RIO DELL CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING MINUTES MAY 20, 2025 Mayor Garnes called the regular meeting of the Rio Dell City Council to order at 5:00 p.m. ROLL CALL: Present: (Closed Session) Mayor Garnes, Mayor Pro Tem Carter, Councilmembers Wilson and Woodall, City Manager Knopp and Charley Howard from RGS. Absent: Councilmember Orr (excused) Present: (Regular Meeting) Mayor Garnes, Mayor Pro Tem Carter, Orr, Wilson, and Woodall Others Present: City Manager Knopp, Finance Director Sanborn, Chief of Police Phinney, Water/Roadways Superintendent Jensen, City Clerk Dunham, Senior Fiscal Assistant Maciel, and Senior Fiscal Assistant Townsend Absent: Community Development Director Caldwell (excused) ANNOUNCEMENT OF ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION Conference with Labor Negotiator Agency Negotiator: City Manager - Employee Organizations: Rio Dell Employees Association, Rio Dell Police Officers Association, and all Contract Employees PUBLIC COMMENT REGARDING CLOSED SESSION No members of the public were present to comment. RECESS INTO CLOSED SESSION The Council recessed into closed session at 5:00 p.m. with City Manager Knopp and Charlie Howard from Regional Government Services (RGS) (Zoom) to discuss the above-listed matter. ORAL ANNOUNCEMENTS The Council reconvened into open session at 6:05 p.m. Mayor Garnes announced that there was nothing to report from the closed session. CEREMONIAL MATTERS Certificate of Recognition to Shanailly Hammonds MAY 20, 2025 MINUTES Page 2 Chief Phinney said that it was his pleasure tonight to introduce Shanailly Hammonds and present him with a Certificate of Recognition on behalf of the City of Rio Dell and the Rio Dell Police Department for his courageous and selfless actions during a residential fire that occurred at 1083 Riverside Drive on May 8, 2025. Upon discovering the fire, Mr. Hammonds took immediate and decisive action, entering the burning residence without regard for his own safety and rescuing a male occupant, who may not have survived without his intervention. He said his actions exemplify the highest standards of civic responsibility, valor, and humanity. Chief Phinney then presented Mr. Hammonds with an Official Commendation for his heroic conduct and outstanding service to the community. Mr. Hammonds accepted the commendation and received a warm round of applause. Proclamation in Honor of Older Americans Month Mayor Garnes read a Proclamation in honor of Older Americans Month and presented it to Maggie Kraft, Executive Director of Area I on Aging. She introduced HICAP Manager Rosana Bruhnke, who was present to briefly explain what they do to help people, especially those on Medicare and Medical, to make sure they receive the services they need to remain independent. Ms. Bruhnke provided some statistics and said that in 2024, they helped enroll 2,076 people in Humboldt County and identified savings of almost $1.7 million in drug prescription plans and other supplemental insurance plans. Rio Dell recipients saved $35,000 during that same period. Ms. Kraft noted that they are currently looking for private office space that they can utilize now and then in or near Rio Dell and asked if there was anyone who has available space to please let them know, especially for use during open enrollment, which is October- December. PUBLIC PRESENTATIONS Mayor Garnes invited public comment on non-agenda matters. Sharon Wolfe addressed the Council and said that she appreciated the Proclamation for Older Americans Month and that she was looking forward to their Elder Justice Summit because they do an amazing job with that. She encouraged anyone who can to attend, as they provide a lot of good information. She also noted that in addition to May being Older Americans Month, it is also May revision to the Governor's Budget. As everyone knows, the state has had a multi-year huge budget deficit, and when the May revised budget came out, one of the first things that came out to help cut the deficit was to go after seniors. She explained that the Medical Asset Test Limit for seniors was set originally in 1989 with a $2,000 limit for an MAY 20, 2025 MINUTES Page 3 individual and $3,000 for a couple. The elimination of the of the Asset Test was done in two phases raising the limit in 2022 to $130,000 for an individual and on January 1, 2024, they eliminated the asset test entirely. Then on May 14, 2025, they pulled it back to the 1989 level of $2,000. She noted that she is watching the budget hearings, and this vicious cut is barely making the press and definitely not getting the attention it needs. She encouraged the Councilmembers, as elected officials, to try to lobby and speak up to protect seniors with this particular benefit. Mayor Garnes asked if any council member, staff, or member of the public would like to remove any item from the consent calendar for a separate discussion. No items were removed. A motion was made by Woodall/Carter to approve the consent calendar, including the following items: 1) Minutes of the May 6, 2025, Special Meeting; 2) Minutes of the May 6, 2025, Regular Meeting; 3) Approve Resolution No. 1632-2025 Amending and Adopting the City Master Salary Schedule; and 4) Receive and File the Check Register for April. The motion carried 5-0. REPORTSISTAFF COMMUNICATIONS City Manager/Staff Update City Manager Knopp highlighted the staff update and directed the Council's attention to the latest design for the CalFire Headquarters project in Rio Dell. He noted that he attended a public scoping meeting and Notice of Preparation at the Rio Dell School on May 14th related to the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). He also reported that the Earthquake road repair work is almost completed for Eeloa, Fern, and Riverside, and expects the repaving of Elm Street to start before the end of the month. In addition, the water line replacement project is expected to ramp up over the next two weeks and could include three or four separate crews working on separate locations at the same time. He urged the public to expect roadway delays and short interruptions in water service and asked citizens to be patient as this project gets underway. He reported that the official opening of the Eel River Trail will occur on June 10th from 10:30 a.m. to noon, with the guests of honor being the students from the Rio Dell Elementary School. MAY 20, 2025 MINUTES Page 4 Mayor Garnes asked if a notice would be put on the electronic message board to notify residents of possible water service interruptions. City Manager Knopp said that the contractor is responsible for notifying residents in neighborhoods where work is being done. Mayor Pro Tem Carter highlighted the fact that there were zero cats transported to Miranda's Rescue and that there hadn't been any transported for a while, even though it is peak kitten season. She also noted that one of the two dogs transported was a surrender, and asked what were other animal control-related. Chief Phinney said that typically, the calls are for animals running at large or noise complaints related to barking dogs. Councimember Wilson commented on the paving of Eeloa Ave. and said the contractor did an excellent job, and asked if the work was 75% grant-funded by CalOES. City Manager Knopp explained that under the California Disaster Assistance Act (CDAA), the project is eligible for 75% reimbursement, but the remaining 25% reimbursement is not guaranteed. He said that the City is required to pay 100% upfront, wait for the 75% reimbursement, then apply for the remaining 25%. The 25% cost share was estimated at $25,000. Councilmember Orr thanked Water/Roadways Superintendent Jensen for another two weeks of going above and beyond in the Public Works Department. Councilmember Woodall thanked Fire Chief Wilson and the Fire Department for their quick response to the recent residential fire and for everything the Fire Department does for the community SPECIAL CALL TEMS/COMMUNITY AFFAIRSISTUDY SESSIONS City Council Priority Setting Session for FY 2025-2026 City Manager Knopp provided a staff report and said that each year during the budget process, councimembers are asked to discuss individual priorities and develop the collective priorities of the City Council for the coming year. He reviewed the summary chart from the last five years of City Council priorities and asked the councilmembers to write down a list of their top five priorities for the 2025- 2026 fiscal year. The individual priorities for FY 2025-2006 were as follows (in no particular order of importance): MAY 20, 2025 MINUTES Page 5 Mayor Garnes Police Department Stafing/Organization Code Enforcement Parks/Open Spaces Economic Development Public Safety Mayor Pro Tem Carter Parks Code Enforcement Public Works Infrastructure Public Safety Community Development (Holistic Approach - City, Fire District, School, Resource Center) Councilmember Orr Public Works Police Department Staffing & Retention Nuisance Abatement & Universal Collection Beautification & Occupation of Businesses on Wildwood Juvenile Involvement in City GovernmentRio Dell's Future Councilmember Wilson Meat Processing Plant at Former Eel River Sawmill Site Community Development - Downtown Business District Earthquake Repairs - Red Tag Structures Law Enforcement Recruitment Public Works Employee Retention Councilmember Woodall Finance = Closeout of Infrastructure Projects Police Department Staffing - 24-Hr. Coverage Code Enforcement Public Works Main Street - Budget for Refurbishing Median MAY 20, 2025 MINUTES Page 6 Alex Calderon, from Neighborhoods Barber Shop, addressed the Council and said that the common denominator seems to be staffing and that there is not enough policing. He noted that there is grant money out there for technology and suggested the City look into closed-circuit TV for monitoring open public spaces and perhaps hire someone more proficient in technology to relieve some of the pressure off the officers. He also suggested the use of drones as a method to reduce crime. He emphasized the need to take advantage of available technology grants. The Council agreed to schedule a special study session before May 28th to further discuss City Council priorities and have the collective priorities presented to the City Council at the June 3, 2025, regular meeting for approval. Proposed Staffing Changes for FY 2025-2026 City Manager Knopp provided a staff report and explained that the City reviews its staffing structure annually as part of the budget development process. He referred to the Position Allocation Table and Organizational Chart, outlining all authorized full-time equivalent (FTE) positions for the upcoming fiscal year and highlighting proposed changes from the current year's allocation. The net change across all positions represented a decrease in FTE positions by .9 for the upcoming fiscal year. A summary of significant changes included the addition of one full-time Community Services Officer (CSO), currently funded by Measure Z (for one year); the deletion of the part-time Records Technician; the deletion of one .5 part-time Police Officer Reserve position and one .65 part-time Police Officer Reserve position, (with a .25 Police Officer position retained); and elimination of the Public Works Leadman with the reassignment to a Utility Worker position. City Manager Knopp noted that the addition of a second Community Services Officer (CSO) would allow for greater cross-training and succession planning both in the field and in the office. He said that the Police Department currently consumes 73% of the General Fund budget, and with the recommended staffing changes, it would be reduced to 70%. Mayor Pro Tem Carter asked if the elimination of the Records Technician position and the addition of another Community Services Officer (CSO), would allow for the same or more open office hours. Chief Phinney indicated that with two CSO's working a normal shift of 9-5, he could almost guarantee there would always be coverage, SO the office would be open during normal office hours. Mayor Pro Tem Carter asked if adding a second CSO would enable a more pro-active approach to code enforcement rather than on a complaint-type basis. MAY 20, 2025 MINUTES Page 7 Chief Phinney commented that the current SCO has made a great effort in addressing the code enforcement issues and today did an abatement on Third Ave. With a second CSO, they would be able to make a significant impact in the community to get neighborhoods cleaned up. Mayor Pro Tem Carter asked Chief Phinney if he felt that having a second CSO would be more of a support system for sworn officers, considering that the City is having difficulty recruiting police officers. Chief Phinney explained that a CSO has a wide array of duties they can perform and can do almost everything a sworn officer can do except make an arrest or obviously carry a gun. As a result, they can be out in the community backing up officers and assisting with collecting evidence. Mayer Pro Tem Carter asked if eitherlor both CSO's would need to stay together, be with another officer, or work independently. Chief Phinney said that it would depend on the situation and whether the CSO would need an officer present for safety reasons. Councimember Woodall asked who determined that a CSO was more important to the community than a sworn officer when the Measure Z funding application was presented. Chief Phinney said that he made the decision to go for a CSO because he knew Measure Z funding would not be approved for a sworn officer position, oecause the City could not even fill the two vacant officer positions. He said that he knew he could fill the CSO position, and they agreed. Councimember Woodall asked if the office would be staffed the same or more hours, and the answer was yes. She then asked if the CSO's would be working the same shifts rather than staggering the hours. Chief Phinney said that the intent as of now is to have them both working Monday through Friday, but once training is completed with the new CSO, he would definitely be open to having staggered hours for better coverage. Councimember Woodall pointed out that the CSO would need to assume the duties of the Records Technician at 40 hours/week rather than 32 hours/week but at a higher rate of pay and with a CSO in the office full time, there won't be a lot of extra time to help with code enforcement. Chief Phinney explained that there is a lot that goes into the CSO position behind the scenes. A normal abatement requires the CSO to be in the office documenting, writing MAY 20, 2025 MINUTES Page 8 letters, processing search warrants, and processing fund reimbursements SO there is lot of in-office duties that are already being done that will coincide with the Records Technician duties. He noted that those duties will be shared within the department. Councimember Woodal noted that the CSO would need to be more familiar with the California Building Code and the Health & Safety Code in addition to the City's Zoning Regulations. She then pointed out that the cleaning of City Hall was currently being done by the Records Technician and asked who would be providing the cleaning service. Chief Phinney said that it would be highly unusual for a CSO in any city to be familiar with the Building Codes. City Manager Knopp said that the CSO's would not be assuming the cleaning of City Hall, and it would need to be addressed as a separate issue. Councilmember Woodall agreed that if the City is going to have two CSO's, they needed to move away from handling code enforcement on a complaint-type basis and to be more pro-active and more efficient. She asked if the CSO's applicants would be informed that the position would only be grant-funded for one year, and if the background process had started on any of the applicants. Chief Phinney indicated that the applicants would be informed of the grant funding and said that a precautionary background check was done on one of the applicants, and interviews were scheduled with a number of applicants. Councimember Woodall said that when the position was first established by the City Council, the position was for a Code EnforcementAnimal Control Officer and asked how and when the job title was expanded to Community Services Officer. City Manager Knopp explained that the position has always included numerous roles and responsibilities including acting as a Community Services Officer in addition to Code Enforcement and Animal Control activities. Councimember Wilson asked if the City would be contracting out for janitorial services. City Manager noted that the service has been contracted in the past and may be necessary in moving forward. Councilmember Wilson noted that the Records Technician position was funded by Measure Z up until the last two years and asked if staff's hope was to get that funding back. Also, if the CSO position does not receive Measure Z funding next year, will that position continue and be funded by the General Fund? MAY 20, 2025 MINUTES Page 9 City Manager Knopp said that it has always been a struggle to pull down Measure Z money to fund the Records Technician position. Regarding funding the second CSO position after the first year, all options would be on the table, but the plan is to keep that position. He said that there have been police officer positions in the budget that were not able to be filled and what staff is trying to do from a management perspective is to maximize the department's ability to deliver services; everything from code enforcement to nuisance abatement to animal control and create a more efficient package in moving the department forward. He said the Police Officers Association is endorsing the reorganization as proposed, and as police officer positions become more difficult to fill, more CSO positions may need to be filled to help bridge the gap. He pointed out the importance of having administrative staff cross-trained to allow for vacations, sick leave, or separations of employment. Whereas, right now, if the current CSO left with no succession plan in place, someone would be coming in from scratch and it could take up to a year to be fully trained. He said that there have been conversations with multiple Police Chiefs regarding what is the best configuration for the police department and they have been in agreement that this reorganization needs to occur. Councimember Wilson said that there are a lot of unknows and duties that the Records Technician did that the police officers would have to assume such as taking the vehicles in for service, which would take them off the streets. Chief Phinney said that the work load would be split between all staff with the CSO's taking the lions share of the responsibilities however, there are things like vehicle maintenance that will get assigned to an officer as a collateral duty which is normal in most departments. Councimember Wilson commented that Rio Dell is a small city with limited resources but understands the importance of having institutional knowledge and people who are cross-trained. Mayor Garnes asked Water/Roadways Superintendent Jensen if elimination of the Public Works Leadman position would work for the Public Works Department. Water/Roadways Superintendent Jensen said that it would allow for better cross- training and efficiency with specific duties being delegated to individuals with a specific skill set and supported the change. Mayor Garnes then asked Chief Phinney if the CSO position was an open hire or if someone had already been selected. MAY 20, 2025 MINUTES Page 10 Chief Phinney said that the position had not yet been filled and that there were many qualified applicants noting that he would not be sitting on the interview panel to fill the position. Mayor Garnes commented that the police department reorganization idea has been in the works for a while and asked Chief Phinney how it was presented to him. Chief Phinney said that he heard about the proposed reorganization before arriving at the city and more recently he and the City Manager had conversations about it. The discussion was not about the current employee filling the position but the position and the oenefit to the City. Mayor Garnes asked who does the paperwork for the CSO. Chief Phinney responded that the majority of the paperwork is done by the CSO with some assistance from the Records Technician. Councilmember Orr commented that it seemed odd that someone other that the person driving the vehicle would be responsible for inspecting and maintaining that vehicle, Chief Phinney explained that everybody is responsible for maintaining their own vehicle. What happens is the Records Clerk schedules routine maintenance for the vehicles. If the vehicle needs mechanical repairs, then they will reach out to a shop and schedule a time to drop the vehicle off. Councilmember Orr asked if the City were to continue to maintain the unfunded CSO position, if it would encumber from hiring potential police officer positions by pulling funds away budgeted for officer positions. City Manager Knopp said that the overall trend has been that Rio Dell cannot compete with other jurisdictions when recruiting for police officers, but those salaries are budgeted separately. Mayor Garnes asked if there were any prospects in filling the police officer positions. Chief Phinney indicated that there was one potential lateral candidate interested in the position and they would be looking at candidates in the next academy starting June and will be making early visits to try and recruit from this academy. Mayor Garnes called for public comment on the proposed staffing changes. Bridget Vaile addressed the Council and said that the current Records Technician works 32 hours a week, and the new CSO would work 40 hours a week sO the department would only be gaining 8 hours a week for services and paying someone at a much higher rate of pay. She said that it is her understanding that the Records Clerk is MAY 20, 2025 MINUTES Page 11 the lowest paid person in the City SO eliminating that position is concerning as a taxpayer. In addition, the new CSO would not be providing cleaning services that the Records Technician currently provides SO the City would need to contract with a cleaning service which will cost even more money. She pointed out the Records Technician has been working in that position for 9 years and has done an amazing job, manning the police department lobby and is very friendly and very welcoming. Since the City is already paying for that position, why not continue since the CSO position is funded by Measure Z. She said that hiring a second CSO is great but the Records Technician position should not be eliminated. She strongly urged the City Council to reconsider their decision and asked what the point would be to have a CSO sit in the office for 40 hours a week if her job is to assist the other CSO and the officers. She pointed out that if the CSO position is only covered by Measure Z for one year, then it would cost even more to retain that position after Measure Z funding expires. Mayor Garnes asked if there was any additional public comment or emails. City Clerk Dunham said that there were two public comments received via email, which she then read. (Attached to these minutes as Attachments 1 and 2). Councilmember Wilson commented that the CSO position is only funded by Measure Z for one year, SO after that, the General Fund would have to pick up that cost. Since the Records Technician position is already budgeted, the funding would be in a neutral position by keeping the Records Technician position another year, and the Council would not be making a rash decision. He said the current employee has been here for 9 years and has valuable institutional knowledge and skill set. He suggested retaining the Records Technician position for another year and revisiting the position allocations after Measure Z expires. Mayor Pro Tem Carter commented that although the Chief hasn't been here long, she was impressed with his performance and he has been extremely responsive to the community, and has been open to any programs proposed by the Community Resource Center. She said that it is obvious to her that he takes the job seriously and cares about the community, and wants to leave his mark here. She said that it is his department and he and the Police Officers Association both support the reorganization, and she is inclined to support the Chief's decision and will vote in support of the staff's recommendation. A motion was made by Carter/Orr to approve the staffing changes for Fiscal Year 2025- 2026 as outlined in the Position Allocation Table and Organizational Chart as proposed. Motion carried 3-2, with Councilmembers Wilson and Woodall dissenting. COUNCIL REPORTS/COMMUNICATIONS MAY 20, 2025 MINUTES Page 12 Mayor Pro Tem Carter reported on recent meetings and events and said that she attended the League of California Cities Quarterly General Membership meeting in Lakeport on May 16th where they received a presentation from the Clear Lake Environmental Research Center with the focus on wildfire prevention. She said the presentation was a nice example of a small rural economically impoverished area working together with citizens in a positive way. She announced that there would be a Nuisance Advisory Committee meeting tomorrow at 3:00 p.m, and the RREDC meeting was canceled due to the Memorial Day holiday. She also reported that she met with the Executive Director from Critters Without Litters and she commented that Rio Dell citizens are the luckiest people in the El River Valley because of the spay and neuter voucher program. She noted that when people bring in their pets with a voucher and it doesn't cover the entire cost, there are now other organizations that help pick up the remaining cost. Mayor Pro Tem Carter also noted that she had received a lot of positive feedback from the community about the Eel River Trail. Councilmember Woodall reported that the next Beautification, Walkability, and Pride Committee meeting would be held on May 30th and was excited to have a new member joining the committee. Councimember Orr reported on his attendance at the last HCAOG meeting and said that the hydrogen-powered bus was up and running, and that 10 more buses were ordered, and they are looking for potential locations around the County for hydrogen fueling stations. Councilmember Wilson reported that he attended an HWMA meeting last week, and they discussed the budget and the cost of getting the Franchise Agreements updated. A special budget meeting was scheduled for May 28th to pull everything together. He also reported that he would be attending a RCAC meeting tomorrow, and they would be taking a deeper dive into energy and where they are getting their power, and how it affects Humboldt County. Mayor Garnes reported that she would be attending an HTA meeting on May 30th at 10:00 a.m. which is also "Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bus Media Day." She said that she also attended the League of California Quarterly meeting in Lakeport and said the City of Lakeport received a grant for the Xabatin Community Park, which is amazing and includes a Ninja Gym and other incredible activities for kids. She encouraged the City to continue to look for grants, noting that anything the City can do to bring enjoyment to the community would be great. MAY 20, 2025 MINUTES Page 13 ADJOURNMENT A motion was made by Carter/Orr to adjourn the meeting at 7:40 p.m. to the June 3, 2025, regular meeting. Motion carried 5-0. Debra Garnes, Mayor Attest: Karen Dunham, City Clerk MENT 2 1 ATTACHMENT 2