[0:01] Good evening everyone. Welcome to the
July 22nd regular city council meeting
[0:07] in Willlets. We appreciate you spending
your Wednesday evening with us. Um we're
[0:11] going to start with a pledge of
allegiance to the flag and it's going to
[0:14] be led by Gary Martin who's later going
to give us a part presentation. Gary,
[0:18] thank you for being here.
>> Thank you. I pledge allegiance to the
[0:22] flag of the United States of America and
to the republic for which it stands. One
[0:29] nation under God, indivisible with
liberty and justice for all.
[0:34] » Thank you.
>> Council member Burton,
[0:37] » I'm here.
>> Gonzalez,
[0:39] » present.
>> Stransky,
[0:40] » yes.
>> HERE.
[0:46] » The city council welcomes input from the
audience. If there is a matter of
[0:50] business on the agenda that you are
interested in, you may address the
[0:53] council when the matter is considered.
If you wish to speak on a matter that is
[0:58] not on the agenda, you may do so at this
time. In order for everyone to be heard,
[1:03] please limit your comments to 3 minutes
per person. The Brown Act regulation
[1:08] do not allow action to be taken on
audience comments in which the subject
[1:13] is not listed on the agenda. So, the two
things about public comment is um if
[1:18] there's something not on the agenda, we
welcome you to um give say your name,
[1:23] give three minutes. If there's something
that's on the agenda and your life is so
[1:26] busy you need to get out of here. Then
after we're done with the
[1:29] non-aggendaized item, you're welcome to
tell us which item it is. You say your
[1:33] piece and you're welcome to leave. But
we're going to start with third district
[1:36] supervisor John Hashack because he has
to be in Leightonville soon. Thank you
[1:41] for being here, John.
>> All right. Thank you. Good evening,
[1:43] council. and John Hashjack, third
district supervisor. I just wanted to
[1:48] give you a quick um report on what's
happening at the county. We had a
[1:52] meeting yesterday. We approved um
contracts for three bargaining units. We
[1:59] also approved um funding for five deputy
sheriffs and one sergeant position
[2:05] because the sheriff says that u you know
due to some medical leaves and such that
[2:11] they're down. So, we needed to fill
those spots and um it's going to cost
[2:17] over a million dollars, but public
safety is the number one task that we
[2:23] have as county supervisors. So, um the
sales tax we've talked about about for
[2:30] road maintenance, you know, the proposal
was for a 1%
[2:35] sales tax in in the unincorporated areas
and that needed a four-fifths vote. and
[2:42] we only got three fifths of the council.
So that will not be going to the
[2:47] November ballot and the roads in the
unincorporated areas will continue to be
[2:54] um funded as they are. So, um I attended
a ribbon cutting in, um off of Retomire
[3:04] Road, which is east of Yukaya, and for
Sonoma Clean Power, because I'm on that
[3:09] board. And um it's a 4 megawatt
project, 25 acres of over 9,000 solar
[3:18] panels and five huge battery units. And
so um it's very it's an impressive
[3:27] project to say the least. They're also
looking at some sites around Willlets
[3:32] and Lakeville and one in another one in
Yukaya. So trying to get the local
[3:39] energy production happening here instead
of buying it from Utah or Wyoming, other
[3:45] places like that. And then I had a
meeting um last week with Captain Billy
[3:51] O' Conor who is the new um area captain
for CHP and they they're shifting their
[4:00] their areas of coverage and instead of
having Garberville cover the Willlets
[4:05] area that um the Yukaya captain is going
to be covering up the legit now. So, so
[4:13] it's a quite a shift in coverage and I
just wanted to let you know about that.
[4:18] And then the county library is going to
have some remodeling done and um some of
[4:25] their their whole computer system is
going to be updated. And so I think it's
[4:32] towards the end of July and early August
that they'll be just accepting books or
[4:38] you know not having the full services
that they normally have. So I wanted
[4:43] people to be aware of that. And um
oh and also from
[4:51] I don't have that sheet but Sonoma Clean
Power is got a grant from the CPU which
[4:57] is California
uh public utilities commission and the
[5:03] grant is to kind of do a survey of
people who are using propane and um
[5:09] liquid gas and and to see what their
viewpoints are on certain issues. And so
[5:15] it's an email that's going to come to
people who are Sonoma Clean Power
[5:20] uh users and and if people could fill
that out and then you'll be entered into
[5:25] a raffle for some prizes and everything
too. But the the intent is to see if we
[5:33] can use that information to provide
better service and cheaper rates for
[5:38] people. So that's about it. if there's
any questions or comments.
[5:43] » John, thank you very much.
>> All right. Thank you all.
[5:47] » Safe travel.
[5:51] » Is there anybody else who would like to
speak on any non-aggendaized items?
[5:54] » Thank you.
>> By all means.
[6:01] » Good evening.
>> Good evening. Would you mind just pass
[6:10] this on all the time?
>> No, it's for the audience. It doesn't
[6:12] amplify your voice. Is just for the
video.
[6:14] » Yeah, no problem. Uh wanted to introduce
not only myself, John Buchanan. I'm
[6:20] currently the chairperson for the board
of directors for a group we now do
[6:25] business as Vendo Matters.
And a few years ago, many of you may
[6:30] have known that group as the employers
council.
[6:35] Uh but it's sort of been revitalized and
we're doing business as Meno Matters.
[6:40] And I just wanted to let you know that
uh as we sort of get started with a
[6:46] larger membership drive and that kind of
thing of of uh active residents around
[6:51] the county that will hopefully be
showing up here in uh in Willlets a lot
[6:57] more often in the near future uh to the
point where we want to have our
[7:01] membership meeting for October here in
Willlets. And uh so any advice you have
[7:08] on uh where we should have it or what
guest speaker we might have and what
[7:14] issue that guest speaker would uh
represent the town of Willlets really
[7:19] well, then we'd like to hear about that.
The rest of the items on my sheet are
[7:24] just a review of what we just went over
with our membership at a meeting last
[7:29] Friday. So you can see for the last year
and a half or so we've been focused on
[7:35] uh many issues around the county and of
course now with the November 3rd
[7:42] election we're focused on elections as
well but you can see the kinds of things
[7:47] we get involved with and uh so
that's truly uh all I wanted to say and
[7:55] introduce uh Meno Matters to everyone
and uh thank you very much for your
[8:00] time.
>> Thank you very much, John. If
[8:02] [clears throat] you have any extra of
these, if you could leave them on the
[8:04] back table, maybe right here people grab
those. Thank you very much. Is there
[8:10] anybody else who would like to speak on
a non-aggendaized item?
[8:15] Once twice. Is there anybody who has a
time schedule they need to speak of an
[8:21] agenda item and get out of here?
[8:26] Okay, moving on then. So, our first
public matter is Gary Martin.
[8:32] Presentation, a public art overview
sculpture proposal.
[8:39] [clears throat]
[8:55] » Do we have the everything?
>> No.
[8:58] » All right. posing this up and give your
presentation.
[9:02] » Okay,
there we go.
[9:10] And I just
>> Yeah, you want to use it on this right
[9:13] here.
>> Oh, okay.
[9:18] » Okay, got it.
[9:25] » Yeah, there you go. So there's your
first picture. When you need to go to
[9:29] the next, just scroll down a little bit
and then you can see it. Okay.
[9:31] » Okay. Great.
>> All right, Gary, you're on.
[9:35] » Yes. Thank you. Uh
today I'm bringing you the state of the
[9:40] arts in Willlets. Uh good evening,
mayor, board members, and city
[9:44] employees. And thank you for having me
as a speaker.
[9:53] Wait a minute. This isn't working.
Okay. The arts not only enrich
[9:58] community, the arts are community
perhaps better than all other symbols.
[10:03] The arts cut across separations. They
give rise to many voices, making it
[10:08] possible for people who are racially,
economically, and ethnically divided to
[10:13] begin to understand one another on a
more authentic level. The arts connect
[10:19] each new generation to those that have
gone before. The arts of society's gift
[10:24] to itself, linking hope to memory,
inspiration,
[10:29] inspiring courage and discipline,
enriching our celebrations
[10:33] and making our tragedies bearable.
Public art plays a significant role in
[10:38] the shaping of experience.
[10:45] I'm sorry.
[10:55] There we go. There we go. Get rid of
that. Okay. Public art plays a
[11:00] significant role in shaping the
experience of both residents and
[11:04] visitors within a community. For
citizens, public art is more than a
[11:08] decoration. It is a reflection of local
identity and values. Murals, sculptures,
[11:14] and installations transform everyday
spaces, streets, and plazas and parks
[11:20] into areas that inspire and reflection,
provoke thought, and foster a sense of
[11:25] pride. For citizens, public art is more
than decoration. Like I said, by
[11:30] intriguing uh by integrating art into
public spaces, communities signal that
[11:36] creativity is valued and that the
environment itself contributes to the
[11:40] quality of life. This was a rural
project done right outside here
[11:47] by Laura Wick.
[11:51] Where am I here? Okay. So, here we have
uh JD Red House. They give us a
[11:58] panoramic view. [clears throat]
[12:02] St. uh Francis Episcopal Church mural.
It's very hard to see. Uh dies a hug.
[12:09] The book juggler commission dies. I hope
for this mural.
[12:17] I'm going the wrong way.
I believe it was that mural there. Yeah.
[12:22] » Yeah, I think that's better.
>> Okay. I could just click it and it'll
[12:25] work
>> cuz I think I made the one that you were
[12:28] show
>> the uh Yeah, he
[12:33] » Yeah.
>> Yeah. Will Charter Elementary School.
[12:36] Willis High School has several the uh
let's see this is Stanza Davis Sherwood
[12:44] School
and my favorite
[12:51] Napa Auto Parts. That's another one.
We also
[12:59] have this uh commissioned by and gifted
to well it's by Jane Camp.
[13:05] It's a window 20.
[13:13] And for visitors, public art serves as
an accessible introduction to a
[13:17] community's character. Unlike gallery or
museum exhibitions, public art is freely
[13:22] available and immediate. It attracts
attention, encourages exploration, and
[13:28] often becomes a focal point for cultural
tourism. Through these visual intervent
[13:33] inter interventions, tourists gain
insight into the stories, traditions,
[13:38] and aspirations of the people who live
there. Public art thus enhances both
[13:42] aesthetic appeal and interpretive depth.
[13:50] Wait a minute.
[13:54] I'm sorry. This is uh I'm going the
wrong way.
[14:02] Yeah, here we go.
It attracts attention, encourages
[14:07] exploration, and often becomes a focal
point for cultural tourism. Through
[14:12] these visual inter interventions,
tourists gain insight into the stories,
[14:16] traditions, and aspirations of the
people who live there. Public art thus
[14:21] enhances both the aesthetic appeals of a
place and its interpretive depth
[14:27] providing a meaningful connection
between visitor and community.
[14:32] And this
[14:35] isn't going to show up.
All right. It was the uh residence and
[14:42] they were painting the uh uh mural
and Jud's mural here which is on the
[14:48] back of the band stand.
>> Eric, can you try to click the arrow at
[14:51] the very bottom?
[14:58] » Oh, it
>> not on your computer. On the one that's
[15:02] on the screen. Let me see.
[15:07] Just take past that one.
[15:12] Oh, there it is.
>> Yeah. Okay. Well, this is people doing
[15:16] it fast. They don't have coffee.
We have coffee.
[15:22] And this is the final
adjusted.
[15:30] And let's see. Yes, this here is Tower
Mark and they are the mural is down.
[15:36] They're having it repainted and redone.
[15:42] It's right here.
[15:47] What we got here? Bubblegar has a
profound effect on the civic and
[15:52] cultural life of a community. It
enriches the daily experience of
[15:56] residents, enhances the engagement of
visitors, and elevates the shared public
[16:01] realm. By investing in public art,
communities not only beautify their
[16:06] surroundings, but also reinforce their
identity, values, and sense of
[16:11] collective belonging.
[16:22] And I have to get this up on my computer
here. I'm getting yours instead.
[16:27] Let's just hop over to this. Programs
such as Art Under 20 showcase the talent
[16:32] of local youth, providing young artists
with the opportunity to display their
[16:36] work in a professional gallery setting
and gain recognition for their
[16:40] creativity. Alongside this, the center
host exhibitions, art talks, art classes
[16:47] that engage the broader community,
making it a gathering place where people
[16:51] of all ages can connect and be inspired
by the arts.
[16:59] I'm going the wrong way again.
[17:04] There we go.
Okay. Uh this one here, the true purpose
[17:10] of the arts education is not necessarily
to create more professional dancers or
[17:15] artists.
It's to complete human complete human
[17:21] beings who are critical thinkers and who
have curious minds and can lead a
[17:25] productive life. The Willis Center for
the Arts is proud to bring presentations
[17:29] directly to school children from K prek
through 12th grade reaching as many as
[17:34] 2500 students each month in Willlets
Leightonville to Kovalo. Recently we
[17:40] expanded efforts by opening a branch in
Gualala allowing us to connect with even
[17:45] more young students in Ventino County.
Uh
[17:53] yeah, here it is.
The Wild Community Theater is a vibrant
[17:59] cultural hub of menino county dedicated
to performing
[18:03] performances on an intimate setting.
Established in 1977, the theater is
[18:09] volunteer drive-in and showcases a wide
range of productions including drama,
[18:13] comedy, musical concerts, and original
works by playrights.
[18:24] move the center for the arts here.
[18:33] There we go.
The Will Center for the Arts is a
[18:37] cornerstone of cultural life in the
community, offering a welcoming space
[18:41] where creativity and connection thrive.
By providing public access to visual and
[18:47] performing arts, it center for the arts
strengthens community bonds and enriches
[18:52] the cultural fabric of the region.
[19:00] Too soon. Too soon.
Here we go.
[19:05] The Goat and Ridden House Square in
Philadelphia has a charming history as
[19:09] part of the park's public art and
playground tradition. Installed over a
[19:14] century ago, the bronze goat sculpture
became a beloved fixture for children
[19:19] who would climb, play, and interact with
its presence,
[19:23] reflect an era where urban parks were
designated not only for passive
[19:28] enjoyment, but also to engage young
imaginations with whimsical and
[19:33] approachable sculptures.
[19:39] Let's see if we can get this. Have I got
the goat up there?
[19:43] » Yeah, he's there.
>> Wrong goat.
[19:45] » He's got a little strip there.
>> Okay.
[19:50] Well, a bronze sculpture for the
children's playground across from
[19:53] Willlet Center uh City Park would serve
as far more than a decoration.
[20:04] » Um
[20:09] here we go. Public art has a unique
ability to spark curiosity and inspire
[20:14] wonder, especially in young minds. A
sculpture in bronze with its durability
[20:19] and timeless beauty would offer children
a tangible connection to the arts in
[20:24] their everyday lives, encouraging
creativity while also aesthetically uh
[20:31] pleasing.
[20:37] What is this thing that keeps showing
up? Anyway, here's a what uh a bronze
[20:42] horse is another suggestion.
Brown's turtle. Another suggestion.
[20:51] My favorite, the cake. Our plays a vital
role in development of young people by
[20:58] fostering creativity, critical thinking,
and selfexpression.
[21:03] H.
[21:11] » There it is.
>> Yeah. I'm sorry. Yeah.
[21:16] » Uh
through drawing, painting, music, and
[21:20] other artistic activities, children
learn to communicate ideas and emotions
[21:24] that are often difficult to express in
words.
[21:28] As writer and educator Thomas Merton
observed, "Art enables us to find oursel
[21:32] and lose ourselves at the same time,
reminding us that art helps young people
[21:37] discover their identities while engaging
in imagination."
[21:43] Art education advocate Elliot Eisner
argues that creativity is a capacity
[21:49] common to all, one that should
effectively be developed in the schools
[21:55] by encouraging observation, problem
solving, and personal expression. The
[22:00] arts help young people become more
confident.
[22:06] And let's do this last one.
That's where I want to write that. Let
[22:12] me close with this. The impulse and
ability to create art, create art is one
[22:17] of the highlights of being human. It is
the key quality that sets us apart from
[22:22] the animal world. One that makes life
more meaningful and enjoyable. While
[22:27] there are artistic skills that make it
easier for people to bring their
[22:30] imaginations into visible tangible
world, art does doesn't abide by any of
[22:36] these rules. especially in kids art,
especially young kids art.
[22:43] While there are artistic skills that may
make it easier for people to bring their
[22:48] imaginations into the visible tangible
world. Oh, I already read that, didn't
[22:53] I? Okay. Well anyway as the famous quote
from quote goes from uh the dead man's
[23:01] society dead man's poet society medicine
law business and engineering these are
[23:07] noble pursuits [clears throat] and
necessary to sustain life but poetry
[23:12] beauty and love these are what you stay
alive for.
[23:16] Thank you.
[23:21] [applause]
[23:25] The four examples that I show you are
going into the willitz news in a couple
[23:30] of weeks and people will vote on which
one they want.
[23:34] » Well, I certainly appreciate you
bringing a presentation. I really
[23:38] appreciate you not asking us for money
because we're still broke.
[23:40] » I know.
>> Okay. I'm ready to go out there and you
[23:44] know, get the money.
>> All right.
[23:47] » Any other questions?
>> Any prep questions from All right.
[23:51] Great. Thank you very much for the
presentation. Thank you for politely
[23:54] asking to be here last month last month
>> and giving us a 10-minute presentation.
[23:58] » Okay.
>> Your man of your word.
[24:00] » Great. Thank you.
[24:04] [laughter]
[24:08] » All right. Uh there's no ordinances.
We're in acting and we're moving on to
[24:12] consent calendar. City council.
>> The consent calendar.
[24:17] » I'm going to read it first to the
public. City Council considers matters
[24:20] listed on consent calendar as routine.
The council will take action with a
[24:24] single vote and roll call vote. A
council member may request the removal
[24:27] of an item from the consent calendar for
separate discussion and subsequent
[24:32] action.
>> I think she has a question.
[24:36] » Okay. I'm about to call for
>> I think it goes with that.
[24:39] » Oh. Oh. Public comment for Gary's
presentation. I'm sorry, Norma. Let's
[24:43] go. Public comment for Gary's
presentation.
[24:49] my comment because I want to read a
letter that Jane Camp wrote because she
[24:52] couldn't be here. So, good evening,
council members. I regret that I cannot
[24:58] attend this meeting in person, but I
write to strongly support the sculpture
[25:02] that Gary is so generously willing to
give the city. Willlets is becoming well
[25:06] known for its artistic culture. And this
particular sculpture will not only
[25:11] enliven children's curiosity and
interest in this form of art, but will
[25:15] also be a lovely and whimsical sculpture
for all to enjoy. I hope you will give
[25:20] this project the green light. Jane Camp.
>> Thank you very much.
[25:24] » And I agree. I like pigs. I think it's
adorable.
[25:28] » Helen, you have public comment on Gary's
presentation.
[25:36] » Good evening and welcome.
>> Thank you. Welcome. No, welcome to me.
[25:39] Thank you to you,
>> Helen Sims. Thanks, Gary. Good
[25:43] presentation. I would like to suggest
that whatever is chosen, we have a
[25:47] public contest to name it.
>> I'll name it.
[25:51] » I will name whatever we pick. The
tortoise pig little pork chop
[25:57] as much as I can.
>> Thank you.
[25:59] » Any other public comment on the art
presentation?
[26:04] All right. And I want you to know we
have thick skin. If anybody came here
[26:08] just for the art presentation and would
like to leave, we will not hold it
[26:12] against you.
Okay.
[26:16] » So, continuing on with with consent
calendar.
[26:20] » You're welcome to go if you want. That's
Thank you very much.
[26:27] » A council member may request the removal
of an item from the consent calendar for
[26:30] separate discussion and subsequent
action. Is there any public comment on
[26:33] the consent calendar?
[26:37] one twice. Okay. Public comments closed
to the council.
[26:42] » I move the consent copy.
>> I'd like to second that.
[26:44] » We have a motion in a second. Is there
any discussion?
[26:47] » I just want to say thank you to staff
regarding the proposed
[26:54] adopting a resolution our project list
for roads. It was realistic given our
[26:59] funding situations.
>> I have a question on the cassette
[27:02] calendar. Um, so the Earth Scope
Consortium Incorporated has a GPS.
[27:09] Do they have a city business license?
>> Not that I'm aware of.
[27:14] » Should they have a city business license
if they're operating a business here?
[27:17] No.
>> Organization.
[27:21] » Okay.
>> Right. Okay.
[27:25] » All right. Any other questions from
council?
[27:29] » Council member Burton.
>> Hi.
[27:30] » Gonzalez.
>> Yes.
[27:32] » Stransky.
>> Yes. Hollanese.
[27:33] » Yes.
>> Mayor
[27:34] » Hi.
>> Um and and to the to the public, I'm
[27:39] sorry. The four items that we voted vote
on were the city council meeting from
[27:44] June 26th, the special meeting from June
29th, an approval to renew a lease
[27:50] agreement between the city Willlets and
Earth Scope Consortium Incorporated for
[27:53] GPS station located to Willlet Municipal
Airport, and discussion of possible
[27:57] action adopting a resolution
establishing a city 2026 27 project list
[28:02] for local streets and roads program SP1
fund requirements. All right, moving on
[28:07] to monthly activity reports which do not
require action from the council. The uh
[28:13] information was in your packet. Is there
any public comment on the city or the
[28:18] month of activity reports?
[28:23] Hearing none public comment is closed.
We had in in the packet that you can
[28:28] find online the account payable activity
report, the building permit activity
[28:33] report and business license activity
report. I did not see the account
[28:37] payable report in my agenda. Did I might
>> to Joseph?
[28:46] » It is in the agenda packet. I could give
you this copy if you'd like to review
[28:50] it. I mean, I just uh I Yeah, I
I just uh go opened what was sent to me.
[29:00] » Yeah. What's up? And then what was up?
So
[29:06] maybe we could just have it for the next
meeting just to include it in in our
[29:11] next meeting and or both of them or
whatever.
[29:14] » We can do that.
>> I can look at it then. That would be
[29:17] fine.
[29:21] Any other questions regarding the
reports?
[29:24] All right, moving on um to the city
manager report. Verbal report.
[29:31] » City manager report. Okay, there we are.
We might set a record tonight.
[29:38] Um, department recommendation. There's
no department recommendations in front
[29:43] of us.
Uh, department monthly report to start
[29:46] with administrative services.
[29:53] Did the administrative services or these
department reports make it out in the
[29:58] packet they received?
Yeah, that's an electronic packet in the
[30:03] packet.
>> That was so I will I will check what's
[30:08] in it next time because we do have the
the file that's in our shared drive that
[30:13] has a printable packet. That's where I
got the um accounts payable report, but
[30:18] I didn't verify that that was in the
email that went out.
[30:21] » Okay.
>> So, that's what I'll do next time to
[30:23] make sure.
>> Thank you. uh for the month report uh
[30:26] the achievements and activities uh are
there for you to read. U obviously a
[30:31] large bullet point was the uh budget
discussion. Uh but what we're really
[30:36] looking forward to right now in the
current month is uh the 2425 audit that
[30:43] is currently underway. Uh we are going
to have Andy Heath come back next week
[30:50] and we are going to continue working on
the finalization of the last items with
[30:55] the auditor that is virtual. The
auditors are still going to be virtual
[30:59] until they come to an on-site visit next
month where we're looking to finalize
[31:03] » and we're still talking 23 24 audit
>> 2425 2425.
[31:09] » Correct.
>> Okay. Anything else?
[31:14] » Okay. to the airport.
>> No, I'm sorry.
[31:16] » No, I just wanted to in your in your
report, Joseph, you I saw something that
[31:23] I I was happy to see. I guess I just
want to follow up on it briefly.
[31:28] » Spring Book successes. I haven't heard
Spring Book successes.
[31:35] Uh is that mean that you're actually
getting function out of that
[31:43] software now and it is
doing what it was intended?
[31:49] » Well, step by step, the first thing that
was a success was that nobody noticed
[31:54] that we switched to the new fiscal year
in Spring Brook. That means that it was
[31:57] a seamless transition. the accounts were
opened and we're posting as normal and
[32:03] no one really noticed that we did it.
So, that's that's what we like to hear
[32:07] and what we consider a success is when
we don't have any problems. Um, as far
[32:11] as the additional reporting that we're
going to be putting in place, that's the
[32:15] focus um that we have along with doing
this audit is we're going to use that
[32:20] experience and that practice with Andy
Heath and the auditors to practice
[32:24] pulling these reports and finding out
how good we're doing and pulling the
[32:28] information back out of Spring Brook.
Um, one other thing if I may, I I thank
[32:35] you for the summary of the accounts uh,
account balances. Um,
[32:43] within that, is there um, are there any
outstand or accounts receivable of note
[32:49] that would help offset the
the 20% shrinking of the fund from the
[32:57] last one I saw?
But do we have some sizable accounts
[33:02] receivable
pending?
[33:05] » Uh we can we can get
probably some of our uh folks that do
[33:11] the capital projects. U a lot of the the
money that's going out is for those. Uh
[33:18] this construction company payment that I
noted on the recent activity is part of
[33:23] that Rails with Trails project. And so
we're still putting out some of these
[33:28] expenses and the the reimbursements are
to come later, but that's that's what we
[33:34] need to make sure and be careful of is
that we don't um have a cash flow issue.
[33:39] Um but we do have some payments coming
in, taxes,
[33:44] those types of things will come in uh
later in this year. So we do have some
[33:48] receivables coming in that will offset
some of these costs. Yeah, I I think if
[33:53] it was possible to add uh one more
column on that of accounts receivable uh
[33:58] what we build and haven't been and I'm
mainly thinking of these capital project
[34:03] deals, but uh
uh until we get kind of an up and
[34:09] running balance on everything, I I would
think that that would be
[34:14] uh would hopefully soften a little bit
of the fear that comes from seeing this
[34:21] account.
>> I agree. We we are currently talking
[34:26] about what we've been using before or
what was used before to track and
[34:30] project out some of the receivables as
well as some of the large expenses and
[34:34] building those calendars. So, we're
going to be working with the department
[34:38] heads, see what they've already been
using, and go back to tracking that once
[34:43] again so that we can report a little bit
further out for you to show some of the
[34:47] large ticket items that are either going
out or coming in. Okay. Thank you.
[34:51] » Thank you.
>> Any other council?
[34:56] » All right. Airport. Anything?
>> Oh, just one short item. There was
[35:04] 17.
>> Can I ask you?
[35:12] Just the only item I wanted to share was
that the annual tank cleaning that was
[35:16] listed as tentative on your council
report is complete now.
[35:20] » Thank you.
>> Anything from community development?
[35:24] That's
>> uh nothing new to add. Happy to answer
[35:28] any questions or questions I have
>> to the police department. Chief,
[35:34] » I would like to thank everyone for
helping with the parade route and the
[35:39] detour route parking. Thank you to the
community. It was very much appreciated.
[35:44] The parade was phenomenal as as usual.
>> No drama.
[35:49] » No drama.
>> No towed cars.
[35:52] » Two towed cars.
>> Okay. Well,
[35:54] » two towed cars. And then I would like to
invite the community on Tuesday, August
[36:00] 4th to the park across the street for a
national night out. 5:00 p.m. to 9:00
[36:06] p.m. Uh come meet with the police
department. Come meet your fire
[36:10] departments and uh other civic other
civic groups. We hope to have a
[36:16] wonderful uh community outing again
Tuesday, August 4th, 5 to 9 across the
[36:22] street
>> at Snyder Park.
[36:23] » Correct, sir. Thank you, Chief. Public
works
[36:30] and utilities. Goodbye.
>> Combined, though. I got nothing really
[36:34] new to add unless you guys have any
specific questions. I do want to commend
[36:37] staff for all the extra effort they put
in for our Fourth of July festivities
[36:41] and all the um extra effort that goes
into keeping our town and clean and
[36:48] organized and decorated and it's all a
lot of it's behind the scenes and u I
[36:53] just want to let them know I really
appreciate all the extra work and uh now
[36:57] they have all this extra time on their
hands we'll be getting back to more of
[37:01] the standard practice of maintaining the
city. Um it does take an extraordinary
[37:05] amount of time to prep for all our
events. So um I want to thank them for
[37:09] that. Um
>> can you give us a status on our new
[37:13] solar array of what it's it's actually
producing and what we're getting out of
[37:17] it?
>> Yeah. So I uh so it is on as of last
[37:21] month it was turned on. We will be
posting it'll be on our website. We do
[37:25] have a monitoring little snippet that
kind of uh monitors its daily output. I
[37:31] believe it's uh about 580 kilowatts a
day and right now it's it's pretty much
[37:38] max maxing out with our summer sunshine.
Um but yeah, we'll be posting that so
[37:44] it'll be available through a click of a
button so people can watch it money
[37:48] back. Um
>> that'll be on our website.
[37:50] » It'll be on our website. It's a little
feelood link
[37:52] » the city of Willis website.
>> City of Willis website. Um, I just got
[37:56] that last week from our vendor. Um,
because we haven't had time to post it,
[37:59] but we'll be posting that. Uh, it'll be
a little tells you how much energy
[38:03] you're trees you're saving and gas
you're saving, all the things that
[38:07] offset power from the sun. So, um, yeah.
Um, that job's almost uh closing out. Um
[38:17] we'll probably be taking the uh notice
of completion to council here in the
[38:21] next probably next month be the second
meeting probably in August um for
[38:27] completion of that to get it recorded.
>> Thank you. Anything else?
[38:33] » Um the merrygoround we're working on
getting it fixed. It's been a couple of
[38:38] uh uh we had some really rambunctious
children. Um
[38:43] » 200 pounders
>> 200 pounders. you know, I won't I won't
[38:46] say it was me or my friends, but um uh
anyway, we are working uh to get that
[38:52] fixed. So, it should be up and running
here as soon as we can soon as we can do
[38:56] that. But that was something that
community members had been asking me
[38:59] about. So, um we are working on it. It's
not just sitting there wrapped in bubble
[39:04] wrap. We are trying to get it fixed.
>> Well, we're going to get on to city
[39:08] council. Is there anything else? I'm
sorry.
[39:10] » Unless you guys have any questions. Is
there any public comment on the
[39:14] department monthly reports?
Sir, go ahead. You have to go to the
[39:18] microphone so it's video.
>> Sorry.
[39:22] » Is it a public comment? Sure. Go ahead.
>> Yes. I just had a a question or a
[39:27] comment about how you were doing with
the earthquake damage.
[39:30] » I'm going to bring that up in just a
minute.
[39:32] » Thank you.
>> Thank you.
[39:33] » Thank you very much. So,
we're going to do city council um
[39:39] reports, but I will say that when the
when the earthquake happened, I was in
[39:43] touch with the city manager, was in
touch with police chief, everybody,
[39:47] every city employee stepped up. No one
complained. Everybody did their job.
[39:53] They knew what to do. All the training
that we've all had fell into place. And
[39:57] yeah, we suffered some some damage. Um
the grocery outlet's still going to be
[40:02] closed for several weeks, but I it's
nice to see city cones around some of
[40:07] the damaged buildings letting people
know, you know, that they're we're aware
[40:12] of the damage and we're working with the
businesses and and that goes for every
[40:16] employee, not just the ones who are on
the street, but the office employees who
[40:20] handled all the phones, who wondered why
P Gen was out, and certainly to the city
[40:25] of Willlets. Thank you very much to the
to the citizens. Um we went for a long
[40:31] time without power, without traffic
lights, without grocery stores, and um
[40:37] there certainly was some water that was
brown because of the shaking and
[40:41] rattling, but
commendations go to everybody across the
[40:46] board for what we're we are prepared for
what happened. We don't want it any
[40:51] worse, but um what happened happened and
we um are are learning from it. I know
[40:57] that um the city is is the community
development department is working um
[41:03] with businesses and residents. If there
have been damage, it needs to be
[41:07] reported to the city um to we can tally
it up and and maybe go to FEMA. We don't
[41:13] know the answer to that, but we need to
know the damage. So to the city council,
[41:18] um I'd like for you to combine good and
welfare and announcements and
[41:21] communications. Who's here?
>> Um, only one thing came to mind, uh,
[41:28] was, uh, I I've been enjoying seeing
James's weekly summary of activity. Uh,
[41:37] it's something I haven't seen in all my
years of being on the council is, of
[41:43] course, I haven't always had the benefit
of internet either, but uh, but in that,
[41:48] but uh, anyway, I found that I I
appreciate that uh
[41:55] that information you pass along every
week. Thank you.
[41:58] » Thank you very
anything.
[42:01] » Um I had laughco on the 6th and the only
thing we any note would be we had the
[42:08] medicine coast recreation park district
municipal service review and sphere of
[42:12] influence and that was it.
>> Anything to report? I would like to say
[42:19] that the bikes are still going down in
front of the buildings and somebody's
[42:23] going to get nailed and I'm just saying
it once again. Thank you.
[42:29] » Well, that guy on the electric scooter
is in the bike lane. Somebody has had a
[42:33] discussion with him and he's in the bike
lane. That's good.
[42:37] » Okay. I got a few. Uh first of all um on
the 15th I had the pre uh the pleasure
[42:43] and privilege to meet with Senator
Schiff, our California senator here. He
[42:48] sent his field representative um Mr.
Frank uh to the rural communities out
[42:53] here and had that chance to meet with
him on uh the 15th of July when Mr.
[42:58] Connor and myself and Mr. we're able to
discuss a number of issues um that
[43:04] potentially have a federal impact or
federal issues that have an impact on
[43:07] the city of Willlets. Um I will share
with the community I brought up several
[43:10] different issues including our our need
for continue transportation funding. Um
[43:15] our support for local hospitals. I mean
it's not we have a good hospital here
[43:19] but remember they close down all the
hospitals put more pressure on our
[43:22] hospital. of um we need to continue our
support for rural hospitals as well as a
[43:26] concern [clears throat] for forest
management, the national forest um and
[43:30] the way that that affects our fire
insurance and the way that the federal
[43:33] government's insurance policies affect
our state insurance policies and that's
[43:37] affecting us as a community. So I
believe I was able to express that
[43:40] pretty clearly. he was um very excited
about open up a opening up a dialogue
[43:45] between the rural communities and the
senator's office and uh just wanted to
[43:49] share that that folks. Um additionally,
I just want to encourage anyone who is
[43:54] interested or anybody watching at home
that if you know someone and you're
[43:57] tired of hearing a complaint, uh remind
them that there is an election coming up
[44:00] and that you can uh get yourself
involved u directly by taking out
[44:06] paperwork to file for the city council.
Um I believe you have until August the
[44:10] 7th. So, if you are interested, look,
you can just get paperwork and just find
[44:14] out the interest and still not learn it
later. Um, but if you have any interest,
[44:17] please make a appointment with our city
clerk um and uh she'll be able to meet
[44:21] with you and give you a the lowdown on
all that. I'd like to encourage everyone
[44:24] to to think about that. Of course, you
do have to live inside of the city
[44:29] boundaries. So, that is an important
aspect. I know some of you are very
[44:32] connected to Willlets, but you live
right outside the boundary. Um so to be
[44:36] a member of the city council you do have
to be um in the city boundaries as a
[44:41] whole. Um also I want to um um highlight
on some sad news. Um so many of you know
[44:48] um there was a local student who was
recently hurt in a motorcycle accident.
[44:52] Um Zach Thompson he was a student of
mine previously as recently as last
[44:57] school year. um he is seriously injured
and his family is uh working with the
[45:01] Willis School District to provide um
community support for him and his
[45:06] family. Um they're going to be meeting
here um excuse me, they're going to be
[45:10] meeting at the Willis High School
auditorium on the 26th, which I believe
[45:13] is this Sunday at 11:00. They're
organizing some kind of walk. So, uh my
[45:17] understanding is that due to his medical
condition, he is very, very injured. Um
[45:21] and the school district and the family
thought it'd be a good idea to let
[45:25] people show the support to the
community. So, if that is something you
[45:28] see on Facebook or that's something that
strikes your mind on a Sunday at 11:00
[45:31] a.m. you see people gathering at the
high school, you know what that's all
[45:34] about. And if you have the time and
inclination to do so, um it'd be great
[45:37] to see the community really come out and
join this this young man who who um has
[45:43] some serious issues now. Um and it was
just there was an accident. Um also, I
[45:48] want to point out our first Friday,
which will be coming back here in
[45:50] August, August the 7th. So, uh, make
plans, bring your friends, bring your
[45:54] family, u, make sure you get your
driver, and we'll meet you out on
[45:57] October on August the 7th for our first
Friday coming up. That's happening
[46:01] before our next meeting. So, I want to
remind everybody. And then finally, last
[46:05] but not least, um, on the 26th of June,
um, I received my reply from the FPPC,
[46:16] the Fair Practice Political Commission.
There was a question about a potential
[46:20] conflict of interest that was related to
an item that was brought to our council.
[46:26] Um, it's not exactly city business, so
I'm not going to go into the details
[46:30] here. It's more of a personal issue, but
I will want to let everybody know that
[46:33] the finding did come back that there was
no conflict of interest between myself
[46:38] and the general manager of road trails.
Now, of course, there's a lot of details
[46:42] on that and a lot of it is legal
details. So again, I'm not going to um
[46:45] go into the details of that, but I will
be posting about it on my web on my
[46:48] Facebook page. If you want to uh look at
it yourself and read it yourself and
[46:52] learn everything about it, you possibly
can if you are so inclined. Um but in
[46:56] general, there is no the finding was
that there was NO SENSE.
[47:01] So
So um appreciate your patience on that.
[47:06] I'm not sure as a city how we're going
to move forward on that particular issue
[47:10] where there's a number of things still
being worked out. Um but I just want to
[47:13] let everybody know that that has been
concluded. Um and therefore whatever
[47:17] action we take after that will be that
in mind.
[47:19] » All right, that's everything. Yes. Thank
you.
[47:22] » All right. Well, there's a lot. Thank
you very much. I certainly want to
[47:25] congratulate Frontier Days on their
100th
[47:29] Frontier Days that went as far as I know
flawlessly. A lot of work was put into
[47:35] it by the city, by the citizens, by
Frontier Days, by Marcy and her team,
[47:42] and it it benefited the city greatly.
And uh we're looking forward to the
[47:47] 101st annual Frontier Days next year.
With that, anything else from council?
[47:53] With that, um this meeting is adjourned.
Thank you.