Feb. 16, 2023 — Parlier City Council
Documented by Trong Yang
Here’s what you need to know
- At the Feb. 16 Parlier City Council meeting, City Manager Sonia Hall presented information about the Parlier Senior Center being used as a warming center during cold weather for individuals experiencing homelessness. They will be provided sleeping bags, blankets, cots and more.
- The new Sequoia walkway is complete and provides a safer, cleaner route for students to walk to and from school.
- The state chose the City of Parlier as one of two cities that will receive up to $16 million for groundwater recharge basins through the US EPA Sewer Overflow and Storm Water Municipal Grants Program.
- Lastly, the Executive Director of the Community Action Partnership of Madera County Mattie Mendez told the council that the Migrant Head Start Program will no longer be leased by the Parlier Unified School District. She said the program provided care for 42 children of migrant and seasonal workers. She asked the council for support to rebuild and said she hopes to identify some land within the city so they can reopen the program.
Follow-up questions
- Parlier remains unrepresented for the Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District because the council does not approve of the person Mayor Beltran appointed. Can the mayor appoint multiple people so the council can do a vote on who they want or does it have to be one person at time per meeting?
- Can the city provide land or assistance so that the Migrant Head Start Program can be reopened?
- What were the impacts on families of the closure of the Migrant Head Start Program?
The Council
Mayor Alma M. Beltran
Council Member Sabrina Rodriguez
Council Member Cathryn “Kathy” Solorio
Council Member Diego G. Garza
Council Member Juanita “Janie” Molina
The Parlier City Council meets on the first and third Thursday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at 1100 E. Parlier Avenue, Parlier, CA 93648. All city council meetings can be streamed on the city’s YouTube Channel.
Actions/Discussions/Public comment
Special Meeting
Presentation: Homelessness Discussion
- City Manager Sonia Hall updates the council on the project for individuals experiencing homelessness:
- The Parlier Senior Center will be available during cold weather to anyone who needs it
- The doors are open from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. for individuals to arrive and will remain closed until 7 a.m.
- There will be a staff member there to provide cots, blankets, toiletries, a change of clothes, sleeping bags and hot chocolate
- Council Member Kathy Solorio said that sandwiches will also be provided on a daily basis for the homeless regardless of the weather.
Mayor Pro Tem Nomination:
- Mayor Alma Beltran nominates Council Member Sabrina Rodriguez
- The Council votes yes (5-0); Sabrina Rodriguez is now Parlier’s elected Mayor Pro Tem
US EPA Sewer Overflow and Storm Water Municipal Grants Program
- The state chose the City of Parlier as one of the two cities that will receive the funding.
- Parlier will be awarded $5.24 million if the council chooses to apply for the grant
- The city will also be awarded two extra grants in the amount of $4.3 million and $6 million if they apply
- Essentially, most of the funding will go to converting the city’s water basins into groundwater recharge basins
- The resolution was approved, 5-0
Designing Signatories for City Bank of the West Accounts
- The city staff (city clerk, etc.) will be designated to sign; if unavailable, it will go to mayor or mayor pro tem
- This concludes the special meeting
Presentation: Parlier Migrant Head Start Program
The executive director of the Community Action Partnership of Madera County, Mattie Mendez,, was informed by the superintendent of Parlier Unified School District that her Migrant Head Start Program will no longer be leased by them.
The program provided services to the migrant and seasonal families that reside in Parlier. Maddy says they served 42 children (preschool, infants, toddlers).
They provided child care at no cost to the families that can demonstrate that 51% of their income comes from agriculture.
Maddy asks for the council and the city for support to rebuild. She hopes to identify some land within the city so they can reopen the program.
Consent Calendar
Item 2 and 5 were pulled from the agenda for questioning and discussion
- Item 2: Approval of the Minutes dated November 17, 2022; December 8, 2022; January 4, 2023; and January 18, 2023
- Council Member Diego Garza asks if it was okay to vote on these minutes if he was not on the council in 2022.
- City Manager Sonia Hall and Mayor Alma Beltran said it’s allowed.
- Item 5: Approval of the use and waive all fees for California Health Collaborative to use Earl Ruth Park for the Earth Day Event on April 22, 2023
- Raegan, the project coordinator with the California Health Collaborative Youth Rise Project, elaborates a little more about the event in hopes that people may take interests and attend
- The event will have an educational component, raffles, resource fair, and a tobacco litter cleanup
- The item got three yes and two abstentions.
The rest of the items (1, 3, 4) on the consent calendar were approved, 5-0
- Check Report dated Jan. 14, 2023 to Feb. 13, 2023
- The use and waive all fees for the Spanish Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses Parlier, California to utilize the Parlier Community Center on April 4, 2023
- The use and waive all fees for California Farmworker Foundation to utilize Earl Youth Park for their Dia de La Familia Event on April 16, 2023
Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District Board of Trustees Appointment
Trinidad Pimentel was appointed by Mayor Beltran as a trustee from the City of Parlier on the Consolidated Mosquito Abatement District Board of Trustees.
The council voted no in previous meetings because of two conflicts pertaining to legalities.
- The city attorney clarifies that the mayor gets to appoint the person because they are an elected mayor. The council will get to vote, but cannot appoint.
- He also explains that there is no impediment for going from one public agency to another, whether you are elected or appointed
- “The one-year-rule does not apply. That rule exists for one purpose and one purpose only; and that is to prohibit lobbyists from leaving a governmental agency,” said Neal Constanzo, the city attorney for Parlier.
Council Member Juanita Molina said she was confused about why they have to vote if Mayor Beltran won’t change who she appoints.
Mayor Beltran explains that they needed to bring it back again to clarify the two reasons that Neal went through before.
The council did not get to vote, but Mayor Beltran says that if Pimentel does not get voted yes for the position, she will not appoint another person and that position will stay vacant.
Construction of three Industrial Wastewater Monitoring Stations to Steve Dovali Construction, Inc. for a $317,000.00
This item was brought up in previous meetings, but was finally voted yes 5-0.
Sequoia Walkway Project
The Sequoia Walkway Project by Terra West Construction, Inc. was completed and awaits the approval of “Final Acceptance” and “Notice of Completion.”
The trail is essentially for students who take that road to/from school.
Council Member Molina says a resident came to her with concerns that someone had been using the wall that was built for the trail as a way to peek at the resident’s home.
The engineer, Javier, suggests that they will remeasure the wall to see if it meets the height requirement.
The council approved the completion of the walkway, 5-0.
Mitigated Negative Declaration
This project was originally approved in August 2021, but is being brought up again by City Planner Jeff O’Neal for revisions.
The applicant/owner wants to include additional property to the east that he has acquired.
The project site has expanded from around 3½ acres to 5⅔ acres for
- Two-story building
- A minimart on the ground floor
- A quick-serve restaurant
- An office space on the second floor
- Twelve gasoline pump automobile canopy
- Four diesel pumps
- A drive-through car wash with vacuum area
Jeff mentioned a truck stop, which raised concerns, but he clarifies that it is for local truck drivers to park their trucks when they get home. He says it is for fueling and keeping their vehicles there overnight. It is not intended for people to sleep in their trucks overnight.
The council approved the revisions, 5-0.
California Department of Housing and Community Development for Funding
The CalHOME grant is for first-time homebuyers. Mayor Beltran asks if this item can come back for another meeting once Sonia Hall knows the official amount of funding being asked for.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:34 p.m.
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