During the Citrus Heights City Council’s July 26 meeting, city leaders will consider approving a $10,000 grant request to produce a book on how Citrus Heights became a city, as well as consider authorizing a $211,000 contract related to multi-million dollar infrastructure project, and receive a treasurer’s report for the latest quarter.
Here’s a brief summary of what’s included in the 226-page agenda packet, followed by vote highlights from the most recent council meeting:
Agenda Items of Note:
- Mariposa Safe Routes To School, Phase 3. The council will consider approving a $211,000 contract with Ghiradelli Associates to provide construction management, inspection and material testing for phase 3 of the Mariposa Safe Routes to School infrastructure project that was approved in April. According to a staff report, Ghiradelli was the only contractor to submit a bid, but was determined to be a well-qualified consultant by city staff. The $1.8 million third phase of the project will construct curb, gutter, sidewalk, bike lanes, curb access ramps and eight street lights on the east side of Mariposa Avenue, between Northridge Drive and Eastgate Avenue. It will also construct curb, gutter and sidewalk improvements along the north side of Farmgate Avenue, from Mariposa Avenue to Our Way. Half of the project’s total cost is funded by a Sacramento Area Council of Governments (SACOG) grant.
- Quarterly Treasurer’s Report. The council will consider routine acceptance and filing of a quarterly treasurer’s report for the period ending June 30. The five-page report summarizes the city’s various investment accounts and shows the market value of the city’s cash and investments at $14.2 million, up from $12.5 million at the end of the prior quarter. (See report)
- Landscape/lighting Maint. More than 100 pages of the agenda packet are devoted to three agenda items, all related to annual updates for various landscape and lighting assessment districts in the city. Assessment districts are areas with special fees tacked on to property taxes for certain parcels in the city to cover specific maintenance of areas associated with those parcels. Several areas have experienced shortfalls in recent years and changes have been proposed to address those shortfalls. The council is slated to vote on initiating proceedings for the updates, but future public hearings will be set before updates are adopted.
- Local History Book. The council will consider approving a $10,000 History & Arts Grant for the creation of a Citrus Heights incorporation book. The proposal was submitted by Bill Van Duker, who played an active in the city’s incorporation process, along with Miranda Culp, who would be paid to write the book and conduct research. Applicants say the book is not intended for commercial purposes and would be available for free as an e-book, or through on-demand copies printed at cost by All Star Printing, a local printing company owned by Van Duker.
- State legislation. The council will consider approving a proposal to allow the city manager to submit letters of support or opposition on behalf of the city regarding state legislation where the League of California Cities has deemed the legislation a “high priority,” but there is not sufficient time to obtain city council direction. The proposal would only allow the city manager to take such action if the legislation is “consistent with previously adopted policies and principles” of the city council and is also legislation where the League has requested written letters to be submitted. According to a staff report, 23 action alerts for “high priority” legislation were sent out by the League in 2017, but the city was unable to officially support many of the bills due to “the short time period for the requested action.”
The city council meeting will convene at 7 p.m. on July 26, 2018, at 6360 Fountain Square Drive. The full agenda packet can be viewed by clicking here.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE JULY 12th COUNCIL MEETING:
Present: Mayor Steve Miller, Vice Mayor Jeannie Bruins, Bret Daniels, Albert Fox.
Absent: Jeff Slowey.
Meeting length: 32 minutes.
QUOTABLE: “I like the idea of a show on the 4th of July; keep everybody busy.” — Mayor Steve Miller, responding to public comment from a resident who proposed bringing a 4th of July event back to Citrus Heights.
- Transportation grants. (Approved, 4-0) The council voted to formally accept two Caltrans grants totalling close to $400,000. The grants will help prepare a “Safe Schools Corridor Plan” around three schools located on Carriage Drive and Lauppe Lane, as well as help develop a “Multi-Modal Transportation Safety Program” to help evaluate and implement requests from the community for new signs, striping, crosswalks, speed bumps, and other traffic calming and enforcement requests. The program will also help identify collision trends and “hot spots,” as well as help develop a prioritization methodology.
- $250k police vehicles purchase. (Approved, 4-0) Council members approved a recommendation from the police chief to purchase and retrofit five new vehicles for a total of approximately $250,000. According to a staff report, the purchase will replace existing vehicles that are all at least five years old and are near, or will exceed, 100,000 miles in the current fiscal year.
- Fireworks report. Police Lieutenant Ryan Kinnan presented a report on calls for service surrounding the Fourth of July. Several residents also voiced concern during the meeting about illegal fireworks. For more, see story: CHPD heat map shows illegal fireworks ‘hot spots’ in Citrus Heights
