Tuesday, January 16, 2024

The council's largest spending approval was $404,470 to The Garland Company, Inc. for fire station roofing materials, divided across two ARPA-funded line items ($216,344 and $188,126) on a single agenda item and approved 5-0 with no discussion; the council also approved 5-0 a total of $45,000 to Screamin Eagle Services, Inc. for illegal dumping cleanup split across three separate payments ($22,500, $14,580, and $7,920) — the largest single payment sits just below the $25,000 approval threshold, and a company representative appeared during public comment to report invoices going unpaid for 45 to 75 days. A three-year elevator service agreement totaling $39,060 with Pacific Coast Elevator Corporation DBA Amtech Elevator Services (Measure P funds), with Councilman Bowers raising but not pursuing a question about whether a ramp should replace the serviced wheelchair lift, and $31,185 in Gateway Cities Council of Governments membership dues were each approved 5-0. A proposed twelve-month lease with CHIRLA — structured as revenue to the city, not a spending item — was pulled by the city manager, who cited ambiguity between two listed rent figures in the agreement and Surplus Lands Act concerns about undercharging. A council motion to remove Barbara Baker from the Federal Grants Advisory Board failed 1-2 with two abstentions (Spicer in favor; Duhart and Bowers opposed; Darden and Mayor Sharif abstaining), and approximately fourteen members of the public addressed the council on illegal dumping, unpaid vendor invoices, budget transparency, potholes, and public safety.