ARCO gas station proposal. Hazardous waste drop-off. Half-million dollar grant. Backyard chickens. Those are some topics on the agenda for the Citrus Heights city council’s upcoming Nov. 9 council meeting. Here’s a brief summary of what’s on schedule, followed by vote highlights from the Oct. 26 council meeting:
PRESENTATIONS:
- Top 20 city landmarks presentation by city staff.
- Presentation on the city’s annual Christmas tree lighting event, to be held on Dec. 7th.
PUBLIC HEARINGS:
- Grant Funding: Part two of a public hearing will be held on how $589,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant funding will be allocated in Citrus Heights. A draft distribution of funds would send $383,000 to the Citywide Accessibility Improvement Project, $118,000 to program administration, and the remaining 15 percent to seven community organizations.
ACTION ITEMS OF NOTE:
- ARCO proposal: Councilmembers will consider a staff recommendation to approve a contract with Analytical Environmental Services (AES) to conduct an environmental impact report for the proposed ARCO gas station and car wash at the corner of Sunrise Boulevard an Sungarden Drive. Although AES submitted the highest bid of $115,000 out of four bids received by the city, staff recommended AES as “the most qualified” based on the firm’s experience with similar projects and compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act. The lowest bid received was $89,500. An additional $10,000 is included in the project proposal to cover additional traffic impact analysis, if needed. All costs will be paid for by the project’s applicant, Cal Ventures Group, LLC, and not the city.
- Hazardous waste drop-off: Councilmembers will consider a staff recommendation to discontinue Republic Services’ three annual household hazardous waste drop-off events and instead contract with Sacramento County for disposal services at two year-round locations. The recommendation cites declining participation and complaints from residents about the inconvenience of the current drop-off events. If approved, residents would be able to drop off hazardous waste at the county’s North Area Recovery Station at 4450 Roseville Rd. and dispose of antifreeze, batteries, oils and paints at the Kiefer Landfill at 12701 Kiefer Blvd in Sloughhouse. Costs to the city are proposed to remain the same, with the city contributing the first $75,000 toward hazardous waste collection and Republic Services retaining responsibility for outreach and any additional costs.
OTHER ITEMS:
- Backyard chickens. The city’s economic development department will give a one-year update on how Citrus Heights’ new regulations on backyard hen-keeping have played out. In 2016, the city council unanimously voted to amend the city’s zoning code to allow for hen-keeping on smaller lots; a one-year update was requested at the time. (See 2016 story)
- Prescription drug safety. At the request of Councilman Bret Daniels, the council will discuss prescription drug pill bottle locking devices.
The city council will meet at 7 p.m. at 6360 Fountain Square Dr. The full agenda packet can be viewed by clicking here.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM OCT. 26 COUNCIL MEETING:
Present: Mayor Jeff Slowey, Jeannie Bruins, Bret Daniels, Albert Fox, Steve Miller
Meeting length: 2 hours 25 minutes.
Quotable: “By no means are we done with homelessness. There’s a lot of work to be done.” – Mayor Jeff Slowey, commenting on the city’s Homeless Navigator program being recognized and awarded by the League of California Cities.
“There is no necessity for this. We don’t need it. The community doesn’t need it. The community has spoken: they don’t want it.” – Councilman Bret Daniels, commenting on FoodMaxx’s liquor license request.
- FoodMaxx liquor license request (Denied, 4-1). A request for a “Letter of Public Convenience and Necessity” to allow the sale of distilled spirits at FoodMaxx on Sunrise Boulevard was denied by councilmembers in a split 4-1 vote. (Read more in news briefs)
- Police salaries/benefits (Approved, 5-0). The city council approved a 3-year agreement with the Citrus Heights Police Officers Association that included a 2% salary increase for CHPOA members and a $100 increase in the monthly maximum paid by the city for health insurance premiums.
- Debt policy (Approved, 5-0). The city council approved a recommendation by the city manager’s office to adopt a proposed debt policy. Although Citrus Heights has no debt, the approved 12-page policy is based on SB 1029, a recently passed state law which effectively requires cities to have a debt policy in place 30-days prior to taking on debt.
- Homelessness. During public comment, Citrus Heights resident Jennifer Spurr told council members that her home has had an ongoing issue with homeless activity and said she no longer feels safe living or shopping in the city. Because the area behind her home is on Caltrans property, Spurr said she wanted to know what council members would do to work with police and Caltrans to ensure jurisdictional issues don’t get in the way of stopping homeless activity behind her home. Mayor Jeff Slowey told her he was aware of her particular issue and said he would bring it up with Caltrans during a scheduled Nov. 2 meeting. Spurr’s issue was previously featured in an April 4 report on Fox 40.
Video of the Oct. 26 council meeting can be viewed by clicking here.
