City Council - Regular Meeting

Council member Collings here. Council member Cler here. Council member Stacklet. Council member Redmond here. Mayor Gladman here. Okay. Uh we'll move on to are there any special presentations and announcements? Um so special presentations related to uh the Lake Street active transportation plan.

Okay. All right. Uh we will then move on to public comment. So, this would be uh any members of the public who would like three minutes to speak on anything not already on the agenda. I know many of you are here to speak on a specific agenda item, but for anybody who has something to say about anything else, please step up, say your name, and roughly where you live.

And for first time commenters, I will keep track of your three minutes for you. When you see the light on my desk turn yellow, you have 30 seconds remaining. And when the light turns red, your time is up. I'll be the icebreaker area. Half of the YAM movement. Um just want to say we had uh our monthly community dinner last Saturday was really good. We had even though the weather was not very good, we still had about 12 to 15 people show up. A lot of new people, a couple other nonprofits that kind of have a shared mission with us, which is really exciting. Um, we had some good conversations, brought some good questions to council, and um, oh, also just want to share that we have secured a consultation uh, to move forward with creating our nonprofit officially. So, um, we'll keep you posted as that continues to develop, but um, probably in the next couple weeks, we'll start getting some official paperwork in. All right. Hi, I'm Rachel Streer. I live outside the city limits and I just want a broad topic of making sure that decisions that are made have very clear um ideas, transparent and have integrity. We're looking at the Dango um site that was done with the public housing review. There's a little bit of uh inconsistency. They ask for that you can have two times the amount of income for rent even though it's supposed to be affordable housing which means you pay 30% of your income. So it's just not clear. It's like what are they really going to charge and then looking forward to other um possibilities here with the Lake Street um project. But it's really clear to the public what it might look like, what it might happen, how long it'll take. I think we all got a little

surprised with L electric thing that went in. It kind of made it didn't beautify our our town. I'm just going to be I really think it's I think it's ugly. It took longer. It's got a lot more lines. The poles are taller and I don't think we knew that that was going to happen under the parameters of fire hardening for our area. I um I think we just really didn't know that that was going to happen. And um I think it was I was at that meeting a long time ago when we got into little groups here and we decided what we wanted the council look like in the future and we made pictures of houses and the planning director that was here at that time we had pictures of it and I said to that person I said well you forgot two of the most important things. You don't have cars in the picture and you have power line. It looks great when those two things aren't there. But when you add all those other elements, it's kind of a different sort of picture. And so if we could just try to do the best we could and making people know really what it might be, I think that would be that would come really far with all the citizens here in the area and in town and and just that people know also that these people are doing the best they can. They're they're on their they're their treadmill for pro progress and we have our own treadmill we can be on and you as a renter can be uh up up front with your landlord and say if you have a hardship paying the rent, they might listen to you if they have good feedback. If you're a land owner or a property owner, you could feasibly put a deed restriction on your property so that it is it is held in whatever time frame you like for the future for maybe a person of the average mean income to purchase it or rent it. It doesn't just have to go into what market rate is so that you can fill your pockets and leave the area or sell it to somebody else who wants a second or third home. That we have the

power. They're doing what they can, but you as individuals without having to come and I'm sorry there's a few of you here, but but we really do have a lot of power just ourselves being open and whether you're a renter or a homeowner, I just hope you can find your power and I hope you can find your clarity. Thank you.

Thank you. So, my name is Danielle Williams. I'm a co-owner of the Fifth Season in town, and I wanted to address the situation around the power lines and infrastructure upgrades. I realize that these are necessary and that they are beneficial in the long run, but the timing and the execution of the project was really detrimental to the downtown businesses and anybody I'm sure who lives in the downtown as well. The power was shut off quite a number of times during the President's Day weekend and the holiday week that followed when schools were out and lots of tourists were in town. Um I would argue that that weekend and week is one of the most um significant um in terms of winter tourism outside of Christmas and New Year's and to be shut down without any notice so many times um obviously affected my business and my employees and their wages. But I'm sure it affected many other businesses as well. And I have no idea how the chain of responsibility goes, where it starts, where it ends, who has any part in it. But I feel like the city kind of let us down or I didn't really feel supported by the decision for that timing to be allowed. And um and especially the lack of communication that the power companies who signed up for not

but never got any. So, you drive in and you find out your store shut down. You can't even get to the door. And you ask the flagger and they're like, "Oh, yeah. Come back at like 11." You come back at 11:00, they're still closed. And you come back at 1:00 and it's still closed. You come back at 3:00 and maybe you can open for a few hours. And I just feel that I would hope that the city could help the businesses find a way to um communicate, excuse me, their grievances to the power company or the contractor that did the work or to just help the businesses know what they can do to kind of try and recuperate some of the losses both for the business and for the employees who lost lots of possible work. So, thank you for hearing my concerns.

Hey, Danny. Um, we've got a touch base about a different meeting. If you're um around um after the meeting, let's talk because uh um at it pack decision and um we we got noticed on a couple days and nothing did get shut off, but we didn't hear about any of the businesses and we had we had some back and forth um wasn't very productive and I would like some more um info so we can go back to regional. Thank you. Thank you very much.

Okay. Any other folks?

Fine. And aloha. I'm AA for the uh movement. Gorgeous over there. That one. That one's mine. So, uh, we had the community dinner on Saturday and that was amazing. We did have a tiny house available. So, we did take a little tour. So, that was pretty cool. And I don't know what like dozen people showed up. So, they got to touch it, ask a bunch of questions, see it. And, uh, that one was a what does he call that? lightweight. So, it was only it was just under 200 square feet, 176 square feet. So, at least our locals could see that uh that one was made for travel. But if you just double it, that's almost 400 square f feet. So, the locals got to touch it, look at it, and then, you know, get the dream manifestation down and touch it down a little bit more. So, that was pretty cool. A lot of the locals gave a lot of review on that that they really appreciated that. And a lot of new faces. There's probably like 10 people I didn't even know from anywhere. So, that was kind of cool on a more gray, cloudy, rainier day, but uh people still showed up. So, that was super awesome. Uh like we said in the past, uh funding for that goes towards our dinner, goes towards our little rental at that awesome rad camp and uh towards the consultation, which is about 500 bucks. And we just hit that threshold with all the little dinners and we just pushed it for March 5th or something. So, we got a professional consulting for a nonprofit thing. The next phase of the YA movement is going to be somewhere around $2,000 or less to have a legal team put it all all the paperwork together and file it for liability to push that way. And we're still hoping that that's going to be accomplished by the end of this year. So, that's so we're really really extremely grateful for everybody that called Rya to put up a website because

they uh wanted to help the YA movement move around. uh called me to do some stump grinding sessions for spring when it's nice and dry uh because they want to help the mission move forward. And then somebody else came around the corner and said, "Whatever your um your rental space was, let us help you with that." And so it was like, "Okay, cool. Thank you." And so just really cool people are coming around and really helping out the movement. And uh we appreciate all of our everybody and we appreciate all of you. We know you guys are volunters and is awesome. Where's our cheap both sheets? Because they're awesome, too. So, uh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. We just appreciate you. Thank you. Thank you very much.

All right.

Hi, I'm TZ and one of the things I want to remind everybody is we need more community involvement. Just now this woman spoke about the work that's going to be done on Lake Street. And I think that's really important that people have an opportunity to be able to come in and talk to the city about what's going to be happening on their street. I know people that live on Lake in Washington and what's going to happen with all of that. And so So I would like to suggest Just talk. very That one for the mayor.

people know what Europe. Okay. So, where people go to be able to give me a website want I am

that's that's the three minute limit and just to give you an update on a little bit of what you said there the agendas and minutes you can sign up for the mailing list and those are emailed every week or before every meeting rather thank you.

But that's three that's that's three minutes. Yeah. Are there any other members of the public who would like to speak on anything not currently on the agenda? Okay, we will move on to council and staff comments. Over here, please. City manager, we we don't have any control over Pacific Powers. um roll out of maintenance andor power shutdowns. We we can ask we can talk but ultimately we don't have any control over that.

It's it's not our decision though. Um if we know about it beforehand and um you know it seems to be at an improper time. you know, we get notified about when uh an you know, an outage may affect city hall. Uh we don't know exactly what part of the town, but um you know, when I get details like this, I can pass it along to the regional manager and you know, she's usually pretty accommodating. Um but we're not we're not getting those notices. You know, for instance, in the snowfall last week, you know, uh it wanted to get rolling in the middle of the snowstorm and an outage and it like no, you got to remove your all your trucks. I mean, you're subject to uh pulling your trucks off the street so we can clear it while we plow and you might need to put this off. And um so I need to to talk to Danny and find more um of details out and then I can call the regional manager and just say, "Hey, we need to have better coordination on when this kind of stuff happens. It's impacting our business district." Please.

Uh, city planner, is it it's my understanding that we've missed a few meetings because we didn't have a quorum. Is is that correct? It it's a combination of a couple of different things. A couple of times, correct? We did not have a quorum. But the other thing which was just so yeah people in the understand if there aren't enough people on the planning commission which there were a number of vacancies then you don't need a quorum then there's no purpose in having a meeting because you can't get any work done anyway because you don't have a quorum. Correct. Just want make make sure.

Correct. staff comments and I I believe, correct me if I'm wrong, we do still have one vacancy on the planning commission as well. Is that correct?

There is still one vacancy on the planning commission. A quick plug, uh the candidate uh for the remaining seat must be a resident of the city limits of Mount Shassa. So, there are some seats that are available to people outside the city. The seat that we're looking to fill is for somebody within the city limits. um every month that position or that vacancy is posted through the city newsletter. We're just processing applications as they come in. But as of right now, yes, we are still recruiting for one more planning commission member.

And just for everyone's knowledge, we're still looking for folks for the beautifification committee and DAK as well. Downtown one more. Yeah. And one more for the downtown enhancement advisory committee as well. and those have their own uh stipulations, but please incl.

Yeah, please.

I've got my usual tone. Um so, uh contacted by the EL chapter up here. They wanted me to get out the word that they're hosting their annual Easter egg hunt um at the Mount Chasta City Park on April 4th. Um, so it's been a long a while since I've talked about, this is a bad segue, but talked about the enhanced infrastructure finance district and um, this was formed in January of 2025 and uh, their reporting requirements for the first year. I've got everything that I need um to to get rolling on this. We really should have this report by um June 30th. It it's it's going to be kind of a walk through this year because there really isn't anything to report. We haven't um acrewed anything that there's there's a lot of hoops we need to jump. We need to uh pass the resolution once again and we need to get the PFA back together to say, "Hey, we bless this report and then we send it in." But I'm working on it and as usual there's a lot of paperwork but um you'll hear more more about it here soon. Um [clears throat] so with the landing development uh the meetings with power group continue the uh they've got new map there are uh you know there was recently put in a uh tenant sewer line across the western property. Uh we've got the land use covenant that's prohibiting us from doing residential on most of the north uh part of that property. Um and some of the south end. They're looking at potentially uh some affordable at the northwest

quarter. Well, little south of that that isn't um part of that covenant. And they're still at the moment looking at um potentially a tiny home cluster on the east parcel. Uh the issue there again is um Kurt Street. There's a 6-in sewer line that's in not the greatest shape. Probably need to be upgraded. Uh and then the other piece of this is we have 200,000 and change in EPA brownfield grant money. We're finally going to kick off uh the RFP. Uh but first we got to figure out what this 200,000 and change will buy us in terms of conceptual planning in a full public outreach process so we get this right. And so uh you may remember if you've been following the landing saga that we had a meeting uh initially in town with the landing team and their favorite architects and planners out of uh Dallas. We've got a meeting with them on Wednesday, kind of uh walk back from that $200,000 in terms of what's our best bang for the buck. Uh and um you know, how we can get through at least two public meetings and make changes based on community comment. So, we're we're getting buy in on the way we're um the types of uses, uh how we create a a community focal point at the landing that um is desirable for the entire community and what type of uses are needed. And so that what we're working on when after we have that meeting this Wednesday, we can rock and roll, get the RFP out. Um the um so interesting conversation. I

want to be very careful about this. Uh Lowe's camps two weeks ago uh went bankrupt um fully. Uh there's just two properties that did not. There is a gentleman who called me that apparently I didn't know what was going on behind the scenes. He's the finance year out of uh Florida and he was dealing with somebody local that um he was going to be providing the money for uh to purchase the load. He he has a habit um he's been doing hospitality his whole career um of wanting to meet who he's going to be in business with in person. He came up here He got a bad feeling this bolt plug on the um the original the party that was planning to purchase the load and either was going to run it himself or um he's going to find other uh party to purchase it. So that's good news. Um uh okay and um you know I shared with council we've got uh a really good start at how we marked it uh the 250th anniversary anniversary of this country along with 101st the naming of Mount Shasta a um how we're going to pull events in reading um what events uh We want to make sure that we hit how do we advertise this and how do we create uniform branding uh among uh um discover syscq syscue economic development the city the chamber and we get a pretty consistent graphics for folks to put in their windows um and uh talking to Brett at the chamber we're going to reconvene on Wednesday her

daughter's a graphic designer and she's working on on some type of uh branding and then we'll we'll move forward and start moving on this as well. Um and make sure I haven't missed anything. Oh, we had a meeting as well with uh um some scientists that have been looking at uh the mudflow area of Upton Islands uh with Tom Hustle. One of our angles uh that we're exploring, we don't know if it has legs, is that we seek funding uh through Sierra Nevada Conservancy this next round to do the entire uh greenway project with uh the idea that that daylight at Castle Creek could serve as overflow in a catastro in case of a catastrophic mud blow and avoid um damage to the city. We need to find out if this is going to work or if this is just a pipe dream. But it would check another box and make us more competitive. That's that's the face prep I've got. You got have any questions? Yeah. So, regarding the loge camps, that deal for it was 2.7 million that got cancelled.

Um, not according to the guy I I talked to. So the the person that you spoke to Yeah. that's buying it. Um is it was being financed by a party out of um Florida. Uh he had backing. Is that what you're saying? That's exactly. And this gentleman decided to park company um with the local guy. Yeah. Yeah. Is the plan to continue operating as the some of you large for some of you in whichever one it is.

Well, I've heard two things floated. One is um potentially a wedding venue and um and still the potential for using it as um you know a reconfigured use related to lodging that's still defined right now. Okay.

Okay. So, in bankruptcy are uh taxes also discharged or Not yet. Um, there was an inquiry with Melissa. It hasn't been resolved yet, but it, you know, no matter what, you know, we've got an agreement with Chicago Title and they're on the hook. No deal can go through until um, uh, you know, we've got our first position on collecting back DOT taxes and and fine. But, um, you know, we, uh, on another issue, uh, the old hospital and uh spontaneously combusting property. Uh we managed to um recover uh all of our attorneys fees and that came through in a wire transfer. So that's all settled. Any other Okay, moving on to number six, committee updates. Do we have any updates from any of the four committees? So, um, gosh, I can't remember if I reported on this last time. The DAC committee met there. We're meeting again this Wednesday. Um, um, so we're looking at uh reviving the power box art. um uh looking at the potential for sites for potentially uh painting murals that are visible and high quality as a way to kind of pull people downtown. and uh and Danny from this season. Um you know, we uh volunteer to uh take on, you know, planning for Vtober and seeing how we can tie this into the 250th and 101st

and uh seeing how we can uh raise the money for that and get that get that off the ground before um you know, we lose light. Thank you very much. All right, moving on to number seven, the consent agenda. The city manager recommends approval of the following consent agenda items. All resolutions and ordinances on this agenda or added here too, shall be introduced or adopted as applicable by title only, and the full reading thereof is hereby waved. A. Approval of minutes, February 9th, 2026 regular city council meeting. B. Approval of dispersments accounts payable January 22nd, 2026 and February 5th, 2026. Total gross payroll and taxes for the periods ending February 5th, 2026 and February 19th, 2026. C, monthly investment report. D, resolution approving CDBG application.

I'll move to approve consent agenda items A through D by title only. All those in favor? I I I Any oppose or abstain? Okay. Uh moving on to number eight, the Lake Street for All Plan presentation. A little background. In 2024, the city of Mount Chassa was awarded funds from Calrans to complete the Lake Street complete streets plan. The preliminary final report was presented to council by Green Dot Transportation last November. Jeff Swine of Green Dot will now present the final report. This is a report by Ken Kellogg.

There we go. Ken is presenting. If I can uh well they're getting well they're getting set up the um as we've talked about before there uh has been a lot of work on traffic count crash stop uh you know uh crash reports and uh we had a stakeholder group that map several times and we had um a fair bit of uh public outreach and um and uh I think we've come to a pretty good that of recommendations for the next phase which is seeking planning specifications and engineering money um so we can get this built.

All right. Uh clicker is not quite working so maybe I'll ask someone to change the slides. Oh, there we go. Great. Uh great. So my name is Jeff Quin. Been in front of you. So the purpose of this project We all And oh, I thought sounded like it was working. Okay. Um, so the process here was to analyze the existing conditions. You know, we're consultants. We come in from out of the area. We come in and we say, "Okay, this is what we see from our perspective." Boom. We see sidewalks that are heaving because of trees. We see uh too much space for cars, so they go too fast down the hill. We see uh uh no uh compliance for Americans with disabilities, for uh people getting up

the curb ramps, uh things like that. We make our observations. Uh we do some analysis. We did some surveying on this particular street to understand what rideaway was available to use. Um which was very important. And uh then we talked to the public and we say, "Hey, from our perspective, from our professional opinion, this is what we see. What do you guys see? Tell us the users of the street every single day. Tell us what you see. Where do you see problems?" And we give them sort of prompts on um because sometimes when you ask people to tell us what the problem is, they Oh, no. It's fine. But if you start saying, "Well, what about this crack that's 2 and a half inches tall and the you're you have your wagon with your kids in it. You're going to farmers market and you got to go up that. Is that a problem?" Well, yeah. Actually, that bumps the kids. You know, the other day I lost something out of it. Just things like that to spark people's uh creativity and imagination on uh on what a bad street is. Um so, we're trying to make a good street here. Um then we develop concept designs based on engineering standards based on pro progressive techniques uh that happen in California throughout the United States throughout the world. Um and we try to come up with a solution uh that works for the street. Uh so that's what we've done and we've created a plan and uh we'll get into some of it. So, Lake Street uh from Rock Rockefell down to I5 is is uh has has three different characteristics. Uh they they're they're very different. You know, the residential section up by uh the schools um coming down the hill. The chestnut uh is a different animal than the downtown core uh the two or three blocks right there before the tracks and then the we call it the commercial core uh leading all the way to I5. So, we kind of uh started out doing

um concepts for each of those, but in reality, the community wanted pretty much the same concept for each one. We want to have wide enough sidewalks that we can walk and not have to be squeezed against a a utility pole or something like that when we pass somebody. We want to have uh bicycle lanes that are protected by something so we feel safe there. It it might be a parked car like I'll show you on some of the um uh slides and concept designs and it might just be um extra space between where the cars are going to be and a and a little raised ballard. Um so um so those are some of the things that we're we're thinking about um when we hear what the community wants. Community also wants to be able to park cars on the residential area for sure. Um, lots of those, uh, houses up there don't have off- streetet parking or driveways. So, we need to accommodate that, continue the accommodation of parking cars on the street um, in the community core. Uh, we still need uh, uh, cars to be able to access businesses down there. So, we were very conscious of that as we designed uh, these these things. [clears throat] Um, so there's a couple things in this report that uh that we need to fix. And so, uh, I've talked to the mayor and, uh, and Ken and Todd about it. And, um, so one of them's on this slide. So, I'm going to focus on the intersection on the left. Uh, basically, uh, that's the, uh, Mashhata Boulevard, the intersection on the left. Um the illustration here is showing that that we want to have uh pedestrians facilities that can uh help people get across the street in a safe manner, help them feel comfortable getting across the street because the whole point here is to encourage activity, human activity, not car activity. So human activity. Um so these

[clears throat] are the intersection treatments. Um the actual details are are not all the way flushed out because we're using planning money. we can't do the actual design. So, when we put um crosswalks here in this kind of brownish color, that doesn't mean we're going to go out and paint them brown. It means that when we go to final design, uh they're going to determine what sort of treatment it's going to be. Um the idea here is to not just have a classic, we call them ladder style, uh high visibility crosswalks with the white big white lines. Um the idea here is to have something that's a little prettier. Maybe it's a um a red brick stamped concrete or you know something that that stands out and creates uh some some character for the city. So um when you read this report if you look at it don't take everything uh exactly. Um, so just so you know that there is some uh some context sensitivity that we have that will be uh fleshed out a little bit later in more of the design. Okay. So um this is one of the uh drawings that needs a little tweaking. Um basically uh this is a cross-section. Uh that's what we call it. So when an engineer comes in to design this, they look at the cross-section. This is called a concept design. It's a conceptual design based on the feedback, the analysis that we've done, our professional opinion. Um so, uh so this concept actually has four lanes uh um travel lanes. We call the travel lanes um two going east, two going west. Um but in in reality, uh what the community wanted was one lane in each direction. Uh they do want these protected bike lanes. You can see the bike lane is painted green. It also has a two-foot

buffer between the vehicles and the bike the bikers. And uh in that buffer are ballards that can be removable. There's there's like a million types of ballards that you can use there. So that would be determined at the the point of design. Um and certainly we're uh we're taking into consideration uh snow plows um and things like that. So the city is uh prepared to I think there's already some special equipment for uh for plows for sidewalks and that uh width of uh of facility uh coming down the line. So uh in the community core uh still have some some parking here. Uh this is called a parking protected bike way. So um the cyclists are protected by the parked cars. Um, you know, you we we have a little bit of space there, an extra wide bike lane, so if a passenger is getting out of the car, the door zone uh doesn't quite just smash the biker. Um, but this is a really successful uh method for uh helping cyclists feel comfortable, still accommodating parking and slowing the cars that are in the travel lane down. Uh because if you're that close to a car, these are these are 11 foot lanes, 11 foot travel lanes. You're going to feel constrained. You're going to drive a little slower. That's important. Uh and then um up through the residential area, uh we have a um the same thing. It's a parking protected bikeway and that continues all the way up to Rockfellow. Um so this is uh total travel lane width is um 11 + 1122 plus a foot for the stripe in the middle. Um that is more than half of less more than half of what's there now. Right now you

have uh 14t lanes in some areas that just create that speed coming from the east down the hill. That will go away really. Um these this will This will make people feel constrained. You'll still have the traffic and throughput. Uh that'll be just fine. Um but it will help people slow down to uh help the vulnerable users uh be a little safer. So um [clears throat] moving on to funding and financing. Um there are a lot of funding opportunities out there for these types of uh facilities. Um we can't go out and just say we need all the money for for the roads right now. They say, "Well, we don't have enough. There's just not enough gas tax being collected at the state and federal level to fund all the needs of the community." However, um there is some some funding out there to improve uh alternative modes to transportation. The gross polluters from the state uh uh contribute to a fund called the greenhouse gas reduction fund. Um some of those funds filter down into the programs that fund bicycle and pedestrian facilities. uh to improve greenhouse gas emissions reductions um into the atmosphere. So, some of those funds are available. Some of these funds come from the federal highway bill. They filter through the state and then there's programs uh like the one that the city is planning on pursuing called the active transportation program. Um they're pretty well funded. Uh, I think this project with all the uh the planning that's been done with the uh the leveraging the state transportation improvement funds for the pavement um I think this project has a real competitive jot at getting funding. Um total funds uh it's about uh about $2 million um to do these improvements. Um and that's on top of the $2 million that is available for the pavement projects.

So, uh the next steps for this are to apply for the funds through the active transportation program. Uh those applications are there'll be a call for projects uh either late this month or in March. Um those applications are due on June 15th. Um integrating the stiff paving project and these uh these uh bicycle and pedestrian improvements uh uh needs to happen. can be a little bit tricky, but um I'm sure that that can happen. And then continue continue to advocate for the project. You know, everyone here who uh supports um the project uh can continue to uh you know, continue to advocate for uh developing this project. So that's my presentation. Uh yes sir. Uh can I add just two things to this? Um, you know, uh, one thing that I think is important that, um, maybe we moved over quickly is part of this is, uh, clarifying that Pine Street and Lake Street intersection and it's conceptual, but bringing that out so the sight lines are better and it better fit the street and Jeff touched on it briefly, but uh, the way the bike lanes and the travel lanes work as you're heading towards the railroad tracks, it would neck down to to one lane. We've got excess amounts of capacity there. The um and Jeff was right in terms of if and we've been talking about this as a group for a while now is if you're seeking transportation money, the money that you are going uh to have the best luck uh procuring in the form of grants is definitely related to active transportation.

So, thanks Jeff. Yeah, thank you, Jeff. Um, questions from the council over here. Look like we got one on the end there. Please go ahead. First of all, thank you.

Welcome. Um, real helpful. going from 14 or 15 foot wide lanes, especially in the residential area, um going down to 11 feet clearly will slow things down, which is a good thing. Would you talk briefly about the width of fire and ambulance equipment, how wide they are relative to an 11 foot wide lane and how that how those really wide vehicles will fit.

Yeah, absolutely. So, uh the the standard lane like you see on Interstate 5, uh is 12 feet wide. Um 11 ft wide is a little bit smaller. Um, typically those are for uh sort of uh parkway or residential community core streets. Um, lanes can go down to 10 ft. It's in the it's in the California design manual uh that you can bring them down to 10 feet as long as you have turning radiuses at specific intersections. Um, and so uh fire truck is about 8 and 1/2 ft wide. Um, can certainly uh pass by um unless you know you got uh a muscle truck with big mirrors on the side that's sticking out into the travel lane. Um but it's really the turning movements that are are a challenge for uh for emergency access crews. Um, when I talk to emergency access crews, and this particularly comes up when we're talking about roundabouts or traffic circles, they pride themselves in being able to get through anything. They really it's it's more of um, you know, it's kind of a perceived challenge. Um, we could not design a facility that doesn't allow an emergency vehicle through. It's it's it's illegal. We just can't do it. So, um, rest assured that all the vehicles will be able to travel through these lanes with no problem.

And not to, uh, be nerdfest guy over here, but um, it's it's really common with 11 foot lanes. Uh, it's modeled in a program called Think Row, and they've got a model of a fire uh, truck, and um, it it's able to navigate with the three-point turns like any other street. Um, when you get down to 10 ft, a little tougher uh to get below that then you've got delays but 11 ft is it is very very common. Sure.

Uh so can you clarify the the cost of clear here that the cost of construction is approaching $2 million$ 1.5 to $2 million. Okay. But you mentioned a couple times that there's final planning and that usually costs money. Is that something we have money for? Because she did mention something about 2 million. Is there any money left over from the grant? Can you explain all this to us? Well, uh, we would write in a little bit more for that. Um, probably about 30 to 40% more into the grant application for the the final design.

Okay. So the the money that we we were granted was spent on this plan, right? The planning money. Yep. Yeah. All right. So the detail planning will c will add that up that we get toward $2 million and we have to apply for grants that would include that. It would all be in the same grant application. Okay. Um the active transportation program allows

I'm trying to determine if there's a step that we're missing here. So, we approve this plan, then we write up grants that will include further planning, final planning as you mentioned. Yes. And so, there's only really there's two steps left to get the grant money and then plan and and do the construction. I you know I I think what we're trying to avoid here is a lot of jazz hands and uh we get to a point where we've got something planned and then we go forward reconstruct Lake Street and we've got nothing to show for it or we've got to wait and then have to rip up some of what was already um you know part of the reconstruction. So uh yeah no that this intent is to write it into the grant.

So uh one point on that. Um, and I mentioned integrating the pavement project and the uh the bicycle and pedestrian improvement components of this project. Um, the pavement project has a different project extent. It ends at Mount Shasta Boulevard, goes to Rockfell. Um the uh they have a little bit different timelines. Um once we get the construction money for the bicycle and pedestrian uh that's um you know to get an agreement in place uh is three to four years out. Um so the pavement project needs to be spent prior to that. So when I mentioned integration, um the engineer that's working on the pavement design right now is considering how to integrate these two projects. They'll take our concept designs and say, "We're going to um create some a place for the pavement. We're going to come in and reconstruct this and pave it, but we don't want to touch it later. We don't want to rip out anything that we've done." So that integration is forthcoming and uh you'll when things start going to construction. Uh so just be aware that there's going to be sort of two construction projects um in the future and we need to have those integrated. So it's a little tricky but uh it's been done before.

I think the idea that in the interim between those two projects that things will like as that first paving paving portion of it becomes finished it'll still be functional. Oh yeah. Everything. Okay. It's not gonna it's not going to shut down a large portion of travel for any extent. Okay. No. And then I believe on a prior iteration of this, correct me if I'm wrong, but there was a timeline there there was a a table given with a timeline. I didn't see it. I I don't see it in this one. Um do you have a rough idea? I I I want to say the end date was sometime in like the end of 2027. Was that accurate?

Yeah. 2027 kind of uh you know the end of the the construction year is the the hope or whatever the timeline and as the design gets further along that timeline gets more accurate. So we'll keep continuing to report back on if the timelines change. Awesome. Any other questions from council?

Um one other clarification. Um uh so in the report that's posted online right now um in uh some of these presentation slides uh there was just a couple tweaks to those concept designs. So uh if there is a movement to adopt this plan tonight um we want to hold space to make the changes that have been already um uh discussed uh prior to this meeting. If we approve, we approve with amendments. Okay.

All right. Any other questions here? Okay. We will now Thank you very much for your presentation, Jeeoff. That was excellent. Loving the uh bike lanes going everywhere. Uh well, yeah. Uh now going to open it up for public comment if you would like. Well, yeah. So, please come up to the microphone and speak. But there's folks there's folks at home as well. Is there still going to be a left turn lane with police department here and CVS here? Are we going to lose that left turn lane? Because when I looked at that,

any other public comment on the Please. I just I think I've heard that there's a need for upgrade of sewer in this town. Is there a sewer line? street does it need to be taken care of with in conjunction with this project so it doesn't have to be torn up in the near future has been thought of is there a sewer line under there please yes we elaborate does it need to be fixed no actually that spear line is in great shape it's fairly newly installed but it is being being taken into account with this

with with these costs. Okay. Okay. And I just know that talent in Phoenix, Oregon had put in a something like this. I think the bike lane was in a different place, but the citizens so disliked it that they torn it up at a cost to their own town of between$1 and2 million. And I'm not sure if the layout is the same. And I'm not sure exactly why they hated. The people driving said it was too hard to navigate the cars. That's the only thing I heard. I don't know anything else, but they're taking it out and it's only been in a couple years. All right. This is a bike lane you're talking about.

Uh they're just I think they're getting rid of it and I don't know if it was placed to the right or to the left of parked cars. And also if a car is parking, we all get used to kind of using the curb to guide us. Is there going to be an instance where those who are parking challenged kind of nudge into the bike lane and possibly create an accident? I don't know. I mean, I'm overthinking, but I just don't know. I mean, there are you've all seen parking challenge people. Okay. So, on that note, part of the design um particularly in the residential does call for a slightly I believe it's referred to as a um Dutch style uh elevated bike lane. So, the one is is a hump.

Yeah. So, the bike lane particularly in the residential area is slightly elevated above the uh vehicle parking and my thought is if a vehicle is routinely going up and over curbs and driving into areas they shouldn't be parking that might need to be re-evaluated on the part of the driver. Okay. And the plan for snow storage in in winters, normal winters with respect to this drawing, I mean there probably the snow would be pushed onto the bike lanes and then there'd still be the parking or would the snow be removed like it is now? Totally.

Pretty much like it is now. We we actually took out some road furniture like planters and whatnot because it was going to make snow removal rather difficult and we've gone to a much more simplified approach that it is plowable. U it and this is for further discussion. Right now it is it will be plowed to the side of the road meaning the bike lane and the sidewalk. Now, where we have the deck style elevated, that means it will be plowed into the bike lane. Where we don't have that situation, it can be taken all the way back to the sidewalk.

And and is the material used in building this new road, is it durable enough to take the plows blade and weight and or we just going to have chunks? No, it would be standard asphalt and standard subgrade with, you know, aggregate based standard Cal transit approved pavement. And so you you have a history of this stand up. All right. All right. That's all. Thanks. Thank you. Any other public comment or question for Jeff while we've got him here? Not to put you on the spot too much more there, Jeff, but sure if you don't mind if you don't mind stepping up to the mic. We There's people at home watching. It's not just for us.

So the road from Mount Chester Boulevard up Lake Street doesn't have sidewalk right now. So, are you going to be purchasing land or do when people have an e do they have an easement for sidewalk anyway or is that going to be I heard something about this before about talking to the people on Lake Street? No. So, my understanding is that it doesn't impede on the uh the private property the the homeowners there. It's just a narrowing of the traffic lanes in order to accommodate um the bike lanes.

Yep. All right. Any other public comment on this matter? All right. We will bring it back for council discussion then. Anything from this side of the table? How about over here? Okay then. All right. Um that case, how are folks feeling about it? This uh All right. So, I'll move to accept the Lake Street for all plan as presented by Jeff Schwain.

Okay. Um with with amendments with the amendments you mentioned with amendments mentioned during the presentation. All right. All those in favor I any oppose or abstain? Okay. Excellent.

Thank you very much Jeff. Excellent work. All right. Moving on to number nine. the mobile home park rent control report and council directions. Uh background here on November 24th, 2025, the council reviewed rent increase related documents submitted by residents of the Shasta Horizon mobile home and RV park. Since then, staff has further researched the issue, and we're going to have our planning director, Kim Fowler, uh give us a little more information here.

Thank you very much. So in summary, uh this agenda item went to city council for discussion back in November. At the time the concern revolved around rent increases and by how much and was that allowable or permissible. At the time a very high level um uh investigation uh occurred and staff talked with the community property manager. It was determined at the time that since rent increases were not outside the boundaries of what was allowed that there wasn't a need to look further into a rent stabilization ordinance at the time. However, um since then staff has been in discussion with several residents of the Mount uh Shasta Horizon's um RV park, mobile home park and RV community. Um there's a little bit more to the story and so that needs to be discussed tonight. Um, I'll let the residents come up and speak about uh what their specific concerns are, but in summary, it's more than just the increases in rent. It's um teasing out the utilities and what that means in terms of how much water costs every month, how much the sewer costs, when those rates go up, how can they go up. There's also what happens when you get a notice uh your cable all of a sudden is not no longer offered as an amenity. Um, things of that nature. It's just unclear when these increases happen, how much of these increases can happen. Um, so the community is just looking at staff to help provide them with with with guardrails. And those guardrails can come in the in the form of a rent stabilization ordinance um that can help establish base rents, rental uh increases. you know, what happens when somebody moves out, somebody else moves in, what happens to the rent of the land

underneath the mobile home, um, and and some other things, but the community is looking at at the city and asking for help in terms of how to set some of these guard rails in place. So, one of the things we can do is to look into a rent stabilization ordinance. I believe there are 95 cities and 11 counties in the state that have already done that. So, that's one way we can look into that. Um, another thing we can do is to look into oversight of a rental agreement between um the park providers and the individual residents. That's another option. Um, and if there are any other discussion items or ideas that come up tonight, well, we'd be happy to hear about it. But staff at this point is looking for the city council members to listen to the community and listen to their concerns.

Um, sorry to interject on everything. Um, So, it's more than just the rent increases. It's it is the consistent increase in crash fees, uh water, um you know, all the utilities. We had a um we held a held a meeting a couple weeks ago and um with mayor the mayor and myself and Kim and uh more than 10 of the residents and we have two uh letters that um were entered into the record from residents that didn't want their names um read. Uh and you know we've heard firsthand from these folks. We also understand that um it is a business and um we don't want to be unduly restrictive, but if we're taking up the mantle of um uh providing affordable options in the city, the last thing we want to do is displaced our more vulnerable members of the community. So

So at this point, we'll take um council questions. Do we have any over here?

I guess we'll find out. But are the mobile home residents, tenants, are they being charged the utilities like like everyone else in the in the city on a individual basis? So the the unit there's a unit charge. being charged in minimums or not? Um, yeah. So, I'll I'll let So, it's approximately $24 for trash. It's $75 for for sewage. So, we should probably let the residents speak. It's it's a consistent um uh annual um significant increase.

Yeah, but we have but that's something we we did to everyone through our rate studies. Yeah. I'm not sure what they cost. So are they out they doing markup since I don't know

just so that everybody knows um I'm a resident over here on Alder Street and um my rates for water and garbage are the minimums and so that's the numbers I just threw out there. Uh water fluctuates a little bit with with usage but I don't irrigate so it's usually very low and then there's that $1 thing for drainage. Um, so yeah, I'm interested to see if you're people paying more than that amount.

I'm inclined to uh kind of continue on with council member stack's questioning line, which is we've got a letter here from somebody. There's not a single number in the letter. We have no idea what utilities relative to cable, relative to power, water, any other charges that are under other categories. What have they gone up or not gone up or are they getting marked up or not? I'm just speaking for myself. I'm a little frustrated trying to have some more tangible, and by that I mean numerical analysis that says, "Hey, here's what the state of California's statewide caps are on categories of increase at trailer parks. Here's what's happening there." Well, all we know is it's they haven't exceeded those caps that the state has put out, but we don't know other than that where they are. So, you know, we get letters that people are upset saying that the increases have been too much. I don't know how to respond with too much. Um I'm I'm interested. I I want to have better evaluative criteria, I think, just to try and understand. So, just to clarify here, um, AB1482 that caps rental increases in the state of California does not actually apply to mobile home parks, we found out, because it only applies to developed structures, whereas in a mobile home park, the traditional agreement, correct me if I'm wrong, Alan, but the traditional agreement is for renting the land under

the mobile home park itself. And so there actually is no um red cap which is part of what the uh new owners are taking advantage of as well. If there isn't one that again this this kind of head toward heads towards my point of

more information like that there. Thank you. And then then with respect to utilities, what with respect to utilities, whether they're the city utilities or other utilities like power, cable, phones, what else? Um are are the units individually metered or not in some HOA kind of Yeah. And they're dividing it. And then so I think at this point it might make sense to to allow folks to speak for themselves and to answer these people that can answer these questions. Can I go ahead?

So the so when we met with residents and prior to meeting with residents, we have oodles and oodles of records from um uh renters at the mobile home park that go back years prior to the company taking over. and what uh the increases were in all the utilities and in rent and there's just been a a significantly marked increase. We haven't assembled that because we're looking for direction from council whether we even want to go down that road and do a set of findings and pull all the data together and say, "Okay, this makes sense. This doesn't make sense." But we it's a it's going to take a um a fair bit of work we wanted to before we dig into this fully get direction is are we are we digging a dry hole

to the chair please. One question I have before we hear from the community is if that California sanction that you referenced, if that did apply to mobile home parks, if we just assume just for the sake of this question that it did, has the increases gone above those limits?

I think that's important. You know, I I when I presented last time, there is there were um a set of increases on the book of what you could not exceed and our findings originally were that um uh the park was not um you know was up I wish I had the staff report here but um but there it's it's you know it's right up to the line but it's not The the difference to me and maybe this is getting too much into the discussion section so I can hold off until we reach that portion of it rather than asking a question. But the difference is that in a traditional rental situation that AB1482 governs, if somebody is raising your rent 10% every single year, you're very likely to move out and attempt to find somewhere more affordable. But when you own the home on that site, mobile homes, despite their name, are anything but. There is nowhere else to put it. And so you have a essentially a captive audience that doesn't have any recourse and does not really truly have the ability to move. And so the fact that even if they are staying within that 10% limit, it it still is giving is not giving people a true option um in terms of their housing. So that's why, as Kim mentioned, over a hundred cities and municipalities and counties have taken it upon themselves to pass something um when the state of California has not. So, any other questions before we open it up for public comment? One

that public comment. Yeah.

Uh in just a moment. Yeah, absolutely. Would love to hear that. Oh, okay. if you don't mind speaking into the microphone just so the folks at home, we've got people watching at home. We'll open it to public comment. Well, I've been here for 22 years and I've never had a meter on there. I travel a lot on my job. So, you know, it comes and goes. I don't mind if it was a base rate my water especially the months I'm gone up. How's that work when there's no meter?

I mean, if there's a base rate, that would be different, but there's not. I don't have Thank you. Appreciate that. Um, so at this point, I think it seems appropriate to open it up to public comment. So, if you don't mind coming up to the microphone, just state your name and uh where you live, that'd be excellent. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you for hearing this. Again, my name is Becky Fairless. Um, I've lived in my home at the Chatau Shasta um since 2015. And when I bought my home, the rent was $295 a month. And that included water, sewer, and trash removal. I've always paid my electric bill um through Pacific Power, cable, all that stuff is is on me. Um, as a homeowner, I own the trailer. I also pay homeowners insurance and taxes. Three years ago, when Boa Vida Corporation purchased the park, my rent increase and it is now at $465 a month and no longer includes those utilities. I pay water, sewer, and trash separately. We don't pay the same amount that they do in the city of Chasta because the trailer park is on a well and we are charged for water on a per capita basis and I'm not sure how the sewer works but we don't pay it through the city we pay it to the park. So I don't know if it's a septic system or if it's uh city sewer. I'm not sure about that. Our crash fee per unit is uh $32 a month. $323, which I think is higher than the base for the city of Mount Chest. Um, as has been mentioned, all of the stuff has already been mentioned. We're in a vulner vulnerable position because we own our homes, but we don't own the land. And moving a mobile home is expensive and sometimes impossible

depending on the age of the home. Sometimes you can't move them and where would we go anyway. Um, and my rent increases are always larger than my social security cost of living increase. It doesn't exceed what would be allowed if I were renting an apartment or a house, but if I were renting an apartment or a house, somebody else could be taking care of repairs, replacing the refrigerator when it dies, things like that. I have to take care of all that stuff myself. So, we're asking you to consider rent stabilization because many of the people who live in this park are seniors or on income and if the company charges too much for rent or or the company is capable of charging more for rent to new residents. So if we try to sell our homes that makes it more difficult to sell them if the rent is too high. It's offputting for people.

Okay. Thank you. Thank you.

Thank you. Hi, my name is Alan Ra and I got a few more I got some numbers here that might help you people. Uh, in the last two years our rent has gone up $10428. That's in two years per month. In four years it's gone up $16428. And when you add the utilities that this separated in the last three years, it's costing us $185.75 per month more than it did four years ago. And uh people who used to make the laws on u rent is uh HCD uh housing community and development, but they don't do that anymore. I emailed them last week and they said get a hold of you guys or the county because they used to be in the MRL which is the mobile home residency laws. I managed parts before so it used to be in there and it was uh either cost of living or something like 2.5% whichever was less is what we used to raise to rent. So I mean those are their the numbers right there. So, you know, I mean, you add that to the cost of living in the country plus raising rent, it's just getting harder and harder to to live in that park, you know. Anyway, so if you got any questions, I hope that helps because we we need some help because we can't go anywhere else.

Thank you. Appreciate that, Alex. Other folks Anybody else? It's okay. I understand. Um, as Todd mentioned, we did have two other letters in support of a rent stabilization act as well that folks who were uh worried about retaliation from the management company didn't want to be make their names public. Um, but at this point, if there is no more public comment, um, we will bring it back to council for discussion. You look like you have something to say.

Yes, I do. Uh, city manager and planning director. This I'd like to thank the folks that came up and presented some numbers that that help us put a frame of reference on increases because just speaking for myself, that's what's been missing a lot. And it I'd be grateful if included in the next steps in this from again from my perspective and where I'm coming from would be hey uh can you come back with a some go talk to these folks get it down in writing here's this here's that does include this does include that here's the percentage increases that have gone on and is that I mean Maybe I missed it, but I haven't heard that before. Um, and and the fact that this doesn't app that the rent stabilization controls don't doesn't apply to mobile home parks, you know. Um, and if you can get us better information, um, that would be that would be real helpful relative to whether or not we should move forward on any kind of citywide policy if it is that that that's I mean, does anybody feel this way or am I just out here in left field missing things? question.

Stupid question. Is this within city limits of Mount Shasta? Yes, it is. Yeah. Over here. Excuse me. My voice for America.

I'm all for stabilization. We harped any time, preached many time tiny home ordinance. Everything we're doing is for affordable housing and making sure it's capped and protected and all that. So, I've got no problem keeping us going forward. Uh yeah, I think that this should be investigated more with respect to what that individual trail trailer home park is is doing with with pricing. So come back with information and possibly this would be a new ordinance, right? And how many trailer home parks do we have in Mount Chester? Just just one. It it's one within city limit.

One within city limits. We we have all the uh rent increases came into effect. We got we need to compile it but we have it all. And for my part one thing and yeah. So, do you think that the price increases have been within the 10% limit as the state says rent increased?

Um, when I don't want to speak for Kim, but when she looked at it originally, it was underneath that, but it was um, you know, it's a it's significant increase um on a regular and steady basis including utilities. Well, they break out of the utilities and then they increase the 10%. It's actually feels like more than 10% because now they're paying their utilities separately. So, sounds to me like some regulation of this industry might be appropriate. The I think the other important thing to remember is that that 10% I think the reason that 1482 doesn't apply here and and the reason that California chose not to apply it is because folks who as Becky said, folks who own their their own mobile home are on the hook for all of the repairs. They pay homeowners insurance, these things that a normal renter doesn't. So, when a normal renter gets hit with a 10% increase in their rent, it sucks, but it's not nearly the same level of hardship as it is for folks in this situation. I think it's a very unique situation and that's why I I think it really behooves us to explore this and do something and actually set it. If it's, you know, just preliminary finding, I think it's worth setting it. And you look at I know I saw you looking at the that thing there. Most of them are set well below the 10% um limit that is that traditional rent renting situations um are

Yeah. Thank you. Sorry. We got some folks up here who have been to a lot of loud concerts. It used to be that we knew when the rent increase was coming and expected because always after the 1 of January. Now it's just whenever. That definitely and that definitely is a consideration as well. Look like you had something.

I was just going to kind of gauge what the council was thinking. If you're wanting under 10%, I think that would be who the staff to look into this further. If we're just wanting that 10% cap, then sounds like they're already there and there's not much. I want to make sure that what we're regulating once we start the regulation of businesses in town, it sets a different trajectory. So, just wanting to make sure that it's worth our while.

Well, we regulate several things regarding business. We make a fuss about how buildings look. Um, and so there's regulations there when building new buildings and and re rebuilding buildings. So there's regulations. Uh, that's the the mountain the alpine, you know, architecture look that's enforced. Uh, there's all the signage rules. Yeah. I don't Yeah, it is in some cases. And then there's the uh the signage which I know is not enforced that well. Um though regulating businesses is something that Mount Shaft does do. So that's not unique. Um this would not be unique regulatory.

Well, that's what I was going to get to. So if we're going to develop an ordinance, it has to be generalized. And so what I'm wondering is do we have to go beyond just trailer parks since there's only one trailer park here and it have to be a general rent stabilization program for all rental. That's

that's what I'm more interested in. So there are um for rentals uh specific rentals there there are rags for 1482. What it says here um is if you own the home but rent the space the lot in this case uh AB1482 does not apply. The rent you pay for the quote dirt is not capped by state law. Um there's alternative provisions AB978 uh bill closed a loophole for a very specific group. It applies rent caps to mobile home parks located in two or more cities. For example, a park that straddles a city border. In these cases, rent increases are limited to 3% plus DPI capped at 5% total. Uh local ordinance. Many cities and counties uh throughout California have their own mobile home rent stabilization or ordinances. Uh these are often much stricter. Uh, and then they kind of break it down by whether you if you own uh if you're renting uh the mobile home and the dirt underneath or um Yeah. So, so there are no there are no clear regulation except under very certain circumstances.

So, for my part, I would love to see something similar to the one you read that uh for ones that straddle multiple jurisdictions. uh the three the CPI plus 3% and capped at 5%. I think something like that at least as far as I'm concerned is what is what we should be shooting for.

If the numbers that were presented here about the increases over the last four years, I'm actually pretty good at math. That's way more than 5% a year. I'm I'm I'm quite sure. So again, the planning director, if you would you're you all are asking for input which direction to head. I'm just speaking for myself here, not the rest of the council, but I'd go, "Hey, are all the laws for the current regulations that are on the state books being met?" Because apparently, while you brought up the one that doesn't apply, I just brought up the one apparently that does apply.

No, no, we were talking about the same one. So, the one he's talking about is for uh parks that straddle through jurisdictions. That one specifically does have a regulation, which was the one that I just referenced. There isn't um a specific regulation for ones that are within one city. Yeah, weird. It's just a Okay. Yeah. I was saying I I was suggesting that as a model for what we could put forth just to match up with that.

One more piece if I can add to this utilities and this may help with your next question. Um 1482 does not directly regulate utility rates and dead civil code 798 dictates how utilities are handled. Park owners can only charge you for what you actually use if metered. They cannot charge more for electricity or gas than the local utility company would charge. And utility fees must be listed separately from the rent on your billing statement. And I don't know if if they are consistent there or not, but it's it's it's something to look at the chair

and other members, please chime in here. help me out because I'm I'm still kind of back at this not fully understanding the landscape of of what has already happened that that has us here and has people coming to us going this isn't right. And it appears that by some perspectives that these increases and then deletions of things that used to be covered in addition to the increases are unreasonable. It appears that way. Um but I sure would like the planning director that and to to tell us that to come back to go here's here's what actually occurred and here's guidelines 3 to 5% cap including CPI or 5% max come back to us with with those numbers that were presented and lay that case out for us that says yeah I we should because I'm a little hesitant to start regulating We do regulate some things, but I'm when we are faced with further regulations, I I tend to want to go slowly and make sure this is something that we really want to regulate versus leaving the open market. Even though I understand there are constraints relative to changing your doicile in this situation, it makes it more difficult and I get that. Um I just want to move kind of cautiously.

That that's all. Please I think we have been moving cautiously. We haven't talked about this since November 24th and I imagine this is going to take a month or two compile get ready maybe April. We're actually talking about this again at the earliest pretty slowly. Well, that's what's going to happen. Great. Do you support that? So, enough debate. Um,

yeah. As long as we're moving perspective, we got John's perspective. I'll make clear mind through the motion. Didn't we table this in November or Yeah, we had incorrect information in November. Yeah, but to Redmond's point, I think it's just been stalled until this new information came out. So, yeah, I agree. I would like to be a little cautious about the numbers and

All right. So, I'm gonna Okay. I'm going to move to give direction to staff to formulate an ordinance to govern regulate trailer parks in within the city of NH city limits. All right. All those in favor? I I Any oppose or abstain?

Thank you. Moving on to agenda item and thank you for everyone who came forward to speak on behalf of that as well. Uh moving on to item number 10, the quarterly budget update. Uh the background here, staff has prepared a quarterly budget report. Uh so that is going to be our finance director, Melissa.

Thank you, mayor. Um I'm gonna pass out some documents real quick. I'll take one. Yes. Thank you. Are you ready?

Okay. So, um I added some additional documentation here as I did my analysis. Um I this is our second review of the budget that we adjusted um in July from the adopted two years prior. Um so I've been trying to keep consistent with the methodology that I've been using just trying to expand. It's still a little bit of a learning for me how to present these things to you all because I know it's a bit different than what you're used to. Um at the top of the page 109 um I have listed the general re the major general revenue sources and my projection for February isn't much different than it was for October. A few fluctuations but basically the same. And so Jeffrey wanted me to explain that. Um the way that I've set up this report is uh revenues are a negative number and So that's why they have the par parentheses around them. Um and then what's that? Credits and debits. Yeah. And so um for our revenue I show them as a negative number which is a a credit for us. And then when there's a difference so for instance on sales tax because I increased the revenue it shows as more of a negative because we're getting more more money if that makes sense. So um then I trying to keep again to the consistency of how much general fund we have left over after we spend items. Um, in the prior budgets, there was a line item called administrative allocations. And I want to wait to talk about that till the end. I have more detail there for you all about why that has changed so much. Um, and then we talked about our long-term expenses. I didn't change much there

other than I had a discussion with the auditor about how I had allocated the unpers unfunded liability and he preferred that I do it more consistent with our current spending on PERS liability uh in current years. So I did adjust that and that um gave a little bit more of a credit to the general fund. So that was a positive. Um [clears throat] then again we have the elected officials uh department going from there. I'm just continue to show how much general fund we have available as we spend these um expenses down. Then we have our uh funds that we provide to the community supports I'm calling it. Um these are grants and things that you guys have provided to the community as well as the work that's done um on several of the events um in the community like putting up the um lights and things like that, the tree uh getting ready for winter magic. Okay. So then we move to page uh 110. Um I listed out here the building inspector. As you know, we've transitioned to a 6ft FTE. I've left that up here for this year just to monitor the spending there. Um, next year when I do the budget, I will include that as a operating expense for the city, but right now I sort of have it in the contract area. Um, again, nothing much has changed there. Um, then we get to uh the city operating expenses. I do want to point out there that the 38,000 increase isn't actually an increase. Um, I have moved the expenses that were put in the finance

department budget for postage and shared copers and things like that that are allocated to other programs. They're not a actual finance expense, if you will. So, that's I've I've broken that out of finance and listed that there. Um, and then I will talk more about our score insurance expenses uh later on, but they have significantly increased, although they've decreased in this budget, and I'll talk about why that is. Um, it's a savings to the general fund, which is great. Um, then we have our software expenses. Nothing has really changed there. Um, and [clears throat] then I get to the city admin and finance, uh, central services. Uh, I did want to point out that, you know, we've had some turnover in the finance department. One thing that we did early on in the budget was we split half of an FTE out to the enterprise fund directly as well as to the building and planning program. Um, that the office assistant, the administrative assistance in there support those two programs most of the day every day. And then um we also had a a person leave and we didn't fill that position. So we have reduced our FTE um in the finance department. Um and then if we get to page 111 um these are our really our city services uh that our general fund supported. Uh law enforcement the budget has increased a bit that is really due to the um unanticipated premium payrolls and shift differential pays that were that came out of

negotiations. Um, I've broken those out so I can watch monitor those more carefully. Um, so that's the increase there. That'll obviously flow into the next budget years because that the contracts go to either 2028 or 2029. Uh, same thing with dispatch that is also their premium pays and their shift differential pay. But at the time of doing the budget, I I didn't have that information. updated yet. Um fire department is pretty much even. Um planning department is up slightly mostly there. The one-time revenue that was projected that was for a grant that we aren't doing. Um and then in public works the the difference that I made here was obviously we haven't had much snow. So, um, I reduced the expense for snow removal by about 50,000. I think it may end up probably being more than that, unless we end up with some more snow. Um, and so what's happened is because the staff hasn't been working on that program, they've been working in other areas and some of those areas are general fund areas, the expense for that program has gone up. So, if that makes sense. Um when we did the budget FTE reductions um getting ready for this budget, we kept a position in public works with the intent that they would be covered $50,000 by gas tax and the other part by working more in the um enterprise funds. Some of that is um you know there's a little less being spent there than in the uh general fund program at the moment. So, good news. Um, because of the

allocation changes that I'll go over with you in a in a minute, um, we've gone from a projected deficit of 276,000 to an actual basically I would call balanced budget because obviously these are all projections. Um, and I and that's and that's great. So, uh, what you'll notice here is, um, right below the, uh, the amount that I'm showing as, uh, where we're at for for the general fund, I broke out the allocations. And what I'm I've changed them the methodology. Um, it used to be twice a year it we would go in and we would look at the expenses and there was this massive spreadsheet that said, "Put a number here, take a percentage of that, go here, take a percentage of that." I broke all that down to try to understand what was happening and um and I've put it to what I feel is a more understandable way of looking at how we're allocating expenses. And so what I did was for each one of those, I highlighted them in gray and listed them in the area that we're actually allocating. So like for elected officials, we're allocating $12,000 to enterprise funds. you guys well you know you oversee all the budgets and your time is spent on managing what happens in the enterprise funds. So I took a percentage so I came up with percentages and and and instead of showing it as a lump sum revenue which it's not I'm actually showing it as an offset to the expense in that department. So that's with the gray art. Um so then I kind of kept with the methodology that you guys are used to. showing kind of where we're at with our fund balance. The last audited fund

balance we have is from 2324. I'm sorry I'm delayed on getting 2425 done. I'm working on it, but we've have had staff turnover, so it's been a little bit harder to get to. Um, I do want to point out that our expected deficit for 2425 would have been about 712,000, but we had onetime funds, which was mostly the funds that we've closed. Um, and so that put back in about 427,000 for an expected fund balance of almost 1.2 million. Um, again, that number is not audited yet, but I I don't anticipate it to change significantly. And then with our um change in the uh expected uh expense balance budget, basically that won't change our our fund balance much. Um on the page 112, I did call out some one-time expenses, and I I did that because I wanted to show that if we don't get those funds, then basically we still have a balanced budget. um you in my past where I'm used to is you don't spend onetime money on operating expenses. So, you know, we have un unexpected expenses and unexpected revenues that come in. Um and so that's what I showed here. Um most significantly, I think as Todd mentioned, we did get some recovery from um legal recoveries and that was about $47,000. Um, and as well, um, I've been told to, uh, fill the fire district for half of the expenses of the staff. So, I'm projecting that that will be roughly around $63,000 that they will provide from um, January to June at this

point. Whether that will continue or not, I I don't have any further information on that. So, that's why I put it as a one-time. So, if we were to include all of those one-time monies, then we actually would have a um excess revenue of 225,000 for the budget year 2526. So, um what I wanted to show on the next page of your handout, again, this wasn't in the packet, sorry. This is additional information. There are packets in the back and it will be in the minutes. Um, but this kind of just lays out for you the the last few years of where we were at with how we were allocating expenses. If you notice here, um, we weren't allocating anything for elected. So that straight off the top is about a $12,000 increase in our general fund because we are using enterprise funds to cover those expenses. Um it wasn't or audit wasn't specifically called out. It was actually in the finance department. I'm going to call that out going forward because that's an expense of everybody, not just the finance department. um as well that was similar to the general fund or the yeah operating expenses which were the things that I kind of mentioned already the copers the postage so on and so forth I'm going to jump over score for just a minute um software uh as you can see it has increased uh pretty significantly over the years um and and we are including more allocating more things to the enterprise funds as we identified what the uses of them are. I think like things like the um parcel quest was only going to general fund. Well, clearly

they use it in other areas. So, we've re we've kind of dialed in more clearly the things that we actually can allocate. Um city administration, that's um Todd and his group. And then the finance department, that's a significant change there just because we have directly charged the FP to the enterprise fund instead of putting it in the finance department and then public works. So in kind of about twothirds of the way down, what I wanted to note was when we did the budget, we expected $363,000 of offset for allocations. When I did the October projection, I reduced that number because I thought that by taking KIN and allocating him directly to Enterprise Fund and taking my 0.5 of FP and allocating it directly that that would reduce our allocation. So that's why I bumped it down to 195. As I've gone through the year end process and I've taken my first look at our asset listing, I realize one, we have probably quite a few assets on there that we no longer have. So, I will be coming at some point to you with an adjusted asset listing. But when I went through that process, and I've already had gone through the score um process of how they determine some of our insurance expenses, I realized that I could marry those up. So for instance in in particular the liability uh property liability insurance for whatever reason and I don't know how I don't know why but basically our score expenses were being allocated at 4% to

the enterprise fund. That's not enough. It's very low. Um it went up in 2025 to 8% and I and you know that's clearly not enough either. So there, what I did was, like I said, I married up the vehicle expenses to the vehicles, the um property expenses to the property assets. And when I did that, and I have that on the next page, we can allocate $230,000 worth of insurance expenses to the enterprise fund. Now, obviously, we're going to have to do a study at some point because these are his these expenses historically have been done this way and I'm changing that methodology. I did have a conversation with the auditor today just to say I'm not crazy, right? Like I can I can do this. This makes sense. And I talked through it with him and he seemed fine with it. Um and we talked about the methodology. So, that's basically where that so-called savings, if you will, has come from. Um, again, it's not audited. I did run it past the auditor. I don't anticipate any specific issues with it, and it probably way more detailed than you would ever want to know. But this next page is basically the breakout of how I came up with the numbers to say, "Yeah, 230,000 can go to enterprise fund versus in you know 2023 it was 15,000. So if you have any questions from that um let me know. So, I just wanted to point out that um the balanced budget

that we have here now does include a reduction of a finance position, the reduction of a police officer, and the reduction of a firefighter. We're balanced. We made those cuts before we started to spend some money and then I've been able to make this adjustment by my learning about how things are working. Um, and so again, I just wanted to point that out that if we look at wanting to add staff back, we got to figure out where that revenue is coming from. Um, and then just a couple things on look kind of looking forward because we are going to be getting to the budget setting process for the next year. you know, our PERS unfunded um liability increase is projected to be about 10%. That's just where we're at with PERS unfunded liability. Based on the information that we have here, I would anticipate approximately an 8% insurance increase just looking at where we've been. Um the software uh most of our contracts are about a 7% increase in our software expenses. That's the contracts we have. Um we're anticipated to get a 1 to 3% cola and based on the union negotiations and then half of our staff in the general fund and I did include um for you in the very last page uh organizational chart and when I went through this or chart we have turned over roughly half of our staff in the general fund in this budget year. So what that means is when we hire new people every year then we have to give them a two and a half% step increase. So what's going to happen in pri you know as in prior years when we had long long-term employees and we were giving colas we were giving you know basically whatever

that cola was but going forward at least for half of the staff it's going to be cola plus 2 and a half%. So just something to keep in mind as we look forward to the coming budget year. Um, so hopefully that was helpful and I'm open to any questions. Thank you. That was awesome. That was great. Thank you. It was very thorough and made it possible for me to understand. Um, any questions from the council? Yeah. Go ahead.

With these allocations to enterprise funds, that's going to change their structure financially. physically. So you said you may may have to do a rate study. Yeah. Which um so that would be water sewer and Yeah. So it would be water, sewer and drainage and and our uh rates for the current rate study that we've had. We talked about this a few times. Um are basically up. We have we will be able to do one more rate increase ne this coming fiscal year which when we budget we'll do that but basically at that point we cannot increase our rates go any rate

without a rate study. So we're we're kind of at a point where we really need to move that forward. Um obviously they are a lot of work and you know we need to come up with the money to fund them but they're funded through the enterprise fund. So I know that um I think Ken you were going to ask a question about um the water I think that um pace

yeah the the master water plan including the race study is very well is very far along it won't take to finish that up not so with the sewer uh study uh I really need to check into where where we are as far as on getting that completed. Yeah. So, and I don't know that we've started anything. We have started the what the water plan master water plan

a couple of years ago got started. Yeah. Water um is well underway. We've got one more increase under there. So, we're we need to make sure that we're underway with that. So, sewer that that rate study was done in 2017 or 2018. I can't remember for sure. And we may be done with increases from that. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Water has at least one or two more. One more I believe. One more. Okay.

So PACE says the rate increases that well they have in the past and the rate increase studies. They put it a little polite more politely. They do the rate uh studies for us so far. Um unless you want to change. So there please go ahead. Correct me if I'm not headed down the right path here, but as we have over the past few years moved expenses that typically weren't in the general fund over to enterprise funds which are funded by fees instead of general taxes. We have a schedule of fee increases. We were just saying one or two more years in water and sewer. And as these expenses get moved out of the general fund and into the enterprise fund. Do you have any concerns longer term that the current fee increases that we under the previous 218 process have scheduled, will that cover us longer term or are we going to have to head back into a 218 process because we're just moving things from one bucket to another and that bucket now needs more

needs to be fed more with with fee increases for water and sewer.

So my this is just my my two cents and you know whatever I think we should be plan planning to do rate studies every five years. That's the longest from what I understand that you can adopt your rates and so we should do that. In addition to that, um obviously things change, right? Um I don't know for the sewer how much of what is in the new plant was accounted for, but we changed plants in the middle of whatever study we're on right now. So

I can answer that. Yeah. So the the debt the debt related to the plant rebuild or new plant actually and the interceptor line was covered. It wasn't done in public but was covered. Now it was covered that and these rate increases have been dramatic. I know personally

and no they're supposed to be covered by that. Now a new rate increase with respect to the new allocation methodologies and new projects that pace may feel need to be done due to rotting sewer pipes. Um is why you would have a new rate study for sure. Yeah. So I think that's I don't think that's arguable you have to do that for sewer water that was done in 22 so 27 if you're going to do a fiveyear and that and that plan covered as health member core will remember covered the projects that have happened so far Oak Street Pine Street area the current one um south of orum down the one that's currently going on it didn't did not cover I can't remember did not cover the water the water uh tank on Spring Hill I think he said we had to come back for that right u and some other cost other cost associated with running a water system so yeah so if we want to build the water tank which problematic with respect to the property owner up there uh that was supposed to be the final project for the 2010 water improvement system plan master plan. Um, and maybe there's more to do that a new master plan too in both cases. So, unless we all think that the pipes are all good in our city, which they're not. Um, you a new master plan regarding both and therefore new race studies are are would be appropriate. Maybe one at a time, the sewer first and then then the water. And I would just say that um I don't I wasn't here obviously when all that the

planning process took place but um I think a lot of operating expenses just as we've seen even in the general fund have changed. So, you know, I don't know how you would account for that type of change just in your operating. You know, that for me is more the capital things and stuff like that and what they're able to uh put into the rates as far as that goes. But, you know, just um some of these, you know, expenses around software and things like that. Um expenses that we wouldn't have have known about with a new union contract. And I mean I I just think that there's probably some operating things as well, not just the fact that we might change the reallocation of of of um uh administrative expenses. And this was just my proposal. I mean, if you guys, you know, you don't want to make, you know, at some point I need to come back with a budget adjustment if we want to go this route. And if that's not how you all want to proceed, then then we we won't do that. Um, but I wanted to lay out for you how I came up with the information that I came up with. And and you know, particularly on the property liability, it's significant. And it's significant because the majority of it changed when they valued when our insurance company came a year ago and did the review and looked at the assets and put that valuation on it. That's the the significant jump there is now they're putting a higher expense on the liability of that. So those are the things that in five years a lot a lot can happen just operationally. So I don't know if that answered your question. I'm sorry

and and Melissa correct me if I'm wrong. I think ultimately um the expenses that have been shifted into the enterprise funds. The increases with insurance um everything else that was being accounted for in different ways needs to uh be part of this rate study because it is the cost of providing the service which is the point of the 218 process. Period. Absolutely. I think before we delve too much into discussion here, let's open it up to public comment for anybody who would like to comment on this budget report.

Yep. Excellent comment. I like it. Thank you. Oh, wait. We got to take her. Uh uh great job. I just wanted to throw all that aloha all over you because that is one huge Rubik's cube to dissect and re redirect and you did the very best you could to say that in normal English and I followed most of it. So, thank you. You did such an amazing job. I just want you to know that. Thank you.

Um yeah, so and I'm really happy that you're in communications with the auditor. because that relationship is really a huge asset to always covering herself and moving forward. So, I just really appreciate you and it sounds like, you know, I know you have to take a couple shots in there and be like, "Oh, it's mostly in, you know, if we can audit and put it together, we we probably have good leaning towards a good budget, which is massive." I don't know if anybody on knows how massive that is, but it's massive. So, I just want to say that's amazing. Fantastic work. I just want to say thank you to everybody doing this cool staff. I appreciate you.

Thank you, Ala. Any other public comments? Okay. Uh, we'll bring it back now for council discussion over here. Enough time to chew on it or more chewing needed over here, guys. Okay. Well, thank you very much, Melissa. That I would echo all those sentiments. That was great. Very thorough, strong work.

Okay, moving on to the last agenda item number 11, letter of support for AB1708. Little background here. Assembly bill 1708 would create a new pathway for cities with populations under 300,000 to access existing state homelessness funding. So we have a report from our city manager which I don't see at the moment. Essentially what this sorry um what this does is it levels the playing field with uh smaller jurisdictions to compete with much larger um right now allocation seem to happen um with the view that the the need is um greatest with cities and with uh larger municipal areas. And you know what we're finding is a lot of these larger municipal areas are are meeting their arena goals and um rural areas, smaller jurisdictions are kind of left behind or it takes a very long time for uh these smaller jurisdictions to see the funds and by that point uh an entity that wants to build affordable housing has now moved on. And so this um proposed legislation level Awesome. Um, any questions? Questions? Okay. Um, any public comment on this letter of support for this?

Oh, excellent. All right. Uh, we'll bring it back for discussion. How about a motion? All right. I'll move to um to to show support. I'll move that the council support a letter of support for AB708. All right. And all those in favor of the support I I. Any opposed or abstain? Okay. Excellent.

All right. Uh moving on to number 12. Any council reports on attendance at appointed or outside meetings? Tomorrow. tomorrow. Okay. Over here. No. Okay. Uh, anything to add for future agenda items? Well, the mobile the mobile home rent civilization is on there, right? So, we just reconfirmed that earlier. Yeah.

And so, I'm going to add that the that staff look at beginning a 218 process independently for water Well, first the sewage system, sanitary sewage sewer system, and then the water system. Sure. Okay. So, that was a move to put those on separately, too. Consecutively. Stewart and water. Are you saying devoid of pace? Because we're pretty far along with one.

Um, you're not talking about ditching pace and going the separate route because we're pretty far down the road. I have no problem keeping it's would be up to you if you're disappointed in their performance. Then you would come back to council and say let's find a new engineer but that's I'll leave that in your hands there. So yes 218 process using PACE.

Yep. U we we need a on call list uh so we're not uh beholden the pace on every single item and that I think that will also uh um uh create competition and um so Pace doesn't feel they're the only game in town. So you

So what I what I'd like to do is um you know assemble it's going to take time to assemble a approved contractor's list for specific types of work that we can call from if we're not liking um for instance the bid we get from P good anything else. Okay moving on to item 14. Get a copy.