Documenter: Ramiro Merino

Summary

• Alexander Brown from WaterSmart presented on the functionality and services the subscription platform offers. The Board wants to work with him closely to identify their specific needs and the needs of the residents of Parlier. 

• Israel Trevino Jr. passed away on Sunday in Parier. His son Israel Trevino III is in critical but stable condition at the hospital. Joe Gomez Jr has been arrested for the shooting.

• The Council approved the conditional use permit for Elie Aljalhoom to operate a tobacco store at 690 Fresno Street. 

• The Council approved to adopt Resolution No. 2021-23 and introduced and waived the first reading of Ordinance No. 2021-03 and set a public hearing for May 20, 2021. 

• The council approved to waive the second reading of and adopt Ordinance No. 2021-02, amend the Parlier Municipal Code Section 18.32.020(A) and Chapter 18.55 regarding cannabis dispensaries. 

Parlier City Council Board Members

• Alma Beltran, Mayor

• Sabrina Rodriguez, Council Member District 1

• Trinidad Pimentel, Mayor Pro Tem and Council Member District 2

• Cathryn “Kathy” Solorio, Council Member District 3

• Diane Maldonado, Council Member District 4

The Scene

The Parlier City Council meeting was called to order at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 6, 2021 by Mayor Alma Beltran. The meeting was streamed live virtually through Facebook and Zoom. The in-person meeting consisted of the five council members, including the Mayor Alma Beltran, Mayor Pro Tem and Council Member for District 2, Trinidad Pimental, Council Members Sabrina Rodriguez, Cathryn “Kathy” Solorio, and Diane Maldonado for Districts 1, 3 and 4. City Clerk Dorothy Garza, Treasurer Michelle Lopez, City Attorney Neal Constanzo, Finance Director Ellie Velicescu and approximately six community members were also present via Zoom. The camera was directed towards the podium, where a TV monitor displayed those on Zoom. Everyone shown at the meeting wore a mask and practiced social distancing as best as they could given the room layout of the meeting. When speaking at the podium, some of the members of the public removed their masks and put it back on once they were done. 

You can find the agenda for the City Council meeting here

Presentations

WaterSmart – Delivering Insights & Customer Self-Service 24/7

Alexander Brown, an Account Executive from WaterSmart, presented on Delivering Insights & Customer Self-Service 24/7. The WaterSmart platform surfaces actionable data insights for water utility staff and provides self-service solutions for end-use customers effectively reducing costs, improving operational efficiencies, and increasing customer satisfaction. WaterSmart is the most widely deployed solution in the industry, serving the needs of over 170 water utilities in 38 states. More water utilities use WaterSmart than any other portal in this space, with 170+ and counting. Proven results include: reduce calls, where 40-55% of customers surveyed reported being able to self-resolve their leak without calling or emailing their utility; reach more households, where access to all channels of communication (voice, text, email, & print) allows utilities to reach 80% total customer engagement; drive digital conversion, where 20& of customers who received a print leak alert registered for the customer portal (i.e., email and mobile phone capture); automate processes, where implementing automated processes helps utilities to save 10-15 hours of staff time per week. WaterSmart offers access to a user-friendly, intuitive customer experience. The platform is also offered in spanish so spanish-speaking customers can also access their portal. There is an overview chart that shows the utility usage patterns, including comparing the usage of efficient customers in the neighborhood. The platform offers data comparing customers from a similar city. Customers are able to pay their utility bills through the platform. All customers will receive leak alerts and self-resolve leaks as a notification on their phones. Consumption analytics are provided on the platform. It tracks various measures, including e-bill reminders that affect payment delinquency, leak alerts, etc. Membership with the platform is a yearly program investment. The first year subscription costs $25,000. One of the council members expressed their concern that a lot of residents in Parlier are not tech-savvy and could see them getting frustrated with not knowing how to navigate the platform. Alex said that a lot of customers are older and low-income, and have used the platform more to track their utility bills and leak alerts. 

Israel Trevio, Jr. passed away over the weekend from a drive-by shooting. His son Israel Trevino III is in critical condition at the hospital. “As of right now, we are working with the Police Department to bring justice to the family. We do not believe this is gang-related, but we have not ruled out that this was a targeted case. These cases are very fast-paced at first and then slow down. We have arrested Joe Gomez Jr. from Parlier for the shooting. The officers that assisted in the beginning did a really great job at handling the issue. I want to condemn the Parlier Police Department for their hard work.”

Consent Calendar

The City Council unanimously approved the first item on the consent calendar, which is to approve the Check Reports dated April 10, 2021 to April 30, 2021. The Council voted to remove the second item on the consent calendar, which is the Minutes dated Regular Meeting on April 15, 2021, because the minutes had the wrong date on them. 

Regular Business

The Council approved the following agenda items: 

• SUBJECT: Consider approval of conditional use permit for Elie Aljalhoom to operate a tobacco store at 690 Fresno Street. 

  • PUBLIC HEARING

    • Mayor Beltran to open Public Hearing

    • Public input/testimony for or against

    • Mayor Beltran to close Public Hearing

  • RECOMMENDATION: City Council to adopt Resolution No. 2021-21, approving a conditional use permit. 

• SUBJECT: Consideration and Necessary Action on amendments to Parlier Municipal Code Chapter 18.55 Regarding Outdoor Cannabis Cultivation.

  • RECOMMENDATION: City Council to adopt Resolution No. 2021-23, introduce and waive the first reading of Ordinance No. 2021-03 and sets a public hearing for May 20, 2021.

• SUBJECT: Consideration and Necessary action on Zoning Text Amendments affecting cannabis dispensaries.  

  • RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council waives the second reading of and adopts Ordinance No. 2021-02, amending Parlier Municipal Code Section 18.32.020(A) and Chapter 18.55 regarding cannabis dispensaries. 

• SUBJECT: Consideration and Necessary Action on approving an Application for Funding and the Execution of a Grant Agreement and Any Agreements Thereto from the 2020 Community Development Block Grant Program Coronavirus Response Round 2 and 3 (CDBG-CV2 and CV3) NOFA dated December 18, 2020. 

  • RECOMMENDATION: Approve Resolution No. 2021-24 Approving an Application for Funding and the Execution of a Grant Agreement and Any Agreements Thereto from the 2020 Community Development Block Grant Program Coronavirus Response Round 2 and 3 (CDBG-CV2 and CV3) NOFA dated December 18, 2020. 

• SUBJECT: Consideration and Necessary Action on the purchase of new patrol rifles to replace old outdated rifles. 

  • RECOMMENDATION: Staff request City Council approve recommendation to purchase new patrol rifles to assist officers in protecting the community from violent armed offenders and in cases where student lives are threatened by active shooters. Patrol rifles are standard issue department equipment found in all police agencies nationwide. 

Public Comment on Closed Session

No members of the public commented on the items which would be discussed during the Closed Session. The Council went to closed session at 8:45 p.m. 

Brief Comments: Council Communications/Comments

The City Administrator, City Planner, City Attorney, and City Council had no report. 

Adjournment

Mayor Beltran adjourned the City Council meeting at 9:40 p.m.