Documenter: Ramiro Merino

Summary

• Police Chief Kendall reported in the 2020 Annual Lemoore Police Department Report at the Study Session meeting, in which he reiterated at the City Council meeting that crime has decreased for the most part overall. 

• The City Planner addressed the Council’s concerns regarding parking at the GJ Gardner Homes, if the road can be made into a one-way street, and the color choice for the homes. 

• Everyone gave thanks to Sheila and the Parks and Recs Department for their hard work over the weekend with the Easter event in downtown Lemoore.

Purpose of Agency

The five City Council members are elected at large to serve four-year, overlapping terms. Municipal elections are held in November of even number years. Council selects one of its members to serve as the Mayor, who presides at meetings and represents the City in all official matters and at official functions. Council Members do not spend all day at City Hall; they have regular jobs like everyone else. The variety of experience they bring to meetings helps them as a group to make wise decisions. 

Lemoore City Council Board Member Duties

The City Council is responsible for approving all legislation and formulating City policies. The Council’s objectives are broad and include translating public attitudes and service requirements into policies and programs, so that desired levels of service can be provided efficiently and economically. The Council keeps abreast of current State and Federal legislation. By participation in the League of California Cities, Council members are able to compare policies, techniques and procedures with other cities throughout the state. Close liaison is maintained with other Kings County elected officials to insure that Lemoore’s policies and programs are coordinated with other public agencies. 

Lemoore City Council Board Members

• Stuart Lyons, Mayor, Council Member for District A

• Patricia Matthews, Mayor Pro Tem and Council Member for District E

• Jim Chaney, Council Member for District B

• Frank Gornick, Council Member for District C

• David Orth, Council Member for District D

The Scene

The Lemoore City Council meeting was called to order at 7:31 p.m. on Tuesday, April 6, 2021 by Mayor Stuart Lyons. The meeting was streamed live virtually through Zoom, where a total of six participants showed up throughout the night. The in-person meeting consisted of all five council members, including the Mayor (Stuart Lyons), Mayor Pro Tem and Council Member for District E (Patricia Matthews), Council Members for B, C, D (Jim Chaney, Frank Gornick and David Orth). City Staff and contract employees also present were City Manager Olson, Assistant City Manager Speer, Police Chief Kendall, City Attorney Lerner, Community Development Director Holwell, and City Clerk Avalos. Due to the global pandemic, physical attendance by the public cannot be accommodated given the current circumstances and the need to ensure the health and safety of the City Council, City staff, and the public as a whole. The Zoom camera was directed towards the Council, where you could see the City Council Members. The Council all wore masks for the duration of the meeting. 

Closed Session Report

There was no closed session report. 

Public Comment

There was no public comment. 

Ceremonial Presentations

There were no ceremonial presentations. 

Department and City Manager Reports 

Michelle Speer, the Assistant City Manager, stated she would be providing an update in June regarding a comprehensive overview of the city budget. Chief Kendall stated that he reported on the 2020 Lemoore Police Department Annual Report during the Study Session held right before this meeting.  

Consent Calendar

The Council unanimously voted to approve the agenda items on the consent calendar. 

• Approval – Minutes – Regular Meeting – March 16, 2021

• Approval – Minutes – Special Meeting – March 30, 2021

• Approval – Budget Adjustment – 2020 Police Motorcycle Up-fit 

• Approval – Notice of Completion – CIP 5308 Champion Sewer Extension 

• Approval – Award Contract for Landscape Maintenance for Lighting and Landscape Maintenance District #1 

• Approval – Award Contract for Landscape Maintenance for Public Facilities Maintenance District #1 

• Approval – Award Contract for Landscape Maintenance for City Parks

• Approval – Renew Contract with Willdan Financial Services for LLMD and PFMD Engineering Services 

• Approval – Option to Purchase Real Estate Agreement between the City of Lemoore and People’s Properties, LLC 

Public Hearings

Public Hearing – First Reading – Resolution 2021-06 and Ordinance 2021-02, approving Planned Unit Development No. 2020-03, Fairway Courtyards Tentative Subdivision Map No. 2020-02, and Major Site Plan Review No. 2020-05 (Brandt). 

The City Attorney Lerner stated “Just a reminder Mayor and Council, this is a continued public hearing from your prior regular meeting of March 16, so the public hearing is still open.” Mathew Holmes sent in a comment regarding this item. His comment read “We are very interested in purchasing a GJ Gardner Home and wanted to know what the problem was with why it is taking the City so long to approve the homes? This is perfect for a family that is looking to downsize. We hope that GJ Gardner can get this subdivision going. It would be nice for a dirt area to be developed instead of just weed. We also have been approved for financing and the more time goes by, the prices of the homes go up. And then we won’t have the opportunity to purchase our first homes.” Mayor Lyons asked about the road and the concern with the tight turning. City Planner Brandt stated “We did look at that again and that it does meet the fire truck turning standard as well as the cul de sac, so there will be two ways to turn around.” Mayor Lyons stated the second safety concern the Council has is if the road can be made into a one-way street, which would allow for more parking. “One way is a possibility, it would allow you to do parking on both sides of the street”, stated Brandt. 

The Mayor brought up a third concern, which is choosing between a painted wall versus a blocked wall versus a stucco wall. “The staff recommended a stucco wall because that was consistent with the other homes at the golf course. The City standard is a colored block wall, so the planning commission changed it to a painted wall. A colored block would add about $100 to $170 per house to the overall cost on just Vine Street. Council member Gornick asked how parking would work, at which Brandt said there will be a parking lot, a park, and a ponding basin. “Most of the driveways will have space to park two cars in the driveway.” The motion passed to approve this 4 to 1. 

New Business

There was no new business. 

Brief City Council Reports and Requests

• Council Member Orth: Thanked Sheila for the Easter event over the weekend. “It was an awesome event. It was good to see this after what we went through in this community and country.” He said “We are doing everything we can to make this a productive year, given the circumstances.” 

• Council Member Gornick: Thanked the Chief for his presentation. “I thought it was a great report on the progress the City has made, in particular the police department. We live in one of the safest cities in the Valley, thanks to our citizens and the police department.”  He also said he would like to see in one of their study sessions an overlay of the landscape lighting districts over the City Council areas, have a discussion of them. 

• Council Chaney: He thanked the Chief for this report on crime reduction. “We are  very fortunate to have a group of people that carries the city on a day to day basis. I think we are very lucky.” 

• Mayor Pro Tem Matthews: She thanked Sheila Taylor for the Easter event in downtown. There were a lot of families who expressed their gratitude for the event. “I was honored to be able to participate in the escort and the unveiling of the Hometown Fallen Heroes memorial trailer with the American Warriors of California, American Legion Post 100 and Post 3, and a motorcycle club of veterans.” She also said that there will be a Sober Grad Party for the Class of 2020, which the public can donate to. She thanked the Police Department for their presentation and the Fire Department for all that they do. 

• Mayor Lyons: He thanked the Chief and the Police Department for their report and work. He thanked Sheila and the Parks and Rec Department for their hard work in the Easter event. The Fire Department is hosting its first Charity Golf Tournament, which will be posted on the City website. 

Adjournment

• The meeting adjourned at 8:02 p.m.