Updated 2:59 p.m. with cost correction related to proposed full-time Animal Services officer–
Sentinel staff report–
Public hearings. Residential repaving contract. Development project. Transportation funding. Animal shelter services. Massage ordinance revision. Those are some of the topics on the agenda for the Citrus Heights City Council’s Sept. 27 meeting at City Hall.
Here’s a brief summary of what’s included in the council’s 277-page agenda packet, followed by vote highlights from the most recent council meeting:
Agenda items of note:
- Repaving. City Council members will consider approving a $723,000 contract with McGuire and Hester for resurfacing portions of six residential streets, totaling approximately 1.3 miles. The project will be the first time the City will have used SB 1 gas tax funds to repave streets, which will pay for the majority of the project. Other funding for the project comes from Measure A and non-SB 1 gas tax funds. To see a complete list of streets, see story: When will the roads be repaved in Citrus Heights?
- Transportation funding. The council will consider approving an administrative authorization related to funding transportation and transit services. A total of $4.7 million is to be claimed by the City from a 1/4-cent statewide sales tax and a statewide excise tax on gasoline that has been in existence since 1979. According to a staff report, about $4.2 million is designated towards public transit operations via a contract with SacRT, and the remainder is designated for various bicycle and pedestrian projects, as well as administrative costs.
- Animal shelter. The council will consider approving a $115,000 contract with Placer County Animal Services to provide animal shelter services, after the City’s current 3-year contract with the Sacramento SPCA was terminated by the SPCA for an unspecified reason, effective Oct. 31 of this year. The new contract will begin Nov. 1 and continue through June 30, 2019. In a related agenda item, the council will also consider a request from the police department to convert a part-time Animal Services Officer to a full-time position, which police say will have no impact on the City’s General Fund due to associated restructuring for cost savings. (See full staff report)
- Massage ordinance revision. The council will consider approving a recommendation from the police department and city staff regarding an amendment to the City’s massage ordinance. (See draft ordinance)
Public hearings:
- Stock Ranch Development. The council will consider approving a recommendation from the Planning Commission related to development at the Stock Ranch Plaza on Auburn Boulevard, including a permit for a new 8,700-square-foot commercial building near the street frontage. The item is listed under public hearings on the meeting’s agenda.
- Grant funding. The council will hold a public hearing regarding draft allocation for 2019 Community Development Block Grant Funds, estimated at $600,000. Under the draft allocation, $110,000 is allocated to go towards several nonprofits, $120,000 towards administration, and $370,000 towards accessibility improvement projects in the city. Final action will not be taken until the council’s Nov. 8 meeting.
- Commercial subdivisions. The council will consider approving a recommendation from the Planning Commission to amend the City’s General Plan with wording that discourages the creation of new parcels within existing commercial centers. According to a staff report, the goal of the amendment is encourage future redevelopment of existing centers, which staff say is less likely when multiple owners are involved. The item is listed under public hearings. For more, see prior story: 3 public hearings to be held by Citrus Heights Planning Commission
- Small lot housing. The council will also consider a Planning Commission recommendation to approve a zoning ordinance designed to encourage housing development on smaller lots and expand affordable housing options by allowing for ownership of single units in multi-family and commercial zones. For more, see prior story: 3 public hearings to be held by Citrus Heights Planning Commission
The council meeting will begin with two presentations, one to swear in new police department executive staff, and the other a presentation by Mesa Verde High School Principal Colin Bross.
The City Council meeting will convene at 7 p.m. on Sept. 27, 2018, at 6360 Fountain Square Drive. The full agenda packet can be viewed by clicking here.
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE AUG. 23rd COUNCIL MEETING: (no meeting was held earlier in Sept.)
Present: Mayor Steve Miller, Vice Mayor Jeannie Bruins, Bret Daniels, Albert Fox, Jeff Slowey
Meeting length: 2 hrs. 24 min.
QUOTABLE: “I love the roundabout; I wish we had more of them.” — Councilman Bret Daniels, commenting on a roundabout that will be installed on Arcadia Drive as part of the Mitchell Farms housing development.
- Housing development. The City Council voted 5-0 in favor of Watt Communities’ proposed 260-home, 56-acre housing development off Arcadia Drive, which will include a 23-acre park and trails network meandering through the middle. The council approved the project with minor modifications, including future assessment of whether a turn lane into the development should be added on Fair Oaks Boulevard and a requirement to extend a sound wall on the west end of Arcadia Drive where new homes will be adjacent to commercial buildings on Sunrise Boulevard. Watt Communities hopes to begin site work next Spring, which is estimated to take 4-6 months, followed by 6-7 months of construction. To learn more about the project, see prior story: Citrus Heights council to hold final vote on 260-unit housing proposal
- 46-home subdivision. (Approved, 5-0) The City Council approved a final subdivision map for Northridge Grove, a long-delayed 46-home development underway at 5555 Mariposa Ave. The move came more than a decade after the Planning Commission authorized a tentative subdivision map in 2007, which was subject to certain conditions of approval that have now been met.
- $755k contract. (Approved, 5-0) Council members awarded a $755,607 contract to Central Valley Engineering & Asphalt, Inc., for the city’s 2018 Accessibility and Drainage Improvement Project. According to a staff report, the project seeks to “remove barriers to accessibility, repair failed curb, gutter and sidewalk and correct a number of minor drainage deficiencies at twenty-one separate locations on residential streets in the city.” CVE’s bid came in at less than half the highest bid, which was over $1.5 million. Funding comes through Community Development Block Grand funds and the Storm Water Utility Fund.
- Contract rejections. (Approved, 5-0) The Council voted to approve a staff recommendation to reject a bid from Central Valley Engineering for another project known as the Highland-Rinconada Drainage Improvements Project. CVE was the only contractor to submit a bid, which totaled $1.49 million and exceeded the city engineer’s estimate by 40%. Citing the high bid and “current construction climate,” staff recommended the bid be rejected and re-advertised with minor adjustments in the fall when construction typically slows down. The Council also voted to approve staff’s recommendation that the same be done for all three bids submitted for the Mariposa Avenue Safe Routes To School Phase 3 Project, as the bids all exceeded the engineer’s estimate by more than 40%.
- $195k contract. (Approved, 5-0) The Council awarded a $195,850 contract to Fehr & Peers for professional services regarding the development of an “Old Auburn Road Complete Streets Plan.” According to a staff report, the plan “will address the challenging transportation conditions on Old Auburn Road,” between Sylvan Road and Fair Oaks Boulevard, and will include “a robust community engagement process, evaluation of existing conditions and deficiencies to define community based solutions, address concerns, increase safety and transform Old Auburn Road into a Complete Street.”
A full video recording of the City Council’s Aug. 23, 2018 meeting can be viewed online by clicking here.
*Correction: An initial version of this story said the cost of converting a part-time Animal Services Officer to full-time would result in an “additional cost of about $20,000 per year.” While the cost of conversion is estimated to be $20,826.25 per year, the staff report also states that cost will be mitigated through restructuring of the Animal Services Unit, so there will be no additional impact to the City’s General Fund. (See full staff report)