During tonight’s council meeting city leaders will consider opposing a tax-related ballot proposal, approving a request to seek a low-interest loan of up to $3 million for new LED street lights, a land transfer agreement with the water district to allow room for a new well, along with other items and a budget study session.
Here’s a brief summary of what’s on schedule for the council’s May 10 meeting, followed by vote highlights from the most recent council meeting:
SPECIAL MEETING (6 pm.)
- Study session. Fiscal Year 2018/2019 Annual Budget Workshop Study Session – Individual Departments
REGULAR MEETING (7 p.m.)
PRESENTATIONS
- Proclamations. A pair of proclamations will be issued declaring the month of May as “Building Safety Month,” and May 20-26 as “National Public Works Week.”
- Trash awards. Republic Services will announce its “Trim Your Waste” contest winners, as well as scholarship award winners.
- SmaRT Ride. An update will be provided on SacRT’s new on-demand transit service.
Agenda Items of Note:
LED lighting. Council members will consider authorizing the city manager to receive a low-interest loan of up to $3 million from the California Energy Commission to fund the replacement of street lights with LED lights. A staff report indicates the CEC is accepting 1% interest loan applications to fund energy efficient projects, “which must be repaid from energy cost savings with a maximum term of 20 years.” If the energy commission approves the request from the city, staff anticipate that 526 street lights could be converted to LED, with estimated annual energy cost savings of $27,000 per year and annual maintenance costs of more than $5,000.
Local taxes. The council will consider approving a resolution to put the city on record in opposition to a ballot proposal called the “Tax Fairness, Transparency And Accountability Act Of 2018.” The proposal is currently in the signature-gathering stage for the November ballot and, among other changes, would require all local taxes to receive two-thirds approval from voters, whereas currently some taxes only require a majority vote. The act would also require any local fees imposed to be approved by a two-thirds vote of the city council, rather than the current majority vote. A staff report recommends the council oppose the proposed act, stating that it would “make it harder for local governments to maintain adequate levels of, and fully fund, essential services.” The act is sponsored by the California Business Roundtable PAC and is opposed by the League of California Cities.
Land transfer. The council will consider approving a request to transfer a small, 436-square-foot portion of a city-owned lot at 8026 Patton Ave. over to the Citrus Heights Water District for the purpose of allowing the district to construct a new well in the future. The land transfer would have no fiscal impact on the city, according to staff report.
Contracts. The council will consider approving a staff recommendation for the city to enter into contract with several private companies for providing on-call environmental and traffic engineering services. Bollard, Foothill, ECORP, DeNovo, and Dudek are listed for being approved to provide environmental services, and Fehr & Peers, Kimley-Horn & Associates, Inc., and TJKM Transportation Consultants for traffic engineering services. Hourly rates listed by the companies range from around $50 per hour up to $400 per hour, along with travel reimbursement.
The city council’s special meeting will convene at 6 p.m. on May 10, 2018, at 6360 Fountain Square Drive. The regular meeting will follow at 7 p.m. The full agenda packet can be viewed by clicking here.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE APRIL 26th COUNCIL MEETING:
Present: Mayor Steve Miller, Vice Mayor Jeannie Bruins, Bret Daniels, Albert Fox, Jeff Slowey
Special meeting length: 41 minutes
Regular meeting length: 1 hour 36 minutes
QUOTABLE: “Of course it’s not the national spotlight one would hope for, but I do hope in all seriousness this brings some closure, comfort and peace to the victims and their families.” – Mayor Steve Miller, commenting on the arrest of the suspected East Area Rapist, who was a Citrus Heights resident.
- $1.4M road funding (Approved 5-0). The city council approved a list of 13 different sections of roadway to be resurfaced in residential areas by June 2019, using $1.4 million provided from SB 1 “gas tax” funding. Roads on the list include Halifax Street, Daly Avenue, Sunwood Way, Capricorn Drive, Alma Mesa Way, and other residential streets. A staff report stated that the city’s average Pavement Condition Index is at 64 out of 100, with the condition projected to degrade to an average of 46 out of 100 if repairs are delayed. The report also states that if the gas tax is repealed by voters in November, the completion of resurfacing projects could be halted.
- Pole revenue (Approved, 4-1). Council members approved a 50-plus page license agreement for leasing out space on city-owned light poles to wireless companies seeking to install small antennas in the city. The leasing price would start at $2,000 per year per pole, with annual increases of 2%, allowing each pole to potentially generate over $33,000 during a 10-year period. Mayor Miller voted against the proposal, stating concerns about the price potentially causing wireless companies to be attracted to nearby cities instead.
For additional highlights from the April 26 council meeting, see The Sentinel’s April 29 news briefs.
Draft minutes from the city’s April 12 council meeting have also now been released. The minutes include a summary of a study session the council held regarding a proposed Rental Housing Inspection Unit.
Proposed inspections. According to the draft minutes, Lt. David Gutierrez and Sgt. Chad Morris presented during the April 12 study session and “stated that there are 15,000 rental units in Citrus Heights, making up 55% of housing units within the city. Due to 88% of the rental housing built prior to 1990, raises some concern for lack of quality control, neglect by property owners, and public health and safety code violations. The proposed Citrus Heights Rental Property Improvement Program will identify city rental housing stock, ensure each dwelling unit meets minimal code requirements, increase property values, and promote economic growth and stability. A business license fee and increase to the yearly rental housing stock fee will help cover operation expenses, employee wages, staff training, vehicle maintenance, and purchasing equipment. The goals for the program are to conduct 45 inspections a week, 180 a month, and have an approximate three-year inspection cycle.” Further action would need to be taken by the council before the proposal could go into effect.
