CC 2018-01-23_09d Approval of Minutes 01.09.2018ACTION MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2018
COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 215 E. BRANCH STREET
ARROYO GRANDE, CALIFORNIA
1. CALL TO ORDER
Mayor Hill called the City Council Meeting to order at 6:00 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL
City Council: Council Members Barbara Harmon and Tim Brown, Mayor Pro Tem Ray,
and Mayor Hill were present. Council Member Barneich was absent.
Staff Present: City Manager Jim Bergman, City Attorney Heather Whitham, Director of
Legislative and Information Services/City Clerk Kelly Wetmore, Director of
Administrative Services Debbie Malicoat, Chief of Police Beau Pryor, and
Director of Public Works Bill Robeson.
3. MOMENT OF REFLECTION
4. FLAG SALUTE
Jack Smith, representing Rotary Club of Arroyo Grande, led the Flag Salute.
5. AGENDA REVIEW
5.a. Closed Session Announcements.
None.
5.b. Ordinances Read in Title Only.
Mayor Hill moved, Council Member Brown seconded, and the motion passed unanimously that
all ordinances presented at the meeting shall be read by title only and all further readings be
waived.
6. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS
6.a. Honorary Proclamation Declaring January 2018 as “Women’s March San Luis
Obispo Month”
Mayor Pro Tem Ray, on behalf of Mayor Hill, read and presented an Honorary Proclamation
Declaring January 2018 as “Women’s March San Luis Obispo Month”. Andrea Chmelik and
Terry Parry, representing Women’s March SLO, accepted the Proclamation.
Council Member Barneich arrived to the meeting at 6:06 p.m. and took her place at the dais.
7. COMMUNITY COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
Mayor Hill invited public comment. Speaking from the public were: Sean Schurr, representing
Arroyo Grande-Grover Beach Chamber of Commerce, who introduced the Chamber’s new
Executive Director Jocelyn Brennan; Jocelyn Brennan, Executive Director, Arroyo Grande-
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Grover Beach Chamber of Commerce, referred to the Chamber’s upcoming Annual Installation
Dinner on February 1, 2018 and announced that Greg “Doc” Steinberger has been selected as
Arroyo Grande’s Citizen of the Year, Katcho Achadjian has been selected to receive the
Director’s Award, and Matt Neff has been selected to receive the Ken Talley Award and
provided invitations to the Council for the event; Coleen Kubel, spoke about the last South San
Luis Obispo County Sanitation District Board meeting and stated that it needs to be a five
member Board that is similar to the governing board of the cities in order for the Board to
provide better representation to the citizens; and Patty Welsh, who referred to the previous
speaker’s comments and noted that there are only three cities represented on the Sanitation
District Board so if there were five members it would be unbalanced representation. No further
comments were received.
8. CITY MANAGER REPORT:
City Manager Bergman acknowledged Jocelyn Brennan’s appointment as the new Executive
Director for the Arroyo Grande-Grover Beach Chamber of Commerce, stated he had already
had an opportunity to meet with her to discuss the Tourism Business Improvement District, and
wished her well in her new position.
9. CONSENT AGENDA
Mayor Hill invited public comment on the consent agenda. No public comments were received.
Action: Council Member Brown moved, and Council Member Harmon seconded the motion to
approve Consent Agenda Items 9.a. through 9.d., with the recommended courses of action.
The motion passed on the following roll-call vote:
AYES: Brown, Harmon, Barneich, Ray, Hill
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
9.a. Consideration of Cash Disbursement Ratification.
Recommended Action: Ratified the listing of cash disbursements for the period
December 1, 2017 through December 15, 2017.
9.b. Consideration of Statement of Investment Deposits.
Recommended Action: Received and filed the report listing of investment deposits of
the City of Arroyo Grande, as of November 30, 2017, as required by Government Code
Section 53646(b).
9.c. Consideration of Approval of Minutes.
Recommended Action: Approved the minutes of the Regular City Council Meeting of
December 12, 2017, as submitted.
9.d. Consideration to Accept a Homeland Security Grant Funded Portable Satellite
System from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department.
Recommended Action: Accepted a Homeland Security Grant funded portable satellite
system from the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department.
10. PUBLIC HEARINGS
None.
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11. OLD BUSINESS
None.
12. NEW BUSINESS
12.a. Consideration of Appointment of a Council Member and Alternate to the
Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo County (CAPSLO) Board.
City Manager Bergman presented the staff report and recommended the Council appoint a
Council Member and Alternate to the CAPSLO Board.
.
Mayor Hill invited public comment. No public comments were received.
Action: Council Member Barneich moved to appoint Mayor Pro Tem Ray as the Primary
Representative and Council Member Harmon as the Alternate to the CAPSLO Board. Council
Member Brown seconded, and the motion passed unanimously by voice vote.
12.b. Consideration of Providing Direction to the City Council’s Representative on
the Five Cities Fire Authority (FCFA) Board of Directors Regarding Issues
Related to Additional Staffing Needed by the FCFA and Corresponding Costs.
City Manager Bergman provided introductory comments and Five Cities Fire Authority Fire Chief
Steve Lieberman presented the staff report and recommended that the Council provide direction
to Council Member Harmon, the City Council’s Representative on the Five Cities Fire Authority
Board of Directors. Chief Lieberman responded to questions from Council.
Mayor Hill invited public comment. Speaking from the public were: Coleen Kubel, who spoke of
her experience in public safety as a dispatcher and commented that better coordination of
dispatch is needed, that the hourly wage for Reserve Firefighters needs to be raised, that every
member on a shift should be able to perform all tasks, that there is a need to find out what is
driving the increase in service calls; and that developers should pay more in fees to cover
increases in public safety service; Patty Welsh, commented on spending unallocated funds to
keep the stations staffed, asked how equipment will be replaced, commented that the proposed
Benefit Assessment District measure failed during a recession, and stated that all the
jurisdictions involved need to work together to find a solution; Patrick Ferguson, addressed
staffing and noted that the need for additional staffing was identified in 2010 when the SAFER
grant was applied for, commented that the current situation is endemic of what is happening in
public safety, noted that employment opportunities are changing, and requested the Council to
look at priorities; Jeff Lane, President of the Five Cities Fire Authority Fire Association Local
4403, spoke of his experience as a Reserve Firefighter who has another job, commented that
the safety of employees and the community should be a priority, commented on the growth of
the community, increase in call volume, and less staffing; and Patrick Ferguson, responded to
questions regarding staffing as it relates to overtime.
Council comments ensued in support of the FCFA Board’s direction to move forward with the
emergency expenditure of funds for three full time firefighters; concern about overtime and
employees working longer shifts; that the Managers should continue to collaborate as outlined
in the Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Agreement; acknowledgement of the upcoming budget
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process, the need for public workshops in order to hear from the community; a request to see
options for tiered responses and if there is a cost savings; that there should be a discussion
regarding future funding options; that the community in the past has not fully backed a funding
mechanism to pay for services; that the community could be faced with losing other services if
new funding sources are not identified; that the member agencies need to work together to
review all options for the JPA, including levels of response time and staffing needs; that the
volunteer fire department model is no longer viable; that the top priority should be the safety of
its residents and employees; acknowledgement that the City has less revenues coming in and
more mandated costs; that the cost of fire service is increasing everywhere; and that there will
be a need to look at the member agencies to determine if the JPA can be sustained.
Council Member Harmon thanked the Council for its input and direction; commented that the
JPA Executive Team, consisting of the member agency managers, is critical; and commented
on the Oceano Community Services District General Manager’s recent report, which includes
support to continue being a part of the JPA; and concluded that this is a budget issue.
No formal action was taken on this item.
13. COUNCIL COMMUNICATIONS
Mayor Pro Tem Ray referred to the earlier presentation on the Women’s March SLO and
announced she would be a speaker at the Practical Politics Soiree on Thursday at the United
Church of Christ in San Luis Obispo discussing how to get women into politics.
Council Member Barneich announced that the Men’s Club would be hosting a work day at the
Methodist Camp on Sunday, January 21, 2018 from 8:00 to 3:00 pm to provide general clean-
up, weed abatement and tree trimming on the property. She also announced that another free
Senior Tech Clinic would be held at the Council Chamber on Saturday, January 27, 2018 from
10:00 to 12:00 p.m.
14. COMMUNITY COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS
None.
15. CLOSED SESSION
None.
16. ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Hill adjourned the meeting at 8:29 p.m.
_____________________________________
Jim Hill, Mayor
ATTEST:
_______________________________________
Kelly Wetmore, City Clerk
(Approved at CC Mtg ______________)
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