Here’s what you need to know:
- Public Health Director Sara Bosse said that the case rate of 35.7 per 100,000 is a significant drop. The positivity rate remains at 13.3 percent.
- The council (7-0) approved updating Prima Facie Speed Limits on designated City streets in compliance with Vehicle Code regarding speed surveys on City streets.
- On redistricting, the Council (6-1) approved map option 5. Mayor Santos Garcia voted no.
The Scene
According to its website, the Madera City Council, a board of seven, is the elected legislative body of the City of Madera. There are six council districts. The district elects members of the City Council and the Mayor at large. Members of the City Council, including the Mayor, serve four-year terms.
The meeting was in-person on Wednesday, March. 2, 2022, at 6 pm, yet accessible via YouTube.
Officials Present:
- Mayor Santos Garcia
- Mayor Pro Tem Anita Evans, District 4
- Councilmember Cece Gallegos, District 1
- Councilmember Jose Rodriguez, District 2
- Councilmember Steve Montes, District 3
- Councilmember Elsa Mejia, District 5
- Councilmember Artemio Villegas, District 6
Others Present:
- City Manager Arnoldo Rodriguez, City Clerk Alicia Gonzales, City Attorney Hilda Cantu Montoy, and Public Health Director Sara Bosse, Financial Services Manager Anthony Forestiere, CalTrans District 6 Maintenance and Operations Deputy Director John Liu, Bobby Kahn, Gabriel Baston, Dan Foss, Christine Hays, Roger Evans, Mona Ducay, Letizia Gonzales, and Brett Frazier.
Discussions/Actions
Public Health Director Sara Bosse said that the case rate of 35.7 per 100,000 is a significant drop. The positivity rate remains at 13.3 percent.
Testings are at 632 per day, while the department is reducing capacity, while hospitalizations are increasing.
Now, the state lifted the indoor masking requirement for vaccinated persons. The condition holds for the unvaccinated populations and within schools and health facilities.
The fully vaccinated population is 63 percent. Area A has a vaccination rate of 63 percent and Area C with 70 percent.
Cal-OSHA updates guidelines, emphasizing wearing masks as “strongly recommended” in the workplace and K-12 schools.
She assures that the public health department resources will direct resources to the vulnerable community areas.
First, the Council (7-0) unanimously approved B-1 to B-12 of the consent agenda.
B-1 Minutes – 07/21/21 Recommendation: Approve the City Council Minutes of July 21, 2021
B-2 Informational Report on Register of Audited Demands for February 5, 2022, to February 18, 2022
B-3 Second Reading and Adoption of an Ordinance for a Rezone related to the development of the Sunset Apartment Project
Recommendation: Waive full reading and Adopt an Ordinance, rezoning the approximately 0.2 northern acres of Assessor’s Parcel Number 006-182-007 to the R3 (One unit per 1,800 square feet of site area) zone district (Report by Arnoldo Rodriguez)
B-4 Second Reading and Adoption of an Ordinance Amending the City’s Municipal Code Relating to the Appointment Process for City Boards, Committees, and Commissions
Recommendation: Waive full reading and Adopt an Ordinance Amending §2-3.101 OF TITLE II, CHAPTER 3 of the Madera Municipal Code relating to the appointments process for City Boards, Committees, and Commissions (Report by Arnoldo Rodriguez)
B-5 2020-21 City St. 3R & ADA Project, State Project No. LPP SB1-LLPL 5157 (120), City Project No. R-71
Recommendation: Adopt a Minute Order Approving
1) Acceptance 2020-21 City St. 3R & ADA Project, State Project No. LPP SB1- 5157 (120), City Project No. R-71; and
2) The Recording of Notice of Completion; and,
3) The release of retention 35 days after the recording of the Notice of Completion (Report by Keith Helmuth)
B-6 Amendment to the Application for Transportation Development Act (TDA) – Local Transportation Funds (LTF) and State Transit Assistance (STA) Funds for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021/22 and Rescinding Resolution No. 22-05
Recommendation:
1) Adopt a Resolution Rescinding Resolution No. 22-05 and approving the amended application for TDA, LTF for FY 2021/22 with FY 2020/21 carryover balances; and
2) Authorizing the City Engineer to execute the amended application and submit it to the MCTC for approval and adoption (Report by Keith Helmuth)
B-7 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program FY 2021 funding allocation
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution Authorizing a Budget Amendment to the JAG FY 2021 Program budget as a result of accepting Grant for $27,829 (Report by Anthony Forestiere)
B-8 Amendment to Lease Agreements at the Madera Intermodal Transit Center
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution Approving Amendment No. 1 to the Lease Agreement between the City and Greyhound for the use of the Intermodal Transit Center and Rescinding Resolution No. 22-03 (Report by Anthony Forestiere)
B-9 Amendment to Existing Consultant Contract between the City and NBS Relating to Utility Rate Studies
Recommendation: Adopt a Resolution Approving First Amendment to Agreement for Professional Services between the City and NBS Relating to Rate Studies for Additional Services for $30,000 (Report by Anthony Forestiere)
The public hearings focused on the following:
C-1 7:00 PM – Redrawing of Council Member District Boundaries
1) Receive a report on the redistricting process, feedback from the February 6, 2022, second redistricting workshop draft maps, and permissible criteria to be considered to redraw district boundaries;
Joanna Gin, an associate from BB&K, reported on the redistricting process, initial draft maps, and permissible criteria to be considered to redraw district boundaries.
Council Members hold 4-year terms. The City last went through redistricting in 2011.
Districts 1, 3, & 5 terms begin following November 2022. Districts 2, 4, & 6 terms start the next election in November 2024.
According to the 2020 Census data, the total population for the city is 66,627. The ideal population for each district is 11,105.
She noticed issues with the population imbalance for:
- District 3 (-11.8 percent deviation);
- District 5 (-14.6 percent deviation)
- District 6 (17.3 percent deviation).
The current deviation is above the acceptable range at 31.9 percent. Creating majority or minority voting districts is possible since all six current districts are majority or minority Hispanic voter districts.
At the third public hearing, BB&K prepared three maps, and the public submitted one map. Council voted to retain Maps #1 and #2.
The Council received two additional maps, #5 and #6 from the public
The four maps are summarized below, with accompanying demographic analysis.
An online viewing tool will be used later in the presentation to see the fine detail of the map boundaries.
BB&K has prepared three draft maps for Council’s consideration.
One map is from a member of the public. Each map is summarized below, with accompanying demographic analysis.
An online viewing tool will be used later in the presentation to see the fine detail of the map boundaries.
District 3 moves westward and covers the airport. District 1 moves south and goes down.
These changes preserve the existing core of the districts. The four options keep all six current districts as majority/minority Hispanic voting districts.
In Option 1, the current deviation is below the acceptable range at 3.23% (down slightly from the staff report at 3.56%)
The first option preserves the core of the existing districts and resembles the current configuration, particularly with Districts 2 and 4.
In Option 2, the current deviation is below the acceptable range at 7.28% (up slightly from the staff report at 6.96%).
More dramatic change to the current configuration. Districts 1, 2 & 6 will see a shift in the core of the existing districts.
In option 3, the current deviation is below the acceptable range at 6.79 percent (down from 7.18 percent in the staff report).
The option preserves all six current districts as majority/minority Hispanic voting districts. The map resembles the current configuration, particularly about Districts 2 and 4.
On option 3, the current deviation is below the acceptable range at 1.27 percent.
On option 5, the current deviation is below the acceptable range at 2.85 percent. The map resembles the current configuration with Districts 2 and 4; more significant changes in Districts 1, 3, 5, and 6.
On option #6, the current deviation is below the acceptable range at 1.11 percent. The map retains the core of existing districts, although changes in all six districts.
The next step will be introducing an ordinance approving final maps at the next Council meeting.
The maps relied on demographic data, staff expertise, public and council input.
Wally Nishimoto, author of map options 4 and 6, stated that the other options would dilute District #3.
Regarding redistricting, the Council (6-1) approved map option 5. Mayor Santos Garcia voted no.
C-2 Updating Prima Facie Speed Limits on Designated City Streets in Compliance with Vehicle Code Regarding Speed Surveys on City Streets
An Engineering and Traffic Survey updates the local speed limits every 5 or 7 years.
Speeds are set based on 85th percentile speeds, which reflect the speed most people deem safe.
Adoption of the ordinance allows posting of speeds and enforcement activities.
Engineering Department staff conducted surveys on 47 segments that had expired and added one new feature.
– Pecan Ave from Rd 28 to Rd 29 – to be posted at 45 mph
All speed limits have stayed the same except for three segments:
– Tozer St from Ave 15 to A St – 50 mph to 45 mph
– Tozer St from Yosemite Ave to Ave 15 – 45 mph to 40 mph
– Vineyard Ave from Clinton Ave to Yosemite Ave – 35 mph to 30 mph
The second reading of the ordinance will be on March 16th.
The Council (7-0) approved item C-2.
C-3 Public Hearing Relating to Annexation of Certain Properties into Zone of Benefit 40 and Zone of Benefit 51 to the Citywide Landscape and Lighting Assessment Districts (LMD) Zone for the Fiscal Year 2022/23
Recommendation: Adopt Resolutions Approving Annexation of Certain Properties to Citywide Lighting and Landscaping Assessment Districts:
1) Resolution Approving Annexation No. 2022 -01 for Annexation of APN 012-253-002, 012- 270-001, and APN 012-270-002 (Rai Apartments) Into Zone of Benefit 40; Confirming the Diagram and Assessment for Citywide Landscape and Lighting Assessment District Zone of Benefit 40 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022/23, and Authorizing the City Clerk to File the Diagram and Assessment with the Madera County Auditor; and
2) Resolution Approving Annexation No. 2022-02 for the annexation of APN 010-193-010 (Caliber); APN 012-133-039 (ARCO); APN 003-194-012 (Starbucks Country Club Drive) Into Zone of Benefit 51; Confirming the Diagram and Assessment for Citywide Landscape and Lighting Assessment District Zone of Benefit 51 for Fiscal Year (FY) 2022/23; and Authorizing the City Clerk to File the Diagram and Assessment with the Madera County Auditor
The Council (7-0) approved item C-3
The closed sessions focused on:
G-1 Conference with Legal Counsel – Anticipated Litigation: Significant Exposure to Litigation – Under Government Code §54956.9(d)(2) Workers’ Compensation: John Cortes – One (1) claim
G-2 Conference with Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation
Under Government Code §54956.9(d)(1)
Workers’ Compensation: Brian Hutchison EAMS No. ADJ12672547
Mark Manzo EAMS No. ADJ12491801
The meeting ended at 7:52 pm. On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, the next regular meeting will be at 6:00 pm on YouTube.