Okay, we are going to call this meeting
to order.
Could
you lead us in
Roll call, please.
>> Council member Odbe
>> here.
>> Council member FSY
>> here. Council member Call
>> here. Vice Mayor Pimentel
>> here.
>> Mayor Hernandez
>> here. There are no agenda changes at
this time. Any council member, authority
or staff who has a direct conflict of
interest on any scheduled agenda item to
be considered is to declare their
conflict at this time.
Seeing none, we are going to move ahead
to public comment. At this time, members
of the public may comment on any item
not appearing on the agenda and within
the subject matter jurisdiction of the
city council L board. Individual
comments will be limited to a maximum of
three minutes and time cannot be yielded
to another person. Under state law,
matters presented during public comment
cannot be discussed or acted upon.
Mayor, we have Julia Hernandez.
[clears throat]
All right.
I think so. Oh, there it is. Okay. I'm
naturally a loud person, so I'll try not
to hurt anybody's ears. All righty. Um,
hello everyone. My name is Julia
Hernandez. I recently stepped into the
position of facilitator at Sierra House.
So, I just wanted to take some time to
come down here tonight when we're all in
one place to introduce myself. So, you
know, you know my face, I know yours.
Um, I wanted to also speak about my
goals to discuss making a positive
impact on the unhoused population in our
community um through our services at
Sier House. So, I was born and raised
here in the Central Valley. Growing up
in Modesto and studying at Fresno State
to earn my bachelor's in psychology and
after graduation, I felt that natural
pull to come on back to the Modesto and
Riverbank area that, you know, so many
of my friends and family felt as well.
This is my home. And I wanted to give
back to the community that raised me.
Throughout my life, I volunteered with
various organizations including the
North Modesto Kuanas Club to provide
support to those in need. And after
conducting some community outreach in
Turlock over at WCare, I felt a pull to
make a difference in the lives of our
unhoused population. I wanted to be able
to make a difference and so I was so
excited for the opportunity to
contribute to Cambridgemies and their
mission through Sierra House here in
Riverbank.
And so in that, you know, in my in my
role as facilitator at re in the restart
program, I am happy to share that over
the month that I've been here, we've
been able to secure employment for three
of our four residents after focusing on
resume and cover letter building as well
as job interview preparation and
essential skill building. We are now
working on helping them develop
financial literacy, preparing them for
their life and success beyond the
program. And one of our residents is
even enrolled in a peer support group.
um he is working to become trained in
becoming a peer sport person to help
people kind of get back on the right
track as he was able to do for himself.
So it's really really amazing he's set
to graduate late next month. We are very
proud of him. So I wanted to share that
as well. It's been amazing to see the
growth in these men in the first month
that I've been on site and in the coming
months I'll be getting out into our
community myself connecting with other
organizations and recruiting for our
third cohort that we have set to begin
April 1st. Um, we are looking for
candidates that with the right support
that have the potential to become the
person that achieves their goals. I do
have a strong desire to help the youth
of our community and help them prevent
living a life on the streets. Um,
through our career and personal
development, I will be beginning to
teach in April. I would love to meet
with anyone that wants to know more
about our programs so we can continue
working together to reach those in need.
I'm excited to see what we can
accomplish while I'm in this role. Um,
and you know, we're so thankful to the
city of Riverbank for your continued
support of our efforts. of course.
Please don't be a stranger. I'm there
Monday through Friday. I'd love for you
guys to stop by. Um, get to know each
other. Connection is very important to
me. So, yeah, see me anytime. Thank you,
mayor. That is all we have for general
public comment in the chamber. I'm not
sure if there's anyone online, but I
don't see anyone.
>> Eight. Any other public comment?
If not, we are going to move on to the
consent calendar. Um, items 9.1 to 9.5.
Is there any discussion or a uh motion?
» I make a motion we approve items 9.1
through 9.5.
>> Second.
>> Roll call, please.
>> Council member Da.
>> Yes.
>> Council member FSY.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Call.
>> Yes.
>> Vice Mayor Pimementel?
>> Yes.
>> Mayor Hernandez?
>> Yes.
>> Motion passes. is 50
public hearing. So we have item 10.1, a
resolution to adopt new fee schedule of
park amenities, rentals, recreation
programs, and events for city of
Riverbank.
>> Mayor and council, Michael Patton, your
director of parks and recreation will
provide this report.
>> Good evening, mayor and city council. So
we'll wait for Norman to get the
presentation up and we'll get get
started.
Awesome.
So, we as a park recreation department
are here to um seek approval from the
city council to updating our fee
schedule for the parks and recreation
department.
Um kind of give you a little bit
background why we're doing this. Um as
uh you guys know from our last city
council meeting, the department
completed a financial sustainability
study that was presented to you two
weeks ago. Um in this study the
consultants reviewed with staff um the
financials of the department um and some
of the key findings is our department is
doing about 16% cost recovery. Um the
consultant shared in the last meeting
that that is below the state average. Um
I do know that the national average
listed by the national recreation park
association is 25%. So we are on the
national side with different markets
compared to again other organizations in
the nation we are a little bit more
behind. Um so we use this information in
the study and we reviewed our current
fees related to the offerings of parks
and recreation
in order to find a few things. One is
how we can increase our revenues, how we
can reduce our expenditures and how can
we modernize our department fees.
Meaning how can we simplify them to
where it's easier to understand for our
residents. it's not confusing,
convoluted, and we'll point out some
examples as we go through the fee
schedule, what kind of things we're
changing there. Um, the proposed fees
have been reviewed by city sta or parks
recreation staff. We've looked them over
um looked at our participation numbers,
looked at different ways on um how we
can how to make the fees make sense.
We've discussed them with our finance
department, had gave them opportunity to
ask questions. Uh we've also presented
to to the parks and recreation advisory
committee which is made up of five uh
local residents that were appointed by
US city council members to provide
guidance. Um the fees were presented to
him twice in two different meetings and
it was a unanimous uh vote by them to
recommend the fees to you guys for
adoption. Uh so you have staff support,
you have community representation
support on these fees.
Um so as we go
One sec here. My clicker decided to not
work anymore.
It's delayed. Um, so for the proposed
fee areas, we do have about four main
categories. We have our parks, our
recreation programs, our events, and our
facilities.
Um, one thing as we go through them, I
want to note, um, I think will make it
easier for us is there's a lot of
changes we're proposing here. Um, so one
thing I would ask from council and even
residents that are in attendance of
viewing this. Um, if you have questions
or comments, we ask that you save them
to the end. At the bottom right hand
corner, we do have a p a slide number.
So if you do see a question you have,
just write down notes slide five
question this so when we come back we
can refer back.
Um, so we're going to go over our parks.
Um, so for our park facilities, we do
have pavilions and gazeos out there that
people can rent for birthday parties,
gatherings. Um, we do have a resident
rate that the currently is $110 per day,
a non-resident rate that's $135. We're
proposing that rate stay the same. The
only change we're doing is we do require
um our policies require deposits from
those that rent the facilities. The
deposit is is not in the current fee
schedule. So, we're just implementing it
in there. Uh the traditional fee that
we've been charging is $100 for a
deposit. um that is fully refundable
dependent on the facility being left in
good condition, no damages, not a hot
mess for our staff to deal with after
the weekend.
We also char uh have uh pavilions and
facilities available for rent at Jacob
Myers Park. Those fees are a little bit
different. Uh we look at our Oak Grove
and our Rotary area. Again, 110 for
residents. Uh for non-residents, it
currently is at 150. We're proposing to
remain that the same. And the deposit
we're throwing in there as again $100.
Um, we do have our Bernie pavilion,
which is the big pavilion right there,
right next to the playground. For
residents, it's 150. We're proposing to
keep it the same. Uh, for non-residents,
here's our first change. We go, we're
recommending from going from $250 to
$300. And then we do charge for
additional for electricity, which is
$25, which we're going to keep the same.
Then again adding the deposit. Um, as we
get further into Jacob Myers space, I do
want to note um, one thing we noticed in
the past two summers about 87 to 88% of
those that attend the park when we do
charge are non-residents. They are those
are attending from visiting from
Sacramento, San Jose, Stockton. And so
when we start talking about fees, um,
it's one common question we get from
residents on how can we charge a fee to
go to Jacome's Park. Um, again, it's to
help subsidize so that the general fund
isn't covering it. Again, with about 88
to 90% of those that attend the park
that are not residents, you mean your
tax dollars aren't covering for someone
else to have fun that's not even from
the area that's contributing. Um, so
going to their Jacob Myers fees. So we
charge months of April through
September, Fridays, Saturdays, and
Sundays and on holidays. So Monday,
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, we do not
charge. The current resident fee is $7.
We are proposing to keep that the same.
The non-resident fee is $10. We are
proposing to jump that to $12. Uh we
looked at last year's numbers. Um had we
charged this $12 fee last year, we would
have made additional about $19,000,
which goes back into park maintenance
and upkeep. Um give you example, we just
did some tree cuts at Jacob Myers Park,
cutting down the trees, making sure no
slims fall on any cars or any people out
there. That cost around $19,000. So that
kind of stuff helps out a little bit
there. uh from previous city council
member uh city councils, they worked
with the department to create um a fee
for those that wanted to visit the dog
park or use a trail for 1 hour parking.
Um in our fee schedule, we don't have
anything listed in there. The policy we
have been doing, it's $0 for a free oneh
hour parking pass for those that again
residents that just want to use the
trail and use the dog park. For those
that are there that pass that one hour,
we do charge for that. Uh we do also you
charge for the wedding gazebo that's out
there. Um we don't really get since I've
been here we've had had any calls on it
but we do have there that's available.
So it's $500. We're going to keep the
same as 500.
A new thing that we were looking to add
is with the veteran presence and active
military presence here in Riverbank. Um
we implemented just for a little bit
last year and received great feedback.
We want to do some sort of military
first responder discount. Currently,
there's no fee for that, but we're
proposing is kind of a $2 discount. So,
if you're a resident, that's a first
responder, active military, veteran, it
would be $5. And if you're a
non-resident, um, coming from that would
be $10.
We do offer season passes at Jacob Myers
Park. So, for residents, it's $35, which
is equivalent to five visits. So, we're
going to keep that fee the same. And for
non-residents, we're moving from $50.
We're proposing $60. again going from
five visits times $12 be $60 there.
Another thing we're proposing is we do
have the McRichi campground which we do
not um offer up to the community. It's
only mainly for those like nonprofit
organizations like the Boy Scouts and
Girl Scouts to use. Uh we are interested
in looking see if there is a want to
reserve that space for big path g as
there is fire pits picnic areas nice
shaded area a little bit away from the
river but we just want to see if there
is some sort of want there and so we're
proposing a new rate of $200 for the day
use nonprofit organization like the Boy
Scouts and Girl Scouts they've been
charged $50 continue using that fee and
then a deposit of $100 we'll keep that
going
miscellaneous across our parks So, we
have a bounce house permit. So, if
someone wants to rent our parks and they
want to bring in a bounce house, there
is a permit for that. We do charge $25
for that. We're proposing to keep that
the same. We also do a special event
permits. So, we do have lots of
organizations that come in that have
great ideas for special events. There's
an application they fill out. Um, it is
a lot of admin work as we go gather
signatures from all the department heads
approving the permit, communicating with
department heads on what the event is.
Um, so on the application it does say we
charge $35, but again it's not in our
fee schedule. So we propose to have that
in our fee schedule. So when we charge
people this $35, we don't feel like
we're going behind city council's back
on this. Uh, so we're seeking for that
approval there. One other thing that we
are seeing very frequently is uh we are
proposing a facility rental and special
event permit application laty. So in our
applications, our policies, if you
submit your documentation or your
application 30 days before the event,
it's great. But if you do it within like
a after the 30 days, um we our policy is
that we decline your event, you decline
or your reservation or whatever that may
be. That causes a lot of heartache and
heartburn on our end where if you tell
someone, hey, you didn't give us your
documentation in time, so we can't have
your wedding that you've been playing at
the at this facility. There's not a lot
of happy people with that and so but it
is more burden on our staff to now we
are in a scramble to try and make sure
we get all the documentation. So we're
proposing a late fee for those that are
late that we can accommodate. We are
capable of doing it but I think there
needs to be some some sort of monetary
compensation for our time for your lack
of preparation.
The last thing we're proposing is at
Jacob Myers Park, we do have uh on-site
security guards that go around in the
park, look for park violations, and they
hand out citations. The typical citation
that they've been accustomed to offer or
sending out is $100. Again, it's not in
our fee schedule. It's just been policy
that previous administrations are like,
"This sounds good." So, we want to make
sure we have it in there to where again,
if we do issue citation and someone's
like, "Well, where is this in your fee
schedule?" We have it set up there. Uh
this goes for parking violations. For
those that bring alcohol on site, that
use drugs on site, anything that's a
park violation, they can offer that
citation.
For recreation programs, we'll start
with our camps. So, we um offer a
variety of camps. One is an all day
summer camp. Um in the past, we've
offered a $125 for residents and offer a
discount for a second child of 115. Um,
and then for non-residents, it's $135
and again a discount or for second child
it's 125. We're proposing a new fee of
$125 just for every child that's
involved. Um, whether you have a second
child, third child, fourth child, keep
the same and then a new a non-resident
fee of 13750.
We are looking at a 10% increase
difference between a resident and
non-resident rate. Um, so that's why you
get that weird 13750 in there. As far as
our mini camps go, we've charged $45 for
resident and non-resident. We're looking
at keeping the the resident rate $45 and
then the non-resident rate 4950. Again,
that 10% of of 45. We also do offer a
camp time extension. So, we do like for
example start camps at 8 pm or 8 am. If
a parent wants to drop off their kid at
say 7:30 a.m. because they have to go to
work or something, they cannot pay 20
extra $25 and they can drop that kid off
early 30 minutes before uh before the
camp each day. Um looking at our
staffing costs because we have to have
staff there to take in the kid and
monitor them. It we operate a loss
offering that. So, we are proposing to
increase it to $50 to where we at least
break even on that on that offering to
parents that participate.
As far as classes go, we do have a Zumba
Gold program um $3 drop in or propose to
keep it the same. We do also have an
archery program that um we are looking
to get start up again in March. The
current fee is $30 for a six week
session. Um individual drop in is $25 a
day. U we're looking at kind of flipping
that a little bit. So, we want to do $25
per registered class and a $30 drop in.
Zumba, we'll keep the same with $5 drop
in with a five keep that the same. Uh,
one thing we're looking to add is u we
do get lots of requests for new programs
and new classes and we do start them up
um try and start them up here. One thing
we do not do not want to do is
continually update this and go to city
council, hey, we have this brand new
program we want to do. We don't know if
it's going to be good or not. Um, so
what we want to do is get that in place
where we have a range where we can
charge between a minimum and a maximum
and if we decide that the program is
successful, we want to bring it back.
The next time we come back with the fee
schedule, we'll propose that specific
program. The idea for parks and
recreation is we want to keep this
schedule up to date as much as possible
with the hope of coming back annually.
So, if we start a new program, let's say
next month, um, come beginning of 2027,
we'll come back with that new program
with its own set fee schedule right
there based on the feedback we get.
Other recreation programs, so we do have
our swim team. Um, we do charge $135 per
participant. Second child is 125. The
new proposed fee we're we're asking for
is $150 per kid. Um, and then for
non-resident, it was the same fee. Um,
last year we're proposing to make that
165 per child. Uh, we do have staff that
are certified lifeguard instructors. And
so from time to time, depending on their
schedules, we do have them teaching
lifeguard first aid classes. Um, we did
that last year. We didn't have a set in
the fee schedule. If we were do that
again, we want to set at $250, which is
great deal.
And then we do rent out our community
pool. Um, and a lot of these fees are
staying the same with how our pool does
it. It's a two-hour minimum. And we
charge based on the number of guests you
have. And that's because that dep
determines how many lifeguards we need
to have on site. So the more people you
have on site, the more lifeguards we
required to have, which means more
staffing costs we incur. And so for the
residents that have one to 60 guests,
it's $150 an hour. We're going to keep
that the same. For non-residents, it's
170. We'll keep the same. For rentals
that are 61 people to 90 people. For
residents, it's 170. We'll keep it. For
non-residents, it's 190. We'll keep the
same. Uh for those that are 91 to 120
people attending this this rental, for
residents, it's $190 per hour. We'll
keep the same. The only little minor
difference is for the non-residents,
it's $200 an hour. We're proposing $210
an hour
for our pool. So, we do have a pool pass
u which is $30 which gets you access to
pool as many times as you want as an
individual. We'll keep that the same.
And then it's also for a family of four.
We uh had it set for $100 for a family
of four with $20 for each added person.
So, if you have a family of five, so we
$120 and we're supposed to keep that the
same. And similar to with the new
programs, we have our special evented
programs and classes in the pool. We
want to set up a minimum and maximum to
where our minimum is $0 to $100. And
again, if we have a awesome event that
happens at the pool that is very well
attended and we want to bring back
again, um we bring it to the new fee
schedule in 2027 when we propose what we
want to do. Then
as far as our events go, um we'll go
through our special events. We have our
haunted hay. Um our current fee is $12.
The new fee we're proposing is 15. Uh
for those that saw our our uh event this
past year, um we had to close the gates
within 30 minutes of opening up just
based on how packed it got. And so with
the high demand, we figure that we can
charge a little more to offset our cost
because we do pay staff to overtime to
be present to drive the vehicles and it
does get costly in that sense. Uh for
those that are ages 3 to 12, we have
charge $6, supposed to increase it to
10. And then for those age ages zero to
three, we don't charge for that one.
For our Christmas parade, we do have a
parade entry $25. We'll keep it the
same. We do have booth fees for vendors
that are out there. It's usually $50. We
supposed to keep the same for our Dia de
los Muertos event. Again, if you guys
were there for that event, that was very
well attended. Um because of the high
demand, high attendance, we can now
raise our fees and for the vendors, it
becomes more worth it because we can
prove that the put traffic's there. Uh
so for a 10 by10 craft boot, we've
charged $50. We propose 55 for a 10 x10
food booth. Again, $50. We propose 65
for food truck. $50 to 150. The reason
for the food truck being so much
different is the amount of square
footage they take up. Also, the required
lot of permitting that the county
requires us to give as well to have the
food truck there. And so that cost of
having the food truck there offsets that
cost. We also charge an alter fee for
those that want to have an alter. It's
$25. Plan on keeping that the same.
As far as our cheese and wine festival,
um again, for those that have attended,
it's been rocking the last couple years.
Uh we'll do a presentation next uh next
city council, which I'll be gladly to
report, give you guys a sneak peek. Uh
we
uh when we presented the budget, we were
looking at trying to break even. We were
profitable $8,500 this past year. So,
uh, again, with the high demand that
we're able to show, with the high
attendance, we can now alter our fees to
charge more since we're kind of getting
that traction going in the right
direction. So, for a 10x10 retail space,
the fee is $75. Currently, we propose a
move to $85.
And for a 10 x 20, 150 to 170 and then
10 by30 retail, 225 to 255.
For the food part of it, so 10 x10 food,
it's currently 125. We're proposed to go
to 130. 10 by 20 uh was 250 go to 260.
And then 10 by 30 food 375. We proposed
390.
Uh one big change we're looking at is
last time we were here, we had to
outline what each sponsorship tier level
was. Um we have a lot of people wanting
to sponsor help out with the event, but
don't fit within those exact tiers. We
have someone that say, "Hey, I
um you have a tier for $1,000. I can
give you uh something adds up to about
$1,100. So, do I go into the next high
tier or do I go into the lower tier
right there at the thousand? And so, it
kind of is a little bit convoluted there
for us. And so, we proposed kind of a
range to where it gives us the the
flexibility to alter sponsorships in a
way that um best the department sees
best fit. Um similar to the cheese and
wine programming, we do have new
programs that we throw out, new ideas,
new activities. Some are hits, some are
duds. And so again, it gives us the
flexibility to create new and if it's a
hit, bring it back. And we can set
established fee there. Um that's could
be longterm as opposed to us kind of
being this unknown area of what do we
charge for this new thing we want to do
without getting approval. And similar to
merchandise as well, if we do decide to
sell merchandise, we can figure out our profit margin, what we want to make
on that. And again, we the goal is not
to keep on coming back to the council
with every single item we want to try to
do.
Um, other events we have our polar bear
plunge that's been we've done this for
the past two years. It's been a
successful event. Um, so again, similar
to what we've been saying, if it's a
good event, we'll bring it back to the
fee schedule. Uh, polar plunge doesn't
have its own area, so we want to throw
it in here for $5. That's what we've
been charging. And then we have our my
little one and me dance, which this next
Saturday will be our third time doing
it. Uh we charge 25 or $45 per ticket
which includes a ticket for an adult and
a child. And then for additional tickets
it's $15.
And then our food truck Fridays. Um
again that's been a success. We want to
make sure it has its own area in the fee
schedule. So for a 10 by10 booth it's
$45. For a food truck it's $65. And then
we have a floating pumpkin patch event
which is $10 at the pool.
Uh for our facility rentals, this is
where we get get spicy here, get some
fun in here. Um this is going to be an
example what I mentioned before of we
have very
um convoluted pricing for our facilities
and we're trying to simplify as best we
can. So I'll start with the current
fees. So for the community center, um
our current fee is based on depending on
what you're doing. So if you're a
resident, it's $1,700 for the entire
day. For a non-resident it's $2,000, but
if you're a nonprofit, it's $600. But if
you're doing a memorial service, it's
$400. We also have in there for like a
meeting rate, too. If it's $50 an hour,
if you want to do meetings and so we try
to talk with people about what are you
doing, it's
a lot of questions to figure out, okay,
what's the true price point for you? And
when we're trying to get that
information out to residents or people
that want to use a facility, it's a lot
of information to go through that makes
sense. And so, we propose to kind of
make that very simple. Uh so we propose
a residential rate which is $150 per
hour and for a non-resident rate it's
$200 per hour. Um we solve two issues
with that. One is um we're able to cut
our expenditures a little bit. So for
our all day rentals we do have staff on
site all day which if someone's there
for half day obviously we don't spend
that much but if we have an all day
rental we actually start losing money.
Um so this per hour covers us to where
we charge for when they're using the
facility. No, we start making money on
that side. The other thing, too, is we
get a lot of questions on people want to
use our facilities, but they don't want
to pay $1,700 for a half day event. So,
with this, it kind of makes it more
accessible to where if someone wants to
use a half day at the community center,
we have that available now where they
can pay by the hour. Uh, with that said,
we'll be limiting the service group
rate. So, we won't be offering a rate
for nonprofits
um and or memorial services. Um the idea
behind that is with last year city
council approving a fee waiver
application for nonprofits. We've had
multiple nonprofits apply. I think all
but one have been approved. The one that
did not get approved was a they want to
do a private event. Nothing for public
benefit. Um so that's available to
nonprofits that want to use our
facilities. Um since we have that
mechanism there. We also do have
amenities at the community center that
people can rent. The stage is $200.
We'll keep the same sound system $100.
keep the same. We also have a microphone
that people can rent. We th $50 for the
microphone. We have a podium which is on
the fee schedule. People charge $25 for
the day use. And then for those that
serve alcohol on site, our policies that
we require security on site and we
contract out with security usually for
that. Uh we use the cost to pass along
to the renter. So it's an additional
cost on top of their fee. Uh right now
onel is charging us $38 an hour for to
have a guard on site. So to pass on the
cost to the renter that will will get
onel out there for their event.
For Scout Hall, currently we charge $35
per uh for the day for the residents,
400 for non-residents. We're looking to
break that turn that to a per hour rate.
So $75 per hour and then $100 per hour
for non-residents. Keep the deposit the
same. And then again, we'll have the
security rate there.
uh teen center in the current schedule.
We have it available for rent uh for
rentals. We don't do it that way because
we do have some of valuables in there.
Computers, games that we don't want
damaged, misused, stolen. Um however, in
case something does come up, we figure
no issue of keeping it in there. In case
something does come up, that's worth exploring. Uh the only addition
that we have there is a deposit there.
Uh we do have our gym rental. We do uh
have a partnership with the car with the
Riverbank Unified School District to use
the Cardoo gym. Um we do have groups
that use the facility every day of the
week usually for volleyball programs,
adult basketball,
um mainly adult basketball. Uh we look
at um they pay about $50 a day. Um and
that's usually about four hours use. we
start looking at that is a loss of city
money as we do have a staff member on
site that's costing us around $20 an
hour. Um, one thing we started noticing
is we do have groups that are open to
the public so anyone can come
participate. We also have groups that
are closed off to the public, meaning
they just have their friends come
together and they play basketball
without having that access. And so we're
proposing a change in that dynamic to
where if we're using taxpayer dollars to
subsidize, it should be available to the
public. And so we're going to try to
change the use to public use and private
use. If your program that you're
offering is available to the public,
you're not going to turn anyway unless
you hit capacity or if there's violation
of city rules, we propose a $15 per hour
fee. And that's kind of in line with
what the current measures are paying um
for private use. for those that are
using the facility for their own friends
groups to go play at the facility and we
proposing $100 per hour which is our
cost recovery to operate the facility
with the utilities with staffing um and
also a little bit of profit there as
again it's closed off to the public. We
do require a deposit of $250 and then
for those that want to use the
scoreboard it's $50.
Uh for the sports complex uh the current
fee is $25 an hour. We plan on keeping
that the same. We also we plan on
increasing the deposit here from $250 to
300 for those that use the facility. Um
oftent times there's trash left behind.
It's just a big field to where it's hard
to really clean everything up all at
once. And so we have to propose a
increase that to again if we have to
withhold deposit money we're able to do
that. Uh staffing we do charge for a
staff member specifically to be on site
for that. Pass fee schedule is $20 an
hour with minimum wage increases our
costs go up a little bit. So we're
proposing $22 per hour. Lights per field
is $30 per hour. $35 per hour.
Scoreboard rental will keep the same.
And then snack bar rental will keep the
same.
I believe this is our last slide here.
So we have a Castleberg Park ball
diamonds. Um we do charge for that. Uh
we do field use uh $30 per hour. We
wanted to clarify it a little bit, make
it more clear. We are proposing $30 $30
per hour per field as $30 does not
encapsulate both the two fields are out
there. Uh we currently do not charge a
deposit or it's not in the fee schedule.
So we want to put it in there. The
lights are saying they're not in the fee
schedule, but we want to include it in
there. $35 per hour per per field. I
think in the in the schedule it either
has it for both fields. We want to kind
of identify it's per field.
site monitor. It's $20 an hour. Again,
with the minimum wage increases, we want
to bring up to $22 an hour. Uh, one
request we've gotten from our local
baseball group is to drag the field.
Again, with our staffing time with
full-timers and machinery and equipment,
we've estimated it's about $75 per field
to do. And then concession stand uh to
kind with this to what we're doing at
the sports complex. $200 a day. We
figured it would be the same charge $20
per day at the at the at Castleberg. And
then lastly, we have the Zurel Park
tennis courts. We do have a key to the
tennis court. We do lock it up. Um and
so we do charge $5 for that key. We will
add that to the fee schedule. And then
if we do want to go down the course of
having our courts rentable for the
public as we do have pickle ballers that
like to be on the courts on the weekends
and use all the courts if someone wants
to rent, you know, reserve a spot so
that way they don't they can play with
their friends and family and not be
overtaken by
pickle ballers, they can do that as
well. And we're proposing $10 per hour
per court.
Um so that that was a mouthful. a lot of
changes that were that we're proposing
and so I'm available for questions if
council and the public have any.
>> Thank you. I will bring it to council
first. Are there any questions or
comments?
>> Okay. So, I'll go first. See if I got my
notes correct. So, slide five. Michael,
>> you're making me go back a long way
here.
>> You said you said write down the slides.
>> All right. Let's hear it
>> and we'll ask you questions. Uh just
curious. So for the Jacob Myers park, do
we have any signage as far as when we
actually charge there at the dropboxes?
>> Yes, we have a sign right at the very
front and we also have an iron ranger
which is located by the restroom where
those that um when we do charge and
they're not there to collect the money.
They can go there and drop in uh money
in the envelope. We do have a sign there
that does state when fees are accepted.
>> Okay. I would I would just suggest maybe
adding it to the actual Dropbox because
I It's on there.
cuz cuz I looked for it the other day
and I I couldn't find it. So maybe you
have Ranger and then right behind is a
big sign. That's
>> okay.
>> So I I have noticed some residents um we
were there November and I was watching
some residents they were dropping stuff
in there. I'm assuming they were paying
so maybe.
>> Yeah. No, absolutely.
>> Uh if we can go to slide 13.
So, for the sponsorship, you said it was
uh you guys are trying to be more
flexible with the cheese and wine
sponsorships there. Third line from the
bottom there. [clears throat] Uh is it
going to stay tiered or can you explain
that a little bit?
>> So, yeah, we still plan to keep it
tiered.
>> Okay.
>> Um
>> one of the things we've been seeing,
like I said, people have different
offerings. So, I'll give you a great
example. Last year, um Raising Canes
came in with a sponsorship of $1,000
cash, which was a tier level. The next
level up was 2500, but they were willing
to offer us free meals to our city
staff, all volunteers that day and gift
gap baskets for raffles. And so trying
to figure out, okay, does it does not
quite meet the cost of the 2500 tier,
but not the thousand tier. So where do
we fit in all this?
>> Yeah.
>> And so we don't want to offset, hey,
you're stuck to the thousand though.
You're giving us so much great things.
And so it gives us flexibility to kind
of figure out what we want to do there.
And so that's something staff. We're
actually meeting tomorrow to kind of
talk about this coming 2026 and how we
plan on doing that. So I think as we
come to to the next city council, we're
going to talk to you guys about our plan
for 2026. We'll kind of outline
sponsorships there. Gota kind of get
that flexibility there, what we're
thinking, right? We do plan on keeping
it tiered in a sense. So we might
increase it a little bit, maybe move
things around. Um, but again, we don't
want to be tied down to something where
say come August, we have to switch
things up and it's like we're kind of
hands behind our back here.
>> Gotcha. Okay. Uh, jump to 14. So, the
food truck fee. Uh, second one from the
bottom. Just kind of curious why that
one is a lot lower than the than the D
loss muertos one.
>> Yeah. So, this is per week. So, food
truck fries goes for all the fries in
May. So, you have four Fridays there. So
the TIFF they use supply to the county
is good for whatever the event is in
general. So they don't have to keep on
submitting TIFFs every single time.
>> So the 150 is for the one day, this is
for four weeks.
>> Yeah. So 65 is for one day. So 65 times
4 if they tend to be there the whole
time is 250 some odd dollars there.
>> Got it. Uh two more. Uh slide 15. So the
next one there. Um did did for the
community center did you guys ever
consider maybe like uh maybe minimum
hours for that or is there no minimum
hours for that?
>> So we have it set to where if it's one
hour we're going to make money off of
it. Okay.
>> And so if someone wants to use it for
the one hour um again increase
accessibility. So one of the biggest
complaints we hear from the public is we
have two main rental facilities. Scout
Hall which the capacity is around 50
people and then community center which
is 300. So for those that want to do
like a 150 people but aren't able to
afford $1,700 for that much,
>> right?
>> This gives a little bit more
flexibility. It's like, hey, you can do
a, you know, middlesiz group, but you
like half day instead of paying $1,700,
you can pay $750 instead. And so as far
as the minimum goes, we don't need it.
We have the staffing capabilities for
it. And again, if they do one hour, we
have we're gonna make money off of it.
>> Okay, cool.
>> So you touched on cost recovery. My last
question. So slide 17. So is there cost
recovery at that 15 bucks per hour? So
that
>> so it's not it the city will still be
subsidizing it.
>> Okay.
>> Um it's I think we looked at our current
renters. It's maybe additional $10 a
month.
>> Um but again that our perspective is if
it's available to the public again we're
not charging we're not running the
program ourselves. It becomes worth that
subsidizing because it's for the public
good. Um so that was kind of the thought
process there. We do have again senior
basketball. We do have women's
volleyball,
um basketball again on Sunday, Sundays.
So there's just a lot of good things
that are offering that if we try to do
it inhouse, we'd be spending a lot of
money on staffing and all that kind of
stuff. And so um so we figured it's
worth to have some sort of subsidizing
there. Um again, if it's open to the
public. Thank you.
>> Eight. So this is a public hearing, so
we're going to open it for public
comment. any comments or online.
» Mayor, we did not receive any comment
cards or written public comment and I do
not see anyone on Zoom wishing to speak
on this item.
» May I say one thing though? I see that
we so the parks and recreation
department I do want to make a note of
this real quick. So what is what we have
here is what the fee schedule will be.
So, we did not include items that are
being crossed out um that are not being
taken in consideration or that have been
going on that we are plan on
eliminating. So, one of the comments
that I've received today and kind of be
transparent with the city council is at
Jacob Myers Park um we do get um one of
the fees that we do offer is if you have
a handicap placard um there is no charge
to enter the park. um we are proposing
to eliminate that that they are taking a
parking space at the park and they're
using the amenities that we do charge
them the the rate that we charge
everyone else. So that is one other
change that's not listed here as we are
planning on taking that out.
» No public comment
I will close the public hearing and
bring it back to council. Is there any
more comments or questions? Any motion?
I'll make a motion to approve item 10.1.
>> I second.
>> Roll call, please.
>> Council member,
>> yes.
>> Council member FSY,
>> yes.
>> Council member Call,
>> yes.
>> Vice Mayor Pimementel,
>> yes.
>> Mayor Hernandez,
>> yes.
>> Motion passes 5-0.
>> Thank you. Item 10 or 11.1. We have a
presentation by Chief Reinower on
current staffing allocations and a
five-year plan for Riverbank Police
Services and to consider a resolution
authorizing the reallocation of one
community resource deputy position to a
patrol deputy position.
>> As stated in the title of the present of
the item, Chief Ridau will provide this
presentation.
» Good evening, Mayor and Council. So
tonight we're going to talk about uh you
know the staffing of Riverbank Police
Services as it sits today and then the
future moving forward.
So in summary, the three items I'm going
to cover tonight is going to be the
proposed recommend um reallocation of
our currently requested additional CRD
uh to patrol operations and then I'm
going to talk about um the future
staffing recommendation coming forward
at budget year and then also provide you
with a five-year staffing plan.
So this is a organizational chart for
our sworn personnel at Riverbank Police
Services. So on both sides of the the
slide here, you have our patrol on our A
squad and a B squad. And that represents
the first half of the week, which is
staffed Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, every
other Wednesday, and the second half of
the week, which is Thursday, Friday,
Saturday, and every other Wednesday.
Those are all 12-hour shifts, and that's
how we maintain coverage 247 for patrol.
when you call 911 that we have someone
to respond. So then when you look below
those areas they mirror on both sides,
our patrol deputies, we have two
dayshift deputies, a swing shift deputy
and two graveyard deputies. We do have
in our contract that we always will have
at least two deputies on to answer calls
for service at all times. So there's
backfill behind those if someone's out
for vacation, training, sick, whatever
it may be. The swing shift position,
however, is not backfilled and that's
why I have it in gray there. So, that is
a spot that is filled occasionally, and
we'll get into later slides how often
that is and is not filled and why that
is the way it is covered. So, again, I
mentioned those are 12-hour shifts. Our
dayshift operations are from 7:00 a.m.
to 7:00 p.m. Uh, swing shift is 300 p.m.
to 3:00 a.m. and graveyard is 7:00 p.m.
to 7:00 a.m.
Now, down the middle is our
administrative division. Uh, you guys
all know Sergeant Hickman who runs that
portion of it. Uh this is typically our
guys that are working those business
hours that Monday through Friday um
generally hours. So we have three
detectives, we have three traffic
deputies, of course we have one
community deputy now and one more that
has been requested and that shows you
where that vacancy at is highlighted
there in the blue color and then our
school resource officer. So with all our
positions, we're currently allocated 23
swarm positions. And that provides us a
ratio of 088 per 10,000 residents with a
current population of roughly 26,000
residents in Riverbank.
So our first recommendation tonight is
going to be reallocate the already
requested CRT position to patrol. Uh
this will ensure that we have three and
sometimes four deputies uh available for
calls or service during our peak hours
during outside of our norm normal
business hours.
So right now I kind of remind everybody
what the community resource deputy
position is. Um is one of our very
important positions because they focus
on those quality of life issues, things
that they have a little more time where
they're not handling calls for service
per se. They don't have a case load, per
se, but they have time to focus on the
issues around our community, whether
it's a neighborhood watch program going
on. Maybe it's blight, maybe it's
graffiti, um working with our in-house
folks. So, we made this request for an
additional deputy because it was very
successful back in beginning of 2024
around March with a two to three year
recruitment trying from the sheriff's
office to hire, train, and get us a
deputy down the road. So, right now,
we're sitting almost two years in that
position.
So, I'll kind of get in the reason why
that position was requested back in
2024. So, in 2024, beginning of that, we
were under the Supreme Court ruling.
They basically said, the Ninth Circuit
said that when you have an unhoused
person that was in public areas, whether
it's a park that's enforced by community
guidelines, rules, the park must be
closed at night. You were not allowed to
move trespass violations. You couldn't
enforce a trespass violation unless you
had a bed to move somebody who had low
barriers. So obviously the county
struggled AC across the state actually
right you saw we had encampments going
up and down um our highways throughout
the communities. So our CD often find
themselves spending almost all their
time engaging our homeless folks or
unhouse folks. I remember I was going
out there daily when we had all our
folks that were living in our parks and
engaging those folks and getting the
resources they need and it was very
labor intensive. Um but it didn't allow
our CRD to focus on other issues in our
community. So that's why we requested
that additional position back in March
of 2024.
So moving forward, um the US Supreme
Court heard the case and they decided
that this was
you could go back to enforcing trespass
again, right? They basically said it
wasn't legal to not enforce for unhoused
folks to take over public spaces, not be
for trespass violations um simply
because you didn't have a place to put
them. Right? they made it a crime again
to be trespassing in parks after hours
uh making a campus on longer public
access areas. So when that changed it
immediately empowered all of our sworn
staff um in Riverbank and across the
street the state to enforce trespass
violations. So that freed up our
community resource deputy to now focus
on other issues in our community besides
just the unhoused folks. And now you see
that they still do with a lot of their
time with their own house folks. They
know them all. they still connect them
with resources the same they were before
but now there's this understanding that
hey you can't you can't just camp in
this park all day long right it's open
for all of our residents not just a
particular group and I think we have a
pretty good relationship with those
folks now especially with the Sierra
house we have a great working leadership
with them and Julia and we have good
plans in place for that
so that kind of brings me back to why we
want to reallocate this position so
right now again to go back to patrol we
have those two squads I spoke about
earlier uh outlining their shifts again
on this slide and I show how the swing
ship position is often not filled
and a reminder that we do have that
required two deputies staffed at all
times.
This kind of shows you our calls for
service going back to 2020 to 2025.
Um, our river, our city has grown and
continues to grow and our daily swell of
population that comes into our
communities to shop at our shopping
centers also increases. Um, I don't have
a good way to measure that, but we do
see the increase of population coming
from outside Riverbank to come use our
shopping centers. And plus, you have the
traffic as we're located in a major
thoroughare from up in the mountains,
people coming through. So, we see a lot
of traffic through our community. So,
our folks are staying very busy
throughout the day with calls for
service. So we averaged right around
11,10,500
calls for service um for the first four
years there and then in 2024 and 25 we
see a spike and now we're closer to
12,500 creeping up to 13,000 calls for
service in the air. So we're increasing
in our in our workload um as we move
forward with the with the growth and
that kind of corresponds with how we've
been growing and the new stuff that's
occurring in our community.
So this slide, there's a lot going on
here, but this is regarding retail
theft. So there's two columns. On on the
far left is a chart that kind of shows
you the number of incidents of theft
that's reported to Riverink Police
Services. On the right is the the
reported loss of goods from those
incidents. So the red correlates to how
many incidents were reported to us in
2024 and and 25 respectively. And the
blue line shows the value for each year.
So, you see both that we're trending
upwards from 2024 to 2025. Even with the
new law changes, we're still seeing
repeat offenders. Um, however, we are
making large strides and and breaking
down like the retail theft, not just the
people that are stealing the stuff, but
where it's going, right? The fencing
operations they're supplying. We have
another one we're working on right now.
And last year, we were very successful.
I think we got almost $25,000 just at
one location of items out that we
recovered. So, it kind of shows you
idea, but this is that goes back to
increased calls for service for our
deputies, right? We we provide what I like to rec call is a high level
of customer service. If you call 911 um
for somebody who shoplifted, we're going
to respond. Some of our neighboring
agencies don't do that. Um they refer
people to online reporting centers. We
still respond. We still take those
reports. And because of that, we're very
successful in locating responsibles and making arrests in those cases.
So swing shift like I was mentioned
earlier about how it's vacant. So I went
back and looked at our staffing schedule
for 2024 and 25 and it's pretty much on
point between each year. Um in 24 there
was 156 times that shift was left
vacant. In 25 158 so pretty much neck
and neck the same time. But that's
almost half the year that that spot is
left unfilled. And the reason being is
specifically for our graveyard folks.
There's only there's only two of them.
And the pool to backfill that with is is
really those are the only folks working
because everybody else has worked during
the day already. So we can take our
sling shift and when those graveyard
vacancies are there, we can push them in
to fill that vacancy. During the day is
not an issue because as I mentioned
earlier, we have all those detectives,
traffic, community resource deputies
that we can immediately fill those
resources with on duty staff and also
helps us not incur overtime. But some of
these shifts are also backfilled not
just with swing shift but also with
overtime as well. Um some of the reasons
is uh the trainings that deputies
required. Every deputy is required u
ongoing and mandatory trainings. They
have vacations and there's also sick and
family bombing time.
So I want to talk about our response
time. This kind of helps show a picture
of the difference between what I'm going
to talk about is our normal business
hours where we have all that additional
staff that's working. um that Monday
through Friday when we have all of our
detectives, our traffic folks are here,
our community deputies here, um the
school resource deputies here, we
average about 3.6 minute average
response time during those hours. And
our calls for service and activity is
generally busier during this time of the
day, right? That's when people are
shopping in our shopping centers
heavily, right? That's when people are
commuting through our communities.
That's when businesses are open. We can
do follow-up from our investigations.
So, it it does correspond with the
amount of staff working those hours.
makes sense that they're working during
those hours just because that's normal
business hours people operate for
followup and schools and then you also
got to remember like I mentioned earlier
we generally have 8 to 10 deputies
working any given time Monday through
Friday 8 to 5
when you look at the non- business hours
which is anything that's after 5:00 pm
Monday through Friday and then all day
Saturday and Sunday uh we have a 60%
increase in response time and now we're
averaging 5.7 minutes to respond to a
call and typically there's there's only
two deputies available because that
swing shift's not there. That's further
reduced when either we make an arrest or
we transport somebody to the hospital or
maybe it's behavioral health. Um that
deputy is now out of the community or
there's another incident that may be
just outside of city limits that we're
assisting with that could have no
deputies in the city during those time
periods.
This chart shows the difference between
business and non-b businessiness hours
just showing that difference and and it
kind of also shows you per month over
the last year um how the calls for
service and the response times do
fluctuate based upon a variety of
reasons, right? It could be weather
related, people are staying more indoors
or outdoors or people take advantage of
the fog, more thefts are increasing. But
it does show that consistently our
response times are always longer in that
non-b businessiness hours just because
we have less staff working.
So if we were to reallocate that
community deputy position, this kind of
shows you where that moves. It goes from
that center column at the bottom where
they would be and we put them on that B
squad. Again, the B squad is the later
half of the week, the Thursday, Friday,
Saturday from that 3 pm to 3:00 a.m.
shift. So that would in at times during
those busy peak hours we would generally
have four deputies on the handle calls
for service. Granted the swing shift
still may be used to cover a graveyard
shift that would allow us to have three.
We would never get rid we would never go
down to zero swing shifts at this point.
We would always have it mandatory filled
at one. Um and that's simply done by
staffing to make sure we allocate it
that way.
Uh our staffing ratio wouldn't change
because it's still 23 to total sworn
staff. We're not changing that. We're
just moving it from the community deputy
position over to a patrol uh swing
shship position.
All right. So then it goes into my uh
second recommendation. This is going to
be um talking about for a future future
budget item but getting the presentation
to your to you guys tonight. So my my
other request is that we would request a
second deputy for patrol now. And just
remember that when we request that
position from the sheriff's office,
we're looking at that 2 to three year
fulfillment time. But we also got to
looking forward, right? So if we we
ordered it now, we're talking 20 28 29
before we actually see that that deputy
actually come out to us. This would be
an increase in funding, right? because
this will be a new position to the city
riverbank and that roughly is 160,000
per year which in covers all the the
benefits and rollups that come with that
employee cost as well. If we were to
approve this deputy it would bring us up
to 24 sworn staff right for our 26,000
residents which increased our ratio to
0.92 deputies per 1000 residents.
And this kind of shows you where we put
that second spot which we move it to the
A squad. So now you would have those two
swing shifts on both A squad and B
squad. And this this staffing model that
we're showing here is very similar to
what we run uh in the city of Patterson,
which is a city that's much like size to
us and call volume. So it's very similar
to how they run operations as well. So
this is not something that's totally
abnormal. It just makes sense to have
somebody that's working. So when someone
calls 911 or calls for help that we have
somebody to respond to you um in those
after hours.
So quickly, we have a five-year staffing
plan here, but just just be mindful kind
of like when I spoke earlier about we
requested a community resource deputy
that that was what was needed at that
time. So this is kind of like looking at
today based upon current legislation,
current trends, looking at future growth
of our city is what the wish list would
be to add deputies in there. So
obviously the first requested was the
one I just requested which is that uh
had that additional deputy. Hopefully we
can consider that at fisc or at budget
year and then going forward would be
bringing back that community deputy uh
additional deputy because I still think
that's an important item for our
community and then after that would be
increasing another traffic deputy. Uh as
it is now we do have three traffic
deputies for the city of riverbank which
is which is fairly good for a city of
our size. But it's one of those things
where I talk about you can't always just
go by just the size or a certain ratio,
right? We see a lot of traffic in the
city of Riverbank. Oakdale's a community
that's roughly populated similar to us,
but we have much more traffic, believe
it or not, coming through our tooth than
they do. And we see a lot more traffic
incidents than they do.
And then going beyond that, we're
looking at detectives. And the reason I
put detectives in there, again, I'm
looking so far out. You're talking about
filling these in 2031 32. I can only
believe that technology continues to be
the future and with technology yes it
does help us but it takes a lot of
people investigators to extract that
information and make arrest. So
hopefully that's the idea but any
positions that we request down the road
my recommendation we request a deputy
from the sheriff's office and then as it
gets closer we can decide that hey we
want that to be a community deputy want
to be the traffic deputy. we can choose
as it's closer to that time period
because we need to be working in the
moment, right? Being fluid and reactive
to what's going on in our community.
And generally the benchmark for a city
site is that one one sworn deputy per
10,00 residents, right? So today we're
sitting at 26,000 people. So you're
looking you would roughly want 26 sworn
staff. Um again being mindful that's not
like a hard set number but that's a
general general idea to keep you a
balance of ideas especially for our city
or our size it makes sense the further
you grow you start uh scaling that back
and you also got to look at you know
what is our training numbers doing are
we going up in cost for service are we
staying stagnant are we seeing an
increase what is legislation change so
there's a lot more to that but currently
speaking I think that's a good way to
staff our community
and that was uh I went quickly clear
everything. So, I'm sure there'll be
questions and we can go back and revisit
items.
>> Thank you so much. Yes, that was that
was great. Um, is there any comments or
questions right now from council
>> if we were to move the uh CRD position
requisite to a patrol deputy? How
quickly would that position get filled
at that point?
>> So, I did call the main sheriff's office
today to kind of find out where we're at
in that two to three weight period. We
are sitting at number one of the list
right now. Um, we do have a large
meeting tomorrow. So hopefully after
getting through tonight's decision and
figure out how we're going to allocate
that that I can get that position
recruited and hopefully get it filled in
the the near future. We do have 10
people coming out of the police academy.
Um, granted, even though they come out,
they have about three months of training
before they hit the streets, but
hopefully they have it filled in the
near future. Our shift change is at into
April and typically is that's when we
see a new position. It's just a good
timing to transition someone in. So it
could be as soon as April.
>> And then I know there may be concerns
with the community resource deputy
requisite going away. Um and so I kind
of wanted you to talk about the care
team a little bit and the access that we
have in Riverbank to the care team from
the sheriff's department because they
can kind of help with some of that
outreach that previously in 2024 that
the CRD was doing.
>> Yeah. So we're not getting rid of a CRD,
right? So we're keeping the same CRD
that we have today, right? We're just
not adding an additional one as their
recommendation. But the county care team
is the team that does we work very
closely with them like handinand um the
point in time count coming up pretty
soon. We're already working with them to
tell you know hey these are where our
inhouse folks are at um different
locations but they have all the tools
and resources from the county to provide
people with the the documents they need
that housing um training all those
things. So we work very closely with
them and we do tell them where our
unhoused people are located and they
regularly come out. We have them set at
least once or twice a month that they
come out and engage those folks. So
nothing would change there. So that same
engagement would continue. It's just we
wouldn't bring the recommendation is not
to bring an additional CRD because we
can we can basically use the resources
we have available.
>> Any other questions?
I just want to comment. I'm really happy
to see the presentation and the response
times. And I also just want to note as
I'm driving around in the community, I
do see sheriffs and that's nice to be
able to see them out there um in the
community and I appreciate the service
that you guys are providing. Um doing a
great job. I love that you're taking
down these people that want to just go
in and grab. Um I'd like to see that
more. I like to see videos. Yeah. Um but
I appreciate your service.
>> Thank you.
And I'm going to just add to that. I
speak from experience. So I work in
Modesto and so when we do get calls for
theft or anything like that. Uh we do
get oh maybe in two hours or sometimes
they don't show up at all. So the
customer service that you guys are
providing I I see a ton of value in
that. So I appreciate you guys for
everything you're doing. Uh you made a
comment at the end there. Um I think you
were talking about maybe like the
population growth. You said the further
you go you scale back. So are you saying
like as your population grow the metrics
evolves or
>> what I'm saying is so as a as a
community grows right let's say you get
to you know a city of 300,000 people
you're probably not going to have 300
police officers right it starts getting
you start having the resources you're
more condensed and you have more focused
eventually get to a point where you have
enough people to respond to things 247
>> you have other metrics right like
technology and stuff like that when
you're a smaller community you're trying
to do a lot with little right so our
guys our detectives they're not just
specialized in one area like other
cities Your detectives may specialize in
just gangs or they may just be retail
theft or they may just be homicide. Our
detectives do all those things. Child
crimes, homicide, they do all of it. So,
you're doing more with less right now.
And as you grow, you have more of those
issues. So, then you reallocate those
resources elsewhere to focus on whatever
is going on in your community at that
time.
>> Yeah. No. And shout out to you guys uh
responsiveness wise, like that's a huge
thing. Um I had a a chance to meet with
four residents uh yesterday. Um they
kind of shared a bunch of security
concerns in town. Um they wanted to
restart a neighborhood watch in their
area. So I want to give a shout out to
Tina who's in the audience uh for for
setting up that meeting. Um I I
forwarded all those concerns to you guys
and you passed that on to Deputy Tovar
CRD and connected uh connected them
immediately. And so thank you guys for doing that and just showing why it's
important to have a CRD as well. So
thank you.
>> And I appreciate you um mentioning what
the moment's calling for. And so this
makes sense um especially with the
increased traffic from all the
construction that we're seeing. So that
transition would make a lot of sense as
we approach the budget talks um in a
couple months. Could you bring data that
uh disagregates what the calls for
service are? Would you be able to do
that
>> as far as like what type of calls for
service?
>> Yeah, we can bring something that's very
similar what's in the year report. Is
that what you're referring to? Like show
>> or if you could just forward it to us.
Yeah,
>> directly. Yeah, absolutely. check that
out. Definitely.
» So, as council is aware, we do prepare a
year-end report and so all of those
statistics will be included there as
well.
>> Thank you. Um, are there any comments
from the public
or online?
>> Mayor, I do not receive any comment
cards and I do not see anyone on Zoom
wishing to speak on this item.
>> All right. I will bring it back to
council for any more comments or a
motion.
I'd like to go ahead and make a
resolution authorizing the reallocation
of one community resource deputy
position to patrol deputy position.
>> And I'll second it.
>> Roll call, please.
>> Council member Odiva.
>> Yes.
>> Council member FSY.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Call.
>> Yes.
>> Vice Mayor Pimementel.
>> Yes.
>> Mayor Hanned.
>> Yes.
>> Motion passes 5-0.
>> Thank you.
All right. 11.2. to the adoption of a
groundwater use management program in
the Modesto groundwater subbasin.
>> Mayor and councel, public works director
Cody Bridgewwater will provide this
report.
» Mayor, members of the council.
This presentation and the following have
to do with our groundwater um
sustainability plan that was submitted
in 2022 as part of a requirement of
Sigma which is the sustainable
groundwater management act. So 11.2 is
the Modesto subbasin groundwater use
management program.
In September of 2014, Governor Brown
signed legislation creating the
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act
or SIGMA to provide local groundwater
sustainability agencies within with the
authority and technical financial
assistance necessary to sustainably
manage groundwater.
February of 2017, Sturgba or the Stannis
Losi Regional Groundwater Basin Alliance
GSA was formed with Riverbank Oakdale
Waterford Modesto uh Modesto Irrigation
District and Oakdale Irrigation
District. The groundwater sustainability
plan or GSP was submitted to the
Department of Water Resources on January
31st of 2022.
And January 18th, 2024, the DWR issued
an incomplete determination letter to
the Modesto subbasin.
That letter included three items. The
two there in bold refer to the
groundwater use management plan and the
third item, the well mitigation program
that will be on the following uh
presentation. So the first two items
would be include reasonable means to
arrest groundwater level declines and
stop overdraft in the subbasin and
provide pumping management framework or
groundwater allocation and pumping
management program.
So the Modesto groundwater subbasin
is a high priority basin of
approximately 245,253
acres in size bounded by Stannos River
on the north, Talami River on the south,
Sanwaqin River on the west and the
crystalline basement rocks of the Sierra
Nevada foothills on the east. The
subbasin itself relies on two primary
sources of water supply. Both surface
water from the Santa Loss and Towi
rivers and groundwater pumped from the
principal aquifers described in the
groundwater sustainability plan.
It's about 64% agricultural land, 13%
urban and then 23% non-ag non-errigated
undeveloped and surface water area. In
1996
we were approximately 40% agricultural.
So over the last 20 years you've had a
40% increase in irrigated a land
and this is just a review of the
previous slide. So the Modesto subbasin
was broken up into management areas.
You have there in the blue that's the
Oakdale irrigation uh management area.
In the green Modesto irrigation
management area, the kind of orang-ish
color off to the east that's the
non-district east management area. And
then the management area which city of
Riverbank is part of is non-district
west which is the yellow that kind of
borders the east or sorry the west side
and the north and the south.
So the purpose of the groundwater use
management plan is to respond to the
department of water resources incomplete
determination letter
by arresting groundwater level declines
and stopping overdraft and providing
pumping management and demand reduction
framework.
So why the demand management is needed
long-term groundwater declines in the
non-district east and Oakdale areas. So
you have supply project timing and
funding uncertainties and then the
groundwater use management plan serves a
backs stop to protect sustainability
goals.
The framework you have equitable
distribution of sustainable yield and
based on measurable groundwater pumping
volumes and adaptive and updated over
time. So the goal of the framework is to
equitably distribute the sustainable
yield to each management area throughout
the subbasin and allow the management
area stewards to decide how to implement
components of the framework in their
respective management areas as needed to
operate within those allocations.
So in your Modesto management area you
have Modesto Irrigation District, city
of Modesto, city of Waterford. Oakdale
management area is Oakdale Irrigation
District and city of Oakdale.
Non-district west management area is
Stannis Los County and city of riverbank
and nond district east manage management
area is Stannis County and Tommy County
GSA.
Sustainable yield is defined under sigma
as the maximum quantity of water
calculated over a base period
representative of long-term conditions
in the basin including any temporary
surplus that can be withdrawn annually
from the groundwater supply without
causing an undesirable result. So the
calculated sustainable yield for the
Modesto subbasin is 267,000 acre feet
per year and that was based on long-term
modeling and this ensures the avoidance
of undesirable results under sigma.
There are special considerations
integrated into the plan. Uh so these
developed water supplies are credited to
importing entities and dimminimous uh
water users that use less than 2 acre
feet per year are exempt from reductions
and municipal users such as the city of
Riverbank are capped at historical
pumping levels. So just a 4-year average
for the city of Riverbank we did
approximately 4,250
acre feet per year.
The GSA designated municipal water users
as a special case and limited their
future groundwater use to their
historical groundwater use. And this
decision was supported by several local
and state requirements for implementing
water use efficiency programs. So we
currently have the making conservation
as a California way of life requirement
that the state of California passed and
that's a regulation that establishes
efficiency goals and urban water use
objectives for urban water suppliers to
reduce municipal demands. The regulation
requires urban suppliers to determine
their water use objectives and
demonstrate compliance annually
growth obligations. So municipalities
have statemandated housing and
population growth targets that drive
water demand. public service
constraints. Cities or nonprofit
entities that typically operate with
limited flexibility and pricing for the
purchase of water supplies and supply
limitations. Groundwater supplies are
limited in meeting future demand will
require surface water development,
recharge projects, additional
conservation or purchased allocation
credits.
So the groundwater use management plan
lays out the allocations as follows. Uh
I'm just going to focus on the
non-district west being that that's what
the city is a part of. [clears throat]
So our total allocation is 11,500 acre
feet of water per year. Our total
historical pumping in non-district west
is 15,100.
So we are expected to reduce by 3,600
acre feet. Now that's both the city and
the county as well. That's not just a
responsibility of the city. That's of
the management area in whole.
We are looking for an average basinwide
reduction of approximately 16% with the
largest reductions coming from the
non-dist area and the Oakdale management
area benefits from developed surface
water supplies providing an excess
allocation of 22,700 acre feet per year.
So oid has offered this excess spread
among the management areas for the 2027
through 2031 water years at no cost to
the management areas.
So then the adjusted groundwater
allocations, Riverbank moves from the
base allocation of 11,500
and oid is providing us an additional
1,900 acre feet per year for the
non-district west management area which
equates to a total of 13,400 acre feet
per year for our management area.
So you would see overall we have an 11%
reduction in lie of the 26%.
So local implementation by management
area stewards these allocations are will
be distributed by January 31 of 2027
and annual monitoring of sigma reporting
will be required.
Non-compliance with these criteria may
trigger other additional management
strategies. And should groundwater data
and parameters such as groundwater
levels indicate that a particular
management area is not achieving their
sustainable management objectives, then
management area stewards will develop a
management area action plan for Sturgway
GSA approval.
So with the response levels we are going
to implement the ground implement the
groundwater use management plan and then
the stewards of the management areas
develop and implement the management
area action plan if those allocations
are not met and that's presented to the
GSA for approval. If they're unable to
comply then the GSA develops implements
an action plan of their own for the
management area.
Cody, since you don't have slide
numbers, can we ask you questions now?
>> Sure. Go ahead.
>> Okay. Can you go back to slides
uh right there? So, uh so you said there
was going to be some uh fees from the
state. So, so are we talking about that?
Is it the 55 per pumped acre foot of
water? So, does that apply to the the
1,900 difference that we have to make up
for?
>> Um I'm not familiar with the the fees
that you're
>> So, state fees. So, I don't know if this
is part of the well mitigation or if
this is part of the the state fees for
this. So, I've been going back and forth
with both of these. Uh, so, and I was
watching the county. So, they passed
their they implemented theirs today as
well and they stated that the state fees
were going to be 300 per well and up to
$55 per pumped acre foot of water. So, I
was just kind of curious if that's what
you were referring to uh if we didn't
meet those new base allocations if we're
going to be fined for that difference.
>> I I apologize. I'm not familiar with
those numbers. so I can look that up and
get back.
>> Okay, appreciate it. And could you go
back? I think it was Go back one more.
No, one more.
Okay. So, I I lost the slide. You can
continue.
>> Yeah.
You can continue, Cody. Sorry about
that.
>> Okay.
>> Yeah.
So, the management action or management
area action plan development process.
Step one would be the GSA identifies the
need and parameters for an action plan
in one or multiple management areas
based on monitoring data and or
exceedence of the management area
allocation according to the groundwater
use management plan. And then the
stewards of the uh [clears throat]
applicable management area or areas
develop the action plans in
collaboration with the GSA. And then
these plans are submitted to and
approved by the GSA.
And then the action plans included in
the annual report and are implemented by
the applicable management area stewards.
So some content to the action plans. Uh
we would need to determine a response
level. So the GSA will identify
conditions and determine appropriate
allocations and restrictions and they
will notify stewards of response level
and the need for an action plan. In the
preparation of the action plan, you'd
set achievable goals for implementation,
identify and document corrective
actions, submit to the GSA for approval
and coordinate with GSE means and
objectives.
And you would develop a plan to collect
and evaluate groundwater level data and
provide implementation approach and
schedule of proposed actions and meet
reporting requirements submitted to and
approved by the GSA
to aid the management area stewards with
adaptively managing their areas. The
following is a list of some potential
strategies that may be employed to help
reduce groundwater use and support
achieving the subbasin interim
milestones and ultimately groundwater
basin sustainability.
So you would have implementation of
voluntary or mandatory conservation
measures such as land repurposing to
enhance groundwater recharge, habitat
restoration or cleaner energy incentives
such as solar fields, replacing high
water use crops with low water use
crops. Following groundwater extraction
fees, increased groundwater use
reporting requirements, prioritization
of implementation of supplemental
projects,
incentivization
of surface water deliveries, recycled
water use or inlue recharge, pumping
restrictions in areas where minimum
thresholds have been exceeded, flow
monitoring on extraction wells,
and then implementation schedule for the
plan itself. Uh 2027 we would arrest
overdraft and groundwater de level
decline. Hopefully by 2032 achieve
minimum thresholds. 2037 raise
groundwater levels to halfway between
minimum thresholds and measurable
objectives and by 2042 reach measurable
objectives.
So a little bit of information regarding
non-district east management area. They
will begin the groundwater use
management plan phase one implementation
period in the phase 2 response level.
Therefore, we'll require preparation of
a management area action plan by
November 1 of this year for the Sturggo
GSA to re approve and initiate
reductions in groundwater use following
implementation of the groundwater use
management plan and the non-dist
on January 31, 2027.
Reductions in groundwater extractions
will ramp up in five-year increments as
necessary to arrest overdraft and raise
groundwater levels to the measure
objectives identified in the GSP.
So for non-district east management area
between 2027 and 20203 or 2030 they're
expected to have a 34 34% reduction in
overall groundwater pumping.
uh between 2030 and 2035 60% or 67%
reduction and by 2040 100% reduction. So
a total of their 58,000 reduction that
they're acre feet per year that they're
required to reduce. They have a target
goal of 2040 for that 58,000 acre feet
reduction.
That's not total pumping. That's just
their their allocation that they have to
reduce by.
So some key takeaways, the groundwater
use management plan is required for
Sigma compliance and it provides
structured equitable demand management
and the program adapts as projects and
conditions change within the subbasin
itself.
So staff recommends that city council
adopt the resolution authorizing
collaboration with the Stannis Lawson
and Towalami Rivers Groundwater Basin
Association
Groundwater Sustainability Agency its member
agencies consultants stakeholders and
the county of Towalami GSA to take such actions as may reasonably necessary
to one approve and implement the
groundwater use management program
for the Modesto subbasin to ensure
longterm groundwater sustainability and
two develop action plans which ensure
the demand management actions identified
in the groundwater use management plan
are under implementation beginning
January 31 2027
and the adoption of the groundwater use
management plan fulfills commitments
made in prior council actions and
advances compliance with the sustainable
groundwater management act or sigma and
I would be happy to answer any questions
that you may have.
>> Thank you. Um, does the council have any
questions or comments right now?
>> Um, so I think it's important that you
kind of gave us the download a few
months back on Sergba um because we we
knew that this it was leading to today's
um decision. Could you just to place
that a little bit more? You mentioned at
the maybe one of the first slides that
the um subbasin is 64% agg and 20%
urban. How many people does the urban
and do you know about how many each
represent each body?
>> Unfortunately, no I do not.
>> I I mean it's urban is city of riverbank
essentially and then agriculture
individual farmers.
>> Yeah, it would be um urban would be city
of riverbank, city of Modesto, city of
Waterford, city of Oakdale.
>> Okay. And then um when you were talking
about groundwater allocations,
you mentioned I mean the state uh
district or the department of water
services stepped in, resources steps in
when there's an undesirable result and
that's essentially where we're at at
this point. Um so you mentioned that
there are going back if you could go
back to the chart with the different uh
yes
>> this is the adjusted and this would be
after 23
>> and and just um for council as well we
are I mean we've been pretty good
stewards of of those allocations and um
I think It is important to take a look
at the different sections of the
subbasin because we're looking at
um nond district east for the management
plan here for example. So they or maybe
oh it is this one. Uh I mean the
allocation's at 30,000 the furthest
column to the right the allocation's at
30,100
but the historical pumping has been at
89,700.
And so I just want council to take into
consideration, you know, I think it's
great and and uh Sturga is doing what we
need to do and what's being asked of by
the state to uh mitigate these uh
allocations or this pumping. Um but I
just want us to know right now the
differences in what that looks like for
each part of the sections of the
subbasin. Um,
I had another question in that
and maybe not right now. Are there any
questions from council at this point?
We'll go over to public comment.
>> Mr. Wrangler Wheeler.
» Uh, hi. Good evening, uh, council
members and staff. My name is Wrangler
Wheeler. Uh, I'm a hay and almond farmer
from West Vanesto. Although I do not
have the privilege of living in
Riverbank, I do conduct business in and
around your city limits. I'm here to
discuss the potential effects and
possible steps of action regarding the
Sustainable Groundwater Management Act.
I would like to thank a few members uh
of your staff and your mayor, Rachel
Hernand Hernandez, for taking the time
to meet with myself and a few other
farmers from the non-dist last week.
Stannis Loss County, in my personal
opinion, has done a poor job of
representing not only myself but the
taxpaying citizens of Riverbank.
Throughout continued negotiations
regarding shared cost and management
actions, Stansel County has failed to
give farmers like myself within the
non-district west and the city of
Riverbank a proper seat at the
negotiation table.
The problem they are effectively trying
to solve exists within the non-district
east from farmers who have planted
permanent crops with no access to
surface water, creating a deficit from
excessive groundwater pumping. We can
all agree we do not wish to share the
potential costs associated with solving
someone else's problems. Through
continued communication with Riverbank
staff, I would like to propose a working
group that includes affected parties
within the non-dist including the city
of Riverbank. We share common goals and
understanding of keeping our own water
costs manageable and affordable.
With that being said, I do want to
support the adoption of both 11.2 and
11.3 moving forward. I think it's an
mutual benefit for uh everyone within
non-district west. With that being
included, I do want to acknowledge that
looking at these numbers, um the city of
Riverbank and the community of Del Rio
are both extractors, right? So you guys
are pulling more out of the basin than
you are putting back in where us as
farmers within the non-district west,
we're all grouped together. We have the
opportunity and potential to be a net
positive, right? So I have other sources
of potential water, whether that's um
repairarian rights or potential other
sources that we have the opportunity of
recharging the groundwater. So I think
it's in a a net benefit for the entire
basin that we come together as nondist
west and work together to um become
sustainable and meet um our GSP um
regulations and become sustainable
within Sigma. Uh with that being said, I
thank you for your time this evening and
I look forward to the continued and
growing relationship among the Nongish
West.
>> Thank you Mr. Bill Lions.
Uh, mayor, uh, Councilman,
uh, city manager, uh, I was here, I
think, three or four months ago and
talked about some of the issues that we
saw coming and they're now here. I want
to let you know that I've been very
engaged in this issue for the last two
years. Um, we own, uh, my family owns
the center called River Heights, mostly,
uh, you know, mom and pop operators. And
one of my concerns is to being involved
in this uh, process for two years is the
potential costs that are going to be
leveled on your city residents. As I
followed this and you looked at the
charts, there's one area that is not
sustainable and that's the non-district
east. I think you have to realize that
they've been offered solutions. Just
today, MID
uh passed a water sale program provides
60,000
acre feet to the nondist
east, but it's up to them to take
advantage of it. Now if they don't take
advantage of it as a subbasin the nond
district west which is basically
riverbank del Rio and farmers could
definitely get hurt by our ability to
use water and by fees. So, I would say
pass this issue, but be very cautious
that your residents, some of my tenants
don't end up paying to solve the
problems in the non-dist
farmers, but they went up there for
business reasons, put wells in, put
permanent orchards in in areas that did
not have sustainable water. Um I do also
today in NI share some of the same
concerns that Mr. Wheeler does about the
relationship transparency
of the county with riverbank the
non-district west farmers in Del Rio.
Just today, a bunch of farmers on the
west side received a letter from the
Department of uh Environmental Services
Stewart. No mention of Riverbank as
their partner as a steward. He passed it
to Toby and he hadn't seen it yet. So, I
want you to take a look at this letter,
especially page two, where they're
basically saying, "We have an abundance
of water. We are sustainable, but we
need to share water with individuals
that cause the problem.
I appreciate your time and effort, and
please watch out for your rate boos.
Thank you."
Uh, mayor, that is offer 11.2.
» Is there anything online by chance? I
>> I don't see anyone on Zoom wishing to
speak on this item.
>> Great. I'll bring it back to council for
any more comments or questions.
And if there's none, I um the similar to
the next item, so I want to say it now
because I will forget.
>> Um,
>> sorry to interrupt. Uh, we just have a
resident that rose their hand on Zoom.
>> Okay.
>> Phone number ending in 3108. Can you
please unmute?
>> Please go ahead. Can you hear us? Yes.
>> Okay. Um,
>> Miss Hellbert, can you turn down your um
TV in the back or your computer? We can
hear an echo. No, it's clear.
I just have a a a question if if if you
would address the cost of this and who
is going to pay it on both of these
items. They list funding areas as being
either from the uh
this the funding coming
from the STR GB GSA funds or from member
agencies which I'm guessing you would be
a member agency and uh other sources
which they don't name but it also
mentions the fact of using Prop 218 fees
if they're going to use assessments fees
or whatever
Is that going to be coming from you from
you taking out of ours? Is there going
to be another uh one of these TR 218
fees on our water and sewer again or
wherever it's coming from? Um
one way or the other and how much are
these costs going to be?
I just like to know how much that
they're it appears that this is all
going to come out of our pockets rather
than the cities.
And I'd like you, Patricia, you could
address that and just a little more
exactly how much is this going to cost
us? Thank you.
>> Thank you, Miss Hbert. Um, mayor, that
is all.
>> Thank you.
>> Um, I will just say that at this point
we don't know
>> uh what the impacts are going to be from
the plan. um we're right now we're going
to approve and then send this approval
to the larger uh uh organ collaboration
as a whole. So so we're not sure but the
I guess the assumption is correct and
it's going to end up being a taxpayer um
through the city um impact.
>> That's correct, mayor. So, um through
the development of the action plans for
each of the management areas, we would
determine if there's any fees that would
be associated with that. Um but
unfortunately, this is a state unfunded
mandate um that we're required to comply
with. And so, our water system um is
dependent upon fees from our residents
to help offset the costs of providing
water, including meeting those unfunded
mandates. And so yes, ultimately it does
come from the rateayers.
>> Thank you. And and that being said, um
we're all facing as the council these
decisions around um increased water
rates with the study coming forward with
the wastewater discussions that we're
having. So um we want to appreciate
Strugg Buffer taking the lead and as you
know we have trusted them to do so with
their consultants and everyone involved.
Um but as we I would like to make a
motion to to recommend this resolution
but being clear and adding uh the
following as well um in in a memo maybe
as an attachment. Um, so it would be to
that way we're clear uh as as a city
that we want to protect our rateayers
that we want to move forward in this
collaborative approach but have an
equitable uh strategy to get there
because as we've seen it's we've been
good stewards of our allocations. Um and
so this memo would say uh or not uh
would include requesting inclusion of
the establishment of a north uh
non-district west wall mitigation
program committee and technical review
committee to oversee the claims process.
Um we've asked about the outreach uh
that's going to be handinhand with the
well mitigation and so
>> here that sounds like um perhaps for the
next item. Yeah. Yes. Uh I I mentioned
that this would be great in just one
memo, so I think I'm saying it all now.
Um but but yeah, I'll repeat it for the
next one. Um uh so for this item
specifically, the memo would include um
sharing a formal invitation uh as part
of the non-dist work group. Um, I think
it would be great to move forward with
that suggestion so that we're the city
of Riverbank is included in those
discussions moving forward. Um,
and then skipping ahead.
Um,
yeah, this that would be it for for this
resolution. So, um, if the council would
like to approve a motion to move forward
with this resolution attaching a memo
that's going to include in part, uh, the
formal work group, uh, that we would
like to be a part of to be able to take
part of these conversations.
» I'll second it.
>> Roll call, please.
» Just to clarify, we're adding the memo
to this resolution, correct?
>> Yes. Yeah, it sounds like she has two.
So, just
>> what she Yes. Yeah.
>> Okay.
>> Council member,
>> yes.
>> Council member FSY.
>> Yes.
>> Council member Call.
>> Yes.
>> Vice Mayor Pimento.
>> Yes.
>> Mayor Hernandez. Yes. Motion passes.
5-0.
Oh. Oh, sorry. I was waiting for you to
just start it. 11.3
um adoption of a well mitigation plan in
the Modesto groundwater subbasin.
» Okay. So this will be the third portion
to the letter that was deemed or the
incomplete determination letter for the
medicine subbasin by DWR and it will
required us to provide a dry well
mitigation program.
So the purpose of the well mitigation
program, it provides mitigation for
drinking water wells that have
experienced adverse impacts due to
declining regional groundwater levels
associated with groundwater pumping
during the the GSP implementation period
since January 31, 2022.
So, an analysis was conducted that
included all 4563
water supply wells with available
construction information in the subbasin
and it showed potential impacts to water
supply wells due to groundwater levels
declining below established minimum
thresholds or MTS.
Potential impacts are expected to be
limited to an interim period before
planned projects and management actions
are fully implemented
which would be January 31, 2022 through
the hopefully sustainable
uh measurable objective year of 2042.
It provides framework for the following
elements. An application process and
well mitigation program measures for
impacted well owners. establishes well
mitigation program committee and
technical review committee to oversee
the claims for impacted wells which
would be made up of the GSA members and
Sturgba will contract with self-help
enterprises for the coordination of
emergency water supplies well
assessments and replacements if
necessary.
So there are local non-governmental
programs that offer support for those
affected by impaired access to drinking
water within the Modesto subbasin and
across the Sanwaqin Valley. You have the
Valley Water Collaborative which was
formed to address nitrate groundwater
contamination in private domestic wells
used for drinking water in the Modesto
and Turlock subbasins.
And the VWC provides well testing and
replacement water or water treatment
systems for nitrate contamination to all
qualifying applicants regardless of
income level. Then you have Self-Help
Enterprises or SHEI who offers emergency
drinking water supplies, long-term
mitigation support, and well stewardship
educational resources for those who
qualify under their program in Stannis
Loss County. They're a nonprofit in the
Sanwaqin Valley that can provide water
quality testing and emergency water
service for eligible land owners.
She establishes elig eligibility under
their program by an application
submitted to SHIE with for with
information about the well, property and
household including income. provide
emergency water within 24 hours and then
conduct on-site well assessment. And if
replacement is warranted, grant
agreement is completed between she and
the well owner. Uh the income
requirement is 80% or less of the mean
household income and you are required
not to sell your property or transfer
ownership within a 5-year period after
the weld replacement. And the grant can
be funded up to $60,000.
So some funding and anticipated costs.
The well mitigation fund has been
established to finance well program
implementation.
So the initial funding of this program
is being funded by the Sturba GSA as
part of their respective annual budgets
and a portion between Sturga GSA using
the existing annual budget allocation
meth methodology. So we do have a
current cost sharing agreement in the
GSA that reflects 12 and a half% uh
requirement of the agency members.
The baseline fund will be the for the
implementation of the program and
Sturggo GSA has established a baseline
well mitigation fund amounting of
$300,000.
The annual funding the Sturgeba GSA has
agreed to fund the program on an annual
basis as may be required to address the
needs of the program until groundwater
sustainability is achieved. The Sturgma
GSA member agencies will meet and confer
in good faith to determine the
appropriate funding mechanism,
replenishment amount, and Sturgma GSA
member allocation methodology prior to
fund replenishment.
According to DWR's dry well reporting
system, there are 15 domestic wells that
were reported dry or failed since the
GSP was adopted on January 31st of 2022.
You had 13 in 2022, two in 2023, and
zero in 2024.
It's unclear whether these dry or failed
wells were due to GSA management or
ground of groundwater levels. And as
such, it is not possible to estimate the
number of future eligible claims and
annual costs.
>> Cody, the 15 is that is that countywide
or is that in our district only?
>> That's within the entire Modesto
subbasin.
>> Okay.
>> So, uh just for reference, Turlock is in
their own subbasin, but they are in
Stannis County. So, this is in the
Modesto subbasin alone.
>> So, it's anticipated that the program
funding will come from one or a
combination of the following sources
established by the parties. You have
Sturba GSA funds, one or more Sturba GSA
member agencies, funds generated through
implementation of projects and
management actions such as fines and/or
penalties, uh, county, state, and
federal funding as available and any
other sources that may be identified.
She provides a well modification
replacement grant that was uh spoken
about earlier. So there is that option
that is there are actually grants funded
by the state water resource sources
control board. So if an applicant does
not qualify for mitigation through stob
GSA program then the applicant may be
eligible through mitigation by she and
it doesn't have to be necessarily uh
related to the GSA or the mismanagement
of the GSA. So say the GSA reviews it
and said it's not a groundwater issue
that was caused by mismanagement of the
GSA, they can still apply for a program
through sheet.
>> So for example be like water quality,
right? So like
>> water quality could um be a an issue
that was caused by mismanagement of
groundwater. If you have a depletion of
groundwater levels, the the level of the
well may still be good, but you may have
water quality issues as a result. So
if it's not associated with the
mismanagement, yes, water quality could
be one, but maybe it's a failed pump,
maybe it's, you know, a failed casing,
uh,
>> infrastructure issues. Yeah, there's still other mechanisms that can
be used.
>> Okay.
So staff's recommendation is city
council adopt the resolution authorizing
collaboration with Stannis loss and
twomi rivers groundwater basin
association
and its members stakeholders in the
county of Tommy GSA to take such actions
as may be necessary to approve and
implement the well mitigation plan
developed for meto groundwater subbasin
and again adoption of the well
mitigation plan by the sta GSA fulfills
the commitments made in prior council
actions and advances compliance with
Sigma and I would be happy to answer any
questions that you may have.
>> Uh council, are there any questions or
comments?
>> Any from the public?
>> Mayor, we have a couple in the chamber.
Mr. Wrangler Wheeler,
>> you're okay. Mr. Gary Pearson.
» Good evening, council. Um, I'm Gary
Pearson. I'm a resident of uh the city
of Riverbank. Um, my comments are
equally um I I support what's been said
from our previous presenters. I'd also
ask, what does it actually mean to me as
a resident? I am considerably concerned
about our future water security. I
believe our city must actively engage in
meaningful com conservation and
long-term planning including expanding
the cons conservation through graywater
use uh condensate recapture and
rainwater catchment systems. For
example, at my house I collect over
2,000 gallons each winter cycle and I
repurpose that within my landscape. Uh
this does not impede the overall water
use but improves our water use
efficiency. Next um I know our city
promotes drought tolerant landscaping by
replacing traditional lawns with drought
tolerant plants and also has an
artificial turf program but I also would
advocate we need to increase our shade
trees to reduce that evapo transpiration
and trees that are suitable for this
part of the valley. So don't plant
redwoods. Uh next, uh prioritizing
groundwater recharge.
I strongly urge that the current
wastewater treatment facility proposal
seriously consider how treated discharge
water can be redirected for local reuse
and recharge. I know that there's part
of that system is for local farmers to
reuse. I advocate yes, but there's still
volume we could use to recharge the
aquifer.
Um then uh encouraging the regional
agricultural sector which you've heard
here to rethink its long-term water use
practices. I as a longtime farmer and
constant looking at the inputs to the
farm and how I I can be efficient with
our natural resources and water is one
of those. Um, next I I really greatly
appreciate hearing that we want to
partner together and partner with
Oakdale and Modesto. I'd also advocate
we need to uh really think about our
housing and truly get to that green
housing and what we call lead inspired
design standards. All new housing should
be water efficient by design. Finally, I
hate to say this, but we're going to
have to put a moratorium on all new
wells unless required for public safety.
Every time we punch a well, we punch
into that aquifer. I understand that
that's has some issues. And then um all
of this requires time, planning,
participation, and partnership. But we
must start now. We're in a long year.
Thank you for your time.
Mr. Bill Lions.
» Yeah, thank you again. I'm just going to
kind of follow up on the comments. I
enjoyed your comments. Thought they were
right on. Um, this is another project
that I would urge the council to
support. Yes, I think it's important. I
think she will do a good job. I think
there's a lot of criteria there to
protect citizens of Riverbank uh tenants
that I have when it comes to the
$300,000.
I think it's important that you also
know though that those wells that are
having problems are not in Riverbank and
they're not in the nondist west. They
are in the nondist east primarily. So
even though the report may say
countywide,
it's really in one area. You have one
management area out of four. It's got a
problem. I really urge city council to
be very cautious and to collaborate. And
when you hear the word equitable,
sounds really good. But if you have
water like merch does, you don't want to
be equitable that you give half of it to
somebody else who's caused their own
problem. So equitable ought to be in my
position should be what you've done to
protect your water resource in the
non-district west. I see this bond
between the non-district farmers, Del
Rio, and yourself. And I think it's
really critical that you form this ad
hoc because I am not
satisfied with what I've seen and many
others have seen the county level
because they use the word equitable.
What they're doing is they're pitting
areas, management areas that have done a
great job with an area that hasn't. And
think of it as a bank account.
You put in money, your neighbor puts in
money, a neighbor puts in neighbor puts
in money, the fourth neighbor doesn't
put anything. The fourth neighbor says,
"Let's divide the bank account by four."
That's as simple as it gets. You've done
a great job on your water resources.
Your staff has done a great job. OID has
done a great job. MID's done a great
job. You've got one area that's a
problem and they need to address it.
They need help. I would encourage you to
be very aggressive on management plans
in the nondist east. They need to have
carrots and sticks so they comply. When
I see MID offers them 60,000 acre feet
of water to purchase, they have two
farmers today that have stepped up.
That's it. Because they're going to ride
this thing till they're forced to deal
with it. Thank you.
Um, mayor, that is all I have for
comments in the chamber and then there's
one on Zoom.
Will the phone number ending in 3108
please unmute?
» Phone number 3108. Can you please
unmute?
» Hello.
>> Yes, please go ahead.
Yeah, I just want to the comments that I
made for the other item also for this
item because they seem to have exactly
the same uh
funding source for this one as the other
one which is with the prop 218 and all
of other sources will come out of our
pocket. It appears that they have this
set up so each item has its own funding
source which means we're going to hit
twice once for one, once for the other.
So you need to know what's going on with
it. you need to know the costs, which
you don't, and all of that stuff that we
have been told. So, I'm hoping you'll
add what you added on the other one on
this one also because that I just seems
like an awful lot we have two separate
funding sources for this. Thank you,
» Mayor. That is all we have for public
comment.
>> Great. Um, I will bring it back to
council for further questions or
comments. Otherwise, um, if uh if
everyone if it's at everyone's pleasure,
I would like to add the rest of the memo
to um the motion.
>> Any other questions or comments?
>> Want to verbalize the memo?
>> Um, so, uh, let me try and put in some
sort of order. So part of our resolution
states um serve by GSA will contract
with she for coordination
etc. So the city requests a schedule of
the types of outreach and dates of
outreach to property owners. There was a
concern that there's a short timeline
for uh folks who would be able to
qualify for the well mitigation program
um here. So, I think it'd be great to
get that timeline. Um, and also request
action plans to address the overdraft
needed to uh to address the overdraft.
So, needing it to be strong enough to
ensure compliance with the pumping
reductions under the well mitigation
program.
Um, further requests inclusion of the
establishment of the non-district was
well mitigation program committee and
technical review committee to oversee
the claims process. Um I I think as
mentioned already, I think it's
important that we are involved in every
conversation and I want to thank Cody um
and the team for being present and
representing us. Um and finally uh as
details develop for the well mitigation
program
to ensure tactics and strategies to
consider are are built to consider the
impact to it members including us and uh
as annual funding is going to be
assessed providing a schedule of
meetings. So member agencies including
us can calendar uh and have those good
faith meetings to address address and
discuss appropriate funding mechanisms
um and approving the resolution.
» Same ad hoc committee. Right.
>> Right.
>> Okay. Just making sure
>> that was a motion.
>> Okay. I'll second it.
>> Roll call, please.
>> Council member.
>> Yes.
>> Council member FSY.
>> Yes. Council member Call,
>> yes.
>> Vice Mayor Pimento,
>> yes.
>> Mayor Hernandez,
>> yes.
>> Motion passes 5-0.
>> Thanks, Cody.
>> Okay. 11.4. We have a resolution
approving a consultant services
agreement with JPW Communications, Inc.
for the preparation of a community
engagement strategy and communications
plan.
>> Mayor and Council, good evening. I'm
really excited to be able to present
this item to council today. It's an item
that has been on our strategic plan um
and is going to provide us with the
opportunity to develop a community
engagement strategy and communications
plan to guide how we communicate best
with our residents and our stakeholders
as well as how we communicate
internally.
Uh so just a little bit of history as I
mentioned um it was part of our May 2025
um five-year goal to improve public
communications. There was a specific
objective that was established to
develop a formal communication plan that
will include social media policies,
translation services, and public access
to information. And so the community
engagement strategy and communications
plan um was determined to be the best
option to be able to address all of
these different objectives.
And so what is the plan? The plan is
envisioned as a comprehensive document
to guide communications and engagement
for the city. It'll focus on the
successful, consistent, effective, and
collaborative approach to engage city
council, city employees, our residents,
our visitors, and our stakeholders.
The goals of the plan are to define the
messaging priorities, strategies, and
tools that the city will deploy to
improve community and stakeholder
engagement that with a set of tools and
priorities to offer access to
information and amplify meaningful
participation in and a broad
understanding of city services,
initiatives, and resources. and to be
able to create guidance and establish
best practices for the city council and
city staff on external communication
with the community.
So, a little bit of the RFP process. We
did issue a request for proposals u back
in October. Uh we did offer an
opportunity for proposers to ask us
questions and then had a submittal
deadline um of December 11th, 2025. Uh
we did receive four proposals and we did
have a um ad hoc committee um of city
staff, city council and our consultant
um Jane media services um that reviewed
the four proposals. Um we selected the
top two to bring back for interviews and
then today we are excited to be able to
award the contract.
Um, as I mentioned earlier, four
proposals were received and the
proposals were evaluated based on the
submission of the proposal, the
qualifications, the project um, and
implementation plan and of course
pricing.
And so our recommendation is to award a
contract to JPW Communications uh based
on their extensive experience working
with local government, the methods that
they'll be using for collecting data
from council staff and stakeholders
which include residents, their approach
to the plan development, um the timeline
that they've established for this
project which is approximately 18 weeks
and their pricing was extremely
competitive.
Uh this is a bit of a breakdown with
regards to the tasks and the cost
proposal. Uh so task one which is to
gather input at an estimated cost of
41765.
Mind you some of these um do include
travel costs so they'll be able to meet
with staff with council and with
stakeholders in person. Um the plan
development 41195.
Uh task three the training um 24680 and
then part of the deliverables which of
course are the uh plan itself um 8180
with a total estimate of 115,820.
I'm not going through the specific
details of each tasks as I am going to
invite Jenny Wendell from um JPW to
communications to be able to to go
through each of those and to introduce
her firm um to council and to our
residents. Um I did skip over really
quickly two optional services that um we
will discuss um whether it makes sense
to to implement here at the city. Um so
within the resolution um I've allowed
for discretion for myself and the
committee that reviewed that to have uh
further discussions um with JPW as to
whether we would implement um these
additional services or not. They do fall
under my threshold of approving
additional funds for projects. Um so I
would be able to do that um without
having that conversation today.
And so with that, I will go ahead and
transition that over to Jenny with JPW
Communications. You so much. Good
evening, Mayor Hernandez, city council
residents here this evening. Uh my name
is Jenny Wendell. I'm the founder of JPW
Communications, and it's a pleasure to
be here with you tonight to go over a
little bit about our company, get you
familiar with who we are and the work
that we've done. Um, our agenda for my
presentation really just includes a bit
about our company, our approach to this
work. Uh, and then we'll walk through
those four task areas to give you a
little bit more detail about what that
all entails.
So, I wanted to start out with this
quote, a favorite of mine, that plans
are nothing and planning is everything.
And we do this process quite a bit for
cities, counties, special districts
throughout the state. And we always sort
of get a bonus plan from the planning
process. And what I mean about this is
we're obviously working towards
developing a communications and
community engagement strategy for you.
But the process is really robust. It's
really steeped in a lot of research that
we do with stakeholders,
residents, staff, council, and in that
process, we also learn a lot about
things that may not even be on your
radar at the moment. So, um, we really
enjoy the process. We lean into the
process. It is a process. Make no
mistake about it, it does take a little
bit of time, but we really find at the
end of it, we have a super robust
program that you all can take and
implement for years to come. and we
learn quite a bit along the way and we
share all of those findings with you.
So, as city manager Garcia mentioned, we
are um a team that's created from
government for government. We have a
considerable amount of background in
this work. I started JPW Communications
10 years ago after working as a public
communicator for 18 years uh for three
different cities in California and then
I finished my public service career with
the Port of San Diego. And in all
honesty during that time I hired a lot
of consultants that would develop plans
for me and I'd just stick it on a shelf
and it was really kind of a waste of
time and money and I really felt like
government deserved better. They needed
actionable plans, not just theory and
concepts that um collect dust. So about
10 years ago, actually, I drove by the
hotel in Sacramento. I'm on I'm a
drive-in today where I hatched the plan.
I thought, I really think I can do this.
It was a at a statewide conference um
there. And so 10 years ago, I did it. I
struck out on my own. I left my my
I left my calers behind.
>> [laughter]
>> and started um started JPW and have
we've had a lot of fun over the last 10
years working for several different
agencies um as I mentioned throughout
the state. We are government centric. We
are California specific. So we don't
work outside
uh of of the state very often and it's
because a we love where where we live
and b California is very nuanced. It's
like a country, right? there's so many
laws and um nuances to the place we live
and the place you govern. So, we really
want to be attuned with that and dialed
in um to all those specifics.
Uh since those humble beginnings 10
years ago, we've worked with um over a
hundred different government agencies,
as I mentioned, throughout California.
Uh we've worked with cities of all
shapes and sizes from very small cities
like yourself uh to very large cities
like the city of San Diego uh the city
of Chula Vista um and some other large
cities. Uh we specialize in strategic
work. That's really where we do our best
work. Um and like I mentioned, our goal
is to give you something that you can
actually implement.
And just four quick things that I wanted
to touch on. Um
that you know I was really happy that
you selected us because when we got off
the line with you all we felt like it
was a great match as well. Um we shared
these on the call but just for the good
of the order tonight uh as I mentioned
we have that statewide experience. Uh we
also really lean into data
uh in the process which you'll hear
about in just a moment. We have a
fullervice
design team inhouse so we can also
augment uh those services if you ever
need things outside of the strategy
realm and we have a tremendous amount of
outreach experience. Uh in fact we have
on our team one of only three public
participation professionals in the state
of California. Uh she's certified by the
International Association of Public
Participation. Uh and that whole world
is about engaging residents in
meaningful ways, meeting residents where
they're at, harder to reach residents,
making sure everybody's voices are heard
in a public engagement process. So,
we're really proud of that expertise.
Obviously, we understand what's at stake
for you. This is really important. I
think a good communications program is
one of the best things you can do to
build trust within your community. So, I
applaud you for making this investment.
And then last but not least, this is
something we can't seem to shake at JPW,
but I think it's for uh your benefit. We
really like to co-own the outcome with
you. So, your success is our success. We
want to make sure that we finish strong,
that you're getting what you need, and
that it is truly making the impact that
you're seeking.
Okay. So, how are we going to do all
this?
So that task one is where we are going
to do all of our factf finding as that
little graphic there on the right
indicates. Our goal during this process
is really to get to know you and
understand your current communication
landscape, your workflows, what success
looks like to you all, what your
priorities are. We're going to audit
your existing communications program. Um
provide some thought towards that.
listen to leadership, staff, and the
community to hear from them as well. And
really are um I want to underline this
last part. We really want to ensure that
there's inclusive multilingual
engagement in that process so that we're
not just hearing from uh the regular
suspects as we like to call them.
Not that we don't want to hear from
them. We do. We just want to hear from
everybody. Once we gather all that
input, that tees us up for plan
development. And your scope of work was
really heavy on framework development,
plan development, and getting sort of
all those tools in place to help launch
a long-term communications program. So
once we're sort of grounded in that uh
in the findings from task one, we'll
move into task two, which is making
meaning of all that and putting together
messaging, segmenting your audiences,
how you should reach those audiences,
which tools and tactics are most
appropriate for those audiences. We're
certainly not going to recommend Tik Tok
for your senior citizen community. Not
yet, at least. uh and then defining the
roles and responsibilities for how you
make sure all of that moves forward. And
then last but not least in this section,
we are going to provide tools for real
world implementation. So that can be
everything from a key message platform
to a media list and so forth. So really
getting you geared up. And if I'm not
mistaken, um your strategic plan calls
for a public information officer at some
point. I don't know if that's still in
the works. if it is, they're gonna have
a landmine when they get here with all
of these great things to uh put in
motion.
>> So, Jenny, you guys are focused on kind
of creating that blueprint for the
PIO's. Correct.
>> That's how the scope is set right now is
really creating all the blueprint
materials. Um, we obviously are
implementers as well, but this
particular scope of work is calling for
more of the tea up of the program.
Task three moves into sort of the
handoff, I would call it that training
component. The goal here being bringing
those plans to life. This will be some
practical hands-on training, making sure
everybody knows who's on first, what the
roles and shared responsibilities are.
Uh, I believe there's some media
training in there for media readiness
and confidence. And again, as you've
heard me say throughout this, really
built for real world use, not to sit on
a shelf.
And last but not least,
this last part is more about
deliverables um and the plan evaluation.
We want to provide you a system that you
can measure all of this work eventually.
Um doesn't do any good if you're putting
all this communication out and it's not
having the effect or impact that you
want. So we have a lot of thoughts um
and also tools that we can offer to um
sort of set the stage to measure
effectiveness as you get into the
implementation program. So that could
look like anything from a dashboard that
measures resident sentiment um to just a
way to track everything that you're
doing in one place and how sentiment is
tracking online and so forth. So we'll
understand what that should look like
when we get into the planning process a
little bit more.
And then last but not least, this was
already touched on earlier, but we do
have uh an estimated timeline of about
18 weeks from start to finish. We will
be back in market uh right out of the
gate to meet with you all and do some
SWAT analysis. Uh then we have this
those surveys, the one-on-one
conversations and and the communications
audit plan. I like to say that's sort of
the getting under the hood position part
of the program. um we don't like to
diagnose things until we kind of know
the lay of the land. So that's what
we're planning on doing right away
once we are ready to get started.
And that concludes my presentation, but
I'd love to entertain any questions that
you all have.
>> Thank you so much. Um council, are there
any questions or comments at this time?
I just want to make a few comments from
the interview process when we have our
phone conversation and some of the
reasons that I really leaned into you
all that are relevant to Riverbank and
could be useful for council when making
the decision. Um they worked with the
city of Belmont who was experiencing
growth. They had a similar population to
us and um San Marcos was one of the
fastest had the fastest growing CSU. So,
they're adapting to growing populations,
which Riverbank is tremendously growing.
Um, and the variety of demographics
within San Marcos, which Riverbank does
have a variety of demographics. So, to
me, that was a really good fit. And then
the biggest, um, takeaway for me when we
left our phone conversations was meeting
residents where they're at. We don't
have a big chamber, so we can't get
26,000 people in here whether we want to
or not, but meeting people where they
are, finding group homes where they're
at or going to school. So, just really
meeting people and targeting audiences
that may not be willing to speak. So, I
really appreciated that about them.
>> And to add to that, um, because it was
all of that, including, um, you being
hands-on, we really appreciated that and
your expertise. um and the the data the
to back it up and the long-term
sustainability measurements as well um
stood out from others as uh we were
reviewing all of the proposals
um and and just to a little bit of of
your comment council member because we
have had discussions around the PO but
also I think this so important uh for
our staff who has served in a
communications capacity our city clerk
in the past and um some of our admin
staff at the time or right Now, um Jane
Media Services have jumped right in and
increased our communications and us as a
council to be on the same page right now
and in the future uh with this plan. And
so, um really looking forward to to
this. Um I will bounce it over to public
comment. Is there any public comment at
this time?
>> Mayor, we did not receive any comment
cards or anything on Zoom for this item.
I'll bring it back to council for any
more comments or questions.
And if uh I can get ahead of myself
here, I will make a motion to approve
this uh resolution improving the
consultant services agreement.
>> Second. Roll call, please.
>> Council member,
>> yes.
>> Council member FSY,
>> yes.
>> Council member Call,
>> yes.
>> Vice Mayor Pimento,
>> yes.
>> Mayor Hernandez,
>> yes.
>> Motion passes 5-0.
>> Thank you so much, Jenny. Thank you so
much. We look forward to working with
all of you.
>> Thank you. All right, we are at our
staff reports.
So, just a couple of comments from staff
um from our planning department. After
submitting the third round of updates to
our housing element um to HCD, we have
received approval to move forward with
consideration of adoption of the final
document. So, we are tenatively
scheduling that for approval at the
planning commission at their March
meeting and then at our first April
meeting for city council.
Uh, from our parks and recreation
department, the third annual My Little
One and Me Dance, as Michael shared
earlier, will take place on Saturday,
February 7th from 5 to 7 at the
community center. They'll be offering a
fun family focused evening for adults
and their little ones to enjoy quality
time together. The event will include
dinner, dancing, games, and interactive
activities that will create a memorable
experience for all attendees. The
tickets are $45 for one adult and one
child. And then additional tickets can
be purchased for $15 per person. They
can be purchased online or here in
person at our parks and recreation
office.
uh from our finance department. Um a
reminder to our businesses that business
license renewals are due and will be
considered late as of January 31st,
2026. Late fees will be added and
delinquent notices will be mailed out.
And then a final um comment from our
public works department. Uh, next week
our street sweeper is going to be going
in um for some upgrades and so we will
not be having street sweeping services
for the entire week. So that would be
from February 2nd through the 6th and
that is all from staff.
>> You vice mayor.
>> Thank you mayor. On the 13th I had a
meeting with Mr. Steve Grand uh from
Grand Asia for sister city. We are
planning the Chinese Lunar New Year
event. So stay tuned for that. It's in
the beginning stages. Also on the 16th,
uh we had the Chamber of Commerce Awards
dinner. I want to give a shout out to
Olivia and Monica for all their hard
work and to all those that took the time
to make it a great night. Even though
there was a movie being shot here in
Riverbank, there was a great turnout.
And also seniors, if you need help with
your uh utility bills, reach out to me.
St. Francis of Rome has access and I can
help you with that. Also, if you need
help with groceries, there is a CVOC
program that you can reach out to me
about. I'll be having a meet and greet
in February. Stay tuned. I'll give you
the time and date. Thank you.
>> You council Moody Ben.
>> Thank you, mayor. Uh so, uh we've been
discussing strategic plan ad hoc ad hoc
committees is something I should have
probably mentioned at the last one when
we were um kind of assigning uh
committees and subcommittees. I'd love
to get a just an update from staff uh on
our strategic plan. We wanted to do a ad
hoc committee for tourism uh kind of
create that guided city tour where the
benefits would go to historical society.
So um if I can get an update on that. Uh
the chamber asked since I am an
ambassador if I would mention some of
the events for February. So uh February
4th uh and it is open uh meetings are
open to the public so feel free to to
stop by. Um they do meet uh on clause at
the RIC. Febru February 4th uh their
first ambassador ambassador meeting of
the year. Uh and they are recruiting
other ambassadors. So feel free to stop
by. Uh February 5th will be a
multi-chamber uh held in Patterson.
February 7th, they'll be doing a food
truck ribbon cutting uh just down the
street behind us here. Uh and February
13th, the boot barn ribbon cutting um
will be at 12:00 that day. And then
February 25th, a lunch and learn from 12
to 1 um at the Timeless Real Estate. Um
and then a save the date for the Easter
egg hunt for March 28th. That's all I
got.
>> Thank you, Council Member FY.
>> On February
6, the Riverbank Historical Society will
have their um annual installation dinner
meeting. It'll be at Perkos at 6:00.
We'd love to have anybody who would like
to see what we're doing or become
members um attend as well as all the
council members and the mayor and staff.
On February 17th, the women's group will
be meeting at six o'clock at the Morris
Nursery. So, if you have gardening
questions and you want to come and see
who's at the women's group, please uh
show up at six o'clock. Thank you.
>> You council call. On the 17th of
January, our Riverbank branch for the
Santa County Library reopened. I was
able to be at the ribbon cutting and if
you haven't been by, I highly encourage
you to go. It is absolutely beautiful in
there and all of the books look
absolutely perfect. I couldn't stop
taking pictures of them because none of
them have tears or dents or anything. I
loved it. They also have uh they're
bringing back their book clubs and
they're doing story time and there is a
bilingual story time. And then last week
the mayor and I were at Cal Cities. The
one session that really resonated with
me was land use planning and smart land
use planning. And that kind of leads me
into the next thing that I've been
doing. I'm knee deep into meetings with
constituents and other elected officials
regarding the Riverwalk project. So, if
I have not met with you about it or if
you would like to have a refresher or
just more conversation, I encourage you
to email me so that we can set up a time
to meet. And then lastly, there's a
tremendous blood shortage in our nation
and January is National Blood Drive
Month. I'm personally donating tomorrow.
So, I encourage everyone if you are able
to donate blood to sign up to do so.
you
um yeah there was uh and especially with
Jenny here to give you a flavor of what
happens in our city of action. We had a
film crew come out uh to uh film a uh
romantic comedy. I believe it was a
holiday romantic comedy and um it's been
so sweet because the the main actress or
the the yeah the main actress has been
just uh posting about Riverbank every
single day and uh we actually had an
interview with ABC or someone um this
week uh and that is now up on I have not
seen it yet so uh have some grace with
me. It's up on uh online right now. Um
uh council me ura and I had a meeting
with staff about at the tiny tots
program with our uh partners over at
Skoey and um there they have uh a lot of
data that they're going to provide to us
to be able to make some assessments
moving forward on what um the child care
situation looks like in our city
specifically. So they have it broken
down by zip code and um would love to
pass that along as soon as we get it. Um
the the session that stood out to me was
of course communications. So there was a
lot of conversations on the uh legality
and the changing laws around
communications for cities and so I am
very excited to get moving on some of
the strategies there. Um
Stanco is uh taking up a lot of time per
usual but there's a lot of positive
progress in that. So, there's final
interviews at the end of February for
the executive director. Um, slowly the policy council, policy board members
are getting back into advocacy as a
whole. And so, I sit on as a
representative for the California
Council of Governments. Um, and there's
going to be some meetings happening
around there. Um and uh as also chair of
the VVS uh the Valley Vision steering
committee which is going to have some uh
more meetings and movement. So there's a
meeting coming up in March. Um let me
see. Youth council had their Applebee's
fundraiser and um I probably lean on you
for how much they raised. Do you did we
get a final number?
>> Um it was final after they paid
Applebee's. Um I got 1300.
>> So they raised about $1,300 which is
exciting. which was their goal over
their goal.
>> Okay. Yes. Yeah. And so that is going to
go towards their social night uh at the
end of this year around uh early May. Um
let me see. I I do appreciate the budget
uh presentation from RPS to be able to
uh start like planting some seeds and
getting some data before we have the
full budget considerations. And so it
would be great if we could get some uh
presentation similar from other staff
member departments um to be able to uh
process that as it leads up to the
budget discussions.
Um and finally I am headed off to DC. I
have a flight at 5:00 a.m. um tomorrow
and so it is going to be for the US
conference for mayors. Um I think the
all the snow has passed, the storm has
passed, so um it should be a smooth
flight there. But I'm I'm looking
forward to it to connect with um mayors
from across the country. I mentioned
before I was able to get into some
groups, group conversation, the group
chats. um the last time I went and it
served uh really well to be able to
bring some ideas and some uh just best
practices here to the city is they're
made up of mostly east um east coast
mayors and so I'm looking forward to
that and I'll discuss it more is when I
return. Um and that is it from me I
believe. So uh we do not have a close
session. We're going to our next regular
city council meeting is going to be on
Tuesday, February 10th. And this meeting
is adjourned.