The Citrus Heights City Council will hold a closed session meeting on Thursday night to discuss labor negotiations, followed by a public study session regarding an update to fees charged by the city. The city’s regular council meeting will follow at 7 p.m., which includes several public hearings and a proposed revision to the city’s debt management policy.
Here’s a brief summary of what’s in the 195-page agenda packet for the Nov. 14 City Council meeting:
SPECIAL MEETING (5:45 p.m.)
Closed Session. City Council members will briefly meet with the city manager and various representatives from city labor associations in accordance with Government Code Section 54957.6, which allows for closed session negotiations to discuss salary and benefits. Public comment will be allowed prior to the closed session beginning.
Study Session. (6 p.m.) The City Council will hold a public study session to review results of a user fee study, which was conducted to compare the current cost of city services with the actual amount recovered by the city.
REGULAR MEETING (7 p.m.)
Presentation. The Citrus Heights Women’s Club is slated to be recognized by the council for their contributions toward annual wellness training events for Citrus Heights police employees.
Quarterly Treasurer’s Report. The council will consider routine acceptance and filing of a quarterly treasurer’s report for the period ending Sept .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 $12.9 million, down from $17.6 million at the end of the prior quarter.
Budget/debt policy. The City Council will consider adoption of a proposed policy relating to the budget, general fund, and debt management. The budget policy lists processes for managing the city’s new two-year budget cycle; the reserve policy sets a minimum unrestricted fund balance of 17 percent (which would fund the city’s operating expenses for two months); the debt management policy sets guidelines for when short-term and long-term debt can be sought. (See draft policy) For more, see: Citrus Heights council to consider approving revised debt policy
PUBLIC HEARINGS
Subdivision update. The City Council will hold a public hearing and consider approving the annexation into an assessment district of a landscaped area on a future 23-lot subdivision, known as Wyatt Ranch, for purposes of maintaining landscaping, irrigation, masonry wall and pedestrian pathways along Sunrise Boulevard near Lawrence Avenue. The cost to be assessed to each lot owner is estimated to be $401.06 per year. Ballots were also sent to affected property owners, and votes will be tabulated during the council meeting. In a separate agenda item, the council will consider final approval for the creation of the 23-lot subdivision, from seven existing lots that total approximately four acres.
Alcohol sales. The council will hold a public hearing and consider approval of a “Letter of Public Convenience and Necessity” for the Pizza Hut restaurant at 6400 Sunrise Blvd., which seeks to obtain a Type 20 alcohol license.
MORE ITEMS:
Police benefits. City staff are recommending the council adopt an amendment to police benefits, allowing police sergeants to receive a pay increase for acquiring varying levels of education, as an incentive to promote continuing education. The maximum benefit would be an increase of 15 percent of base salary, if all educational levels and an MA/MS degree are acquired. The Chief of Police would also be eligible for the benefit, up to a maximum of 10 percent. The council adopted a resolution in 2015 offering a similar benefit to other officers. The current resolution would only affect 14 current employees and could cost up to $78,000 if all employees were eligible for the maximum benefit, according to a staff report.
The council will also consider adopting a new policy to allow off-duty police officers who are injured out-of-state “while exercising policing powers” to qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, as allowed by AB 1749, which went into effect Jan. 1, 2019.
Salary table update. The City Council will consider adoption of an amended salary table to reflect salary changes for the current fiscal year, as required by the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) to be made available for public review. The salary table lists the city manager’s minimum annual salary at $267,903, not including benefits and other compensation. The minimum salary for the office of police chief is $174,506, and the salary for the office of assistant chief of police is listed at a minimum of $144,900. The four-page amended salary table listing pay ranges for city employees can be viewed here.
The City Council will convene at 5:45 p.m. at 6360 Fountain Square Drive on Nov. 14, 2019, for its special meeting and will resume with its regular meeting at 7 p.m. The full agenda packet can be viewed by clicking here.
