you get those, Jeannie? Those are quick. I did. Okay.

All right. And so with that, we are pulling seven. And so we will be looking to see H.R. Director King for seven. This will be regarding adopt resolution number eight, eight, one, four, establishing a salary schedule and compensation plan for city employees and rescinding resolution number eight, eight, one, three.

Thank you, Director King. Any questions from the council? I'll entertain a motion.

I move that we adopt resolution 8814, establish a salary schedule and compensation plan for city employees and rescind resolution 8813. As amended, yes. As amended, sorry. Motion to second.

Yes. Moving on to public hearings. Item I1. This will be a public hearing to consider Resolution 8807, Delinquent Weed Abatement Enforcement Cost Report. This is a public hearing, so I will declare this meeting open as a public hearing and call upon, it's gonna be, let's see, Fire Chief Sesler.

Chief Sesler, are there any questions or comments from the members of the council?

Yes, I do have a question. I'm assuming that the people who are affected by this get several notifications so they can remedy the situation? Yes, that is correct. Okay.

Any other questions from the council? If not, any questions from the members of the public? Seeing none, Madam City Clerk, any written comments received? At this time, I'll close the public hearing and go back to the council for consideration of a motion. Move to adopt resolution number 8807. Second. We have a first and a second. Madam City Clerk?

Yes. All right, moving on to new business. J1, consideration of the formation of the Redlands Housing Corporation, a California nonprofit public benefit corporation, and approval of the Articles of Incorporation and Corporation Bylaws to support the acquisition, ownership, and operation of the property located at 1675 Industrial Park Avenue. Assistant City Manager Garcia.

Okay, thank you. Any questions for Assistant City Manager Garcia before we go to public comment? All right, I have one speaker slip, Mr. Dennis Bell.

Thank you, Mr. Bell. I have no other speaker slips. I'll bring it back to the council for discussion.

How much is going to cost the city to acquire this property?

So you don't have a ballpark on what might cost the city to acquire this property then?

Any other comments or questions for staff? If not, we'll entertain a motion.

Move to approve the formation of the Redlands Housing Corporation, a California non-profit benefit corporation to support the acquisition, ownership, and operation of the property located at 1675 Industrial Park Avenue. And I move to approve the Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws, each substantially in the form presented, authorize the appropriate city officials and or outside council to take all actions necessary to complete the formation of the nonprofit corporation, and I move to authorize the filing of the articles of incorporation with the California Secretary of State.

We have a motion and a second. Madam City Clerk.

All right, moving on to item J2. This will be a discussion and possible action relating to the city clerk's compensation and consideration of resolution number 8815, HR Risk Management Director King.

Thank you, Director King. I've got... A list of things that i'd like to to ask about this one. So i'll kick it off, and then we can talk amongst ourselves as well. So we've had some discussions prior to about this, and I think i'm not sure why, but because the city clerk is salaries set by resolution or by ordinance. I think sometimes it can get forgotten about there, which may have happened here since it hasn't happened in the last four years as other adjustments have been made. But I think it's important to note that as I kinda went through and tried to figure out what exactly the city clerk

And I can't tell you how important her job is. I mean, I've come to her all the time. She straightens things out. I mean, the things that she does here is a full-time job. There's two ways about it. And I'm embarrassed to say that we've addressed this one time, but I have a tendency to agree with the Mayor Pro Temp that she should be, like another employee with the steps, so we'd be able to compensate her way, but either way, I think we do need to raise her pay that is accurate to somebody in the city that has her same type of position in a way, and I agree 100%. Now, how we start on that, I d

I've got some ideas on that. I just want to get everybody's input before we before I propose something. So first of all, well, if you want my input, I'd say thank you very much for going through this process.

I remember the first time we tried to address this. It was one time where I had put even for the council to get their salaries looked at again because the inflation is going. It's still been going up. But either way, it's different. We're doing this in our capacity because we want to. And so as a city clerk, but at the same time, her job is much different. Her job requires her to be here. And so, yeah, I agree with you. I agree with what you're trying to do here. And I would support whatever it is you're trying to do. I'd like to see more about it.

I agree as well and look forward to hearing more about your proposal, but think so far what you said makes a lot of sense.

Thank you for bringing this forward. I think it's long overdue that we at least look at that and fairly compensate our city clerk because she does do a lot as you mentioned. So I'm in favor of moving forward with a salary resolution.

So my proposal would be that we send this back to staff with the direction that we start by looking at that M-75 classification. Perhaps I know that you guys did some legwork on a salary study for what's around here. I think my math was pretty close, like I said, around that $140, $150 range. So my proposal would be that if M-75 becomes the right place to start, maybe we start around step four of that. Gives a couple of years worth still of growth within the range. Similarly, that if there are increases, I believe that's the middle managers group. So if there are increases through contract neg

Are we able to do that, city attorney? Yes. I agree 100%. She needs to be compensated correctly.

And I think this will put it on track to where we don't have to revisit this each year. And if we get a different city attorney at some point, or city, I'm sorry. No, we like that. If we get a different city clerk at some point, then we can certainly start the step process over, and it gives us some room to work from.

I think the only thing I disagree, I don't think she's middle management. I think she's high management. I mean, she has a big responsibility. I mean, she has a whole department, even though it doesn't have a lot of employees under, but her responsibility is equivalent to, and a city manager or city treasurer or something like that. So I think we have to look at that.

I'll defer to the assistant city manager. I think that's where they were thinking is that M-75 works the best. And they call it middle management just based on where they are. But we've got to be in sync there so that we don't overstep our bounds.

So what we're talking about, what's in there right now is the deferred comp, I believe. That's correct. The medical vision dental. Yes. And the 457. Is there something else that's...

So I think we want to continue. We would keep those. Yeah, we don't want to take anything away there.

Thank you very much. I appreciate that. Thank you to the council. Thank you. All right, next up will be item J3, which, I'm sorry, do we need any kind of a motion on that to cut off?

Okay, J3, this is consideration of memorandum of understanding between City of Redlands and the Redlands Police Officers Association, the Redlands Professional Firefighters Association, and Teamsters Local 1932. Well, you're getting them all here, HR and Risk Management Director King. Welcome to Redlands.

Thank you, Director King. Questions from the council?

I just want to reiterate, thank you very much. I know sometimes these can be contentious, but I want to thank all the negotiating groups. We can get a three-year contract, put this behind us, and we can move forward with the city, get a new fire station, and, of course, get a brand-new police station. So I want to thank everybody that we're able to get this done and can move forward. So thank you.

I move that we approve memorandum of understanding between the City of Redlands and the Redlands Police Officers Association, Redlands Professional Firefighters Association, and Teamsters Local 1932.

Second. I'm a first and a second. Madam City Clerk?

Yes. All right. Moving on to... Number four, except for my computer's not moving on to number four. Where are your books? All right, J4, consideration of an agreement with PBK Architects California Inc. for architectural design services for the construction of Fire Station 264, an amount not to exceed $1,486,100, and determine that the project is not subject to environmental review pursuant to Section 15301D of the state's guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act. Fire Chief Sessler.

We do have a speaker slip, but I'll take questions from the council first.

Yes, sir. Fire Chief Sessler, would you just, for the good of the public, remind us where this planning is going, what location this planning is going for?

All right. I have a speaker slip. I'm sorry. Go ahead. I do. Was this a bid process?

Is this the same architect that is doing our police station? So it's different... Correct. Correct. I like our police station. It's going to look nice. We do need definitely another fire station.

Thank you, Mr. Rogers. Bring it back to the council for discussion or motion.

that this was overseen by our new MUD director who is an engineer, is that correct? I know you're an engineer, I know that, but have you looked at this project? Are you comfortable with it?

We can have the same contractor that's doing our, do you think we'll have the same contractor that's going to be doing our new police station? Because I think they've been doing a good job. So I'd like to make sure we at least consider.

Move to approve the agreement with PBK Architects California Incorporated for architectural design services for the construction of Fire Station 264 in an amount not to exceed $1,486,100. And I move that the City Council determine that the project is categorically exempt from environmental review pursuant to section 15301D of the state's guidelines implementing CEQA.

We're on to item J5, consideration of approval of the California Street and Redlands Boulevard intersection widening project plans and specifications. Approval of a public works construction contract with Beador Construction Company Inc. for the project in an amount not to exceed $5,537,700.00. redesignation of 4.4 million currently budgeted in the arterial street fund 252 to the local transportation fund 209 approval of an additional appropriation amount of 1.137 700 in the local transportation fund 209 and determination that the project is consistent with the initial study mitigated negative

review is required pursuant to the california environmental quality act and i'm happy i'll be happy to answer any questions you may have thank you any questions from the council yes i do um i know the well let me ask the question see if it's a positive or negative the uh the the company that who put the um new warehouse in there we were told that they were going to use a lot of this um chip in and do a lot of this redevelopment portion of the streets, and that was one of the reasons why I voted for it. Are they putting any money into this? This is all coming out of Measure I and other services

Yes Thank you Any other questions from the council I'll entertain a motion

I move the City Council approve the California Street and Redlands Boulevard project plans and specifications and award a public works construction contract to B-Door Construction Company Incorporated for an amount not to exceed $5,537,700. And I move that City Council redesignate $4,400,000 currently budgeted in the Arterial Street Fund 252 to the Local Transportation Fund 209 and approve an additional appropriation in the amount of $1,137,700 in the local transportation fund 209 and I move that city council determine that the environmental effects of the project were previously analyzed in t

A motion and a second. Madam City Clerk?

Yes. J six consideration of a public works construction contract with B 81 paving Inc. For on call pavement repair services for water utilities on an as needed basis for an amount not to exceed $600,000. And determination that this action is exempt from environmental review pursuant to section 15301 of the state's guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act. I mean, we'd director radio.

I do have a speaker slip from Mr. Rogers.

All right. Anything from the council? Do you have a question? I'm assuming this is still going to be overseen by our MUED managers. I mean, the director, I'm sorry.

Our new director, you are an engineer. Is that correct?

No other questions. We'll entertain a motion. I move to approve an agreement with Geologic Associates Incorporated for the Phase 5 expansion at the California Street Landfill in a total agreement amount of $598,018.87. Second. Motion to second. Madam City Clerk.

Yes. All right, that takes us to item K, which is individual council member announcements and reports on activities. We'll start on the right down there with Council Member Baric.

Thank you. Again, we had a retirement party for Janice McConnell. She's retiring. We have big shoes to fill. I know we'll be able to fill it, but I tell you, she was fabulous, and I wish her the best in her retirement. That was a very nice party. I attended RESA, which is the Redlands Emergency Service Academy. My daughter's new stepson was one of the graduates, Ryan Gallagher, and I tell you, I can't believe he, after the first day, but I mean, I can't believe it's the same gentleman after going through this. He's improved considerably, so thank you very much. Also attended the library board

also had the pleasure of attending janice mcconnell's retirement party for a little bit and I had a meeting with director crocker as well as city manager dug in a constituent to talk about our park fee structure

All right, Council Member Tejeda. Yes, thank you, Mayor Pro Tem. I have three things to report. I attended an event that was hosted by Mr. Tim Rochford at the bowl. Also, Council Member Aguilar invited some folks to be at an event there, different day. And I attended a three-day training that was related to my employer. So those are the three things I have for you. All right.

Thank you. With that, we are going to be on our August break for summer recess. So we'll stand adjourned until September 1st. We'll see you then. Thank you.