Auburn City Council Meeting - June 23, 2025

The Auburn City Council met on June 23, 2025, to address a consent calendar of routine items, hold a public hearing on a proposed Vacant Commercial Building Ordinance, adopt the FY 2025-26 Final Budget, authorize solar projects at two city facilities, and cancel the July 28 regular meeting. Key outcomes included approval of employee MOUs, a 3% COLA for unrepresented staff, establishment of a Tenant Improvement Economic Assistance Grant (TIEAG) program, adoption of a $37.1 million budget, and authorization of solar installations at the Police Department and Fire Station 2.

Consent Calendar

• Successor MOUs with Employee Associations: Approved one-year MOUs (July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026) with the Auburn Employee Association, Auburn Police Officers Association, Auburn Public Safety Association, City Hall Employees Association, and Auburn Firefighters IAFF Local 4110. Also approved a 3% COLA for unrepresented and confidential classifications.
• Fire Department Reports: Acknowledged receipt of the FY 2024-25 Annual Inspection Report (SB 1205 compliance) and accepted a $2,000 donation from the Mother Lode Model T Club for fire department tools.
• Personnel Actions: Approved amendments to employment agreements for Jonathan Wright (Economic Development Director) and Tia Klumpp (Planning Director), along with new and revised job descriptions and salary schedule.
• Other Routine Items: Approved the AB 481 Military Equipment Annual Report, authorized the Notice of Completion for the High Street Sewer Collection System Repair Project, and approved a two-year extension of the franchise agreement with Recology Auburn Placer, including an increased disposal site surcharge.
• Tenant Improvement Economic Assistance Grant (TIEAG): After discussion, council approved the establishment of the TIEAG program with $40,000 per grant, funded by CDBG dollars, and directed staff to bring the program back for reassessment in one year. The motion passed unanimously on a roll call vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Community Events: Council members and staff announced upcoming events: 4th of July celebration, Western States Endurance Run, A Town Classic skateboard event, and Placer County Fair.
• Vacant Commercial Building Ordinance (Public Hearing):
  • Harry Anderson (Colfax resident, territory manager) urged case-by-case evaluation and suggested the city market itself better to attract businesses.
  • Cinnamon Prior (Auburn business and property owner) criticized lack of transparency, requested data on vacancy rates, and proposed a voluntary commercial vacancy registry instead of punitive measures. She also raised concerns about utility termination requirements and insurance demands.
  • Brad (Old Town Board) supported some enforcement, noting that property owners have not acted despite discussions.
  • William Pryor (Auburn property owner) argued the vacancy rate is low, suggested a registry to connect owners with tenants, and noted that the city sometimes competes with property owners (e.g., airport leasing).
  • Gary Mappa (Applegate resident, realtor) recommended releasing a list of problem properties and offered a group of realtors to help find solutions.
• Solar Projects:
  • Glenn Kramer (Sustainability Advisory Committee) advocated for a carport solar array at City Hall, citing the benefits of shade, EV charging, and long-term revenue streams. He noted that the Inflation Reduction Act tax credit (30%) declines after 2025.
  • Mike Lindbergh (Sustainability Advisory Committee) supported the carport option, emphasizing that solar generates revenue that can fund energy efficiency upgrades, and questioned the decision not to pursue City Hall solar despite favorable payback periods.

Discussion Items

• Vacant Commercial Building Ordinance: The council reopened the public hearing continued from June 9, 2025. Economic Development Director Jonathan Wright reported on conversations with property owners, noting concerns about the 90-day registration period and potential negative impacts on investment. He suggested the council could extend the timeframe (e.g., 180 days) or tailor the ordinance to focus on long-term vacancies. Council members debated flexibility for property owners actively trying to lease, the registration fee ($338 per quarter), enforcement discretion, and the lack of a current vacancy rate. Councilwoman Davis and Councilwoman Riddell Harris expressed concerns about punitive measures and preferred proactive economic development. Councilwoman Dowden Covilla supported a one-year trial with a 180-day registration period. A motion to adopt the ordinance (with 180-day registration) failed for lack of a second. Council then directed staff to convene a working group with property owners to discuss vacancies and report back before pursuing a long-term vacancy ordinance.
• Solar Projects at City Facilities: Public Works Director Sean Mengel presented staff's recommendation to install solar at the Police Department and Fire Station 2 (total $462,513, including 10% contingency), using existing city funds (capital reserve, unassigned fund balance, and capital facilities fee). City Hall was not recommended due to its older infrastructure (single-pane windows, incandescent lights, 11 HVAC units, roof needing replacement) and higher costs, which would require debt financing (estimated 5% interest for eight years). Payback periods were estimated at 4.35 years for Fire Station 2 and 3.69 years for Police Department (without tax credits). Council members debated including City Hall, with Mayor Amara and Councilwoman Dowden Covilla seeking more information on a carport option. Councilwoman Riddell Harris opposed further study, preferring staff focus on other priorities. The council approved the motion to proceed with Police Department and Fire Station 2 only (unanimous roll call). Discussion on City Hall solar was tabled; no further action was taken.
• FY 2025-26 Final Budget: Finance Director Gretchen Johnson presented the final budget of $37,105,709, setting General Fund reserves at $4,908,583, the appropriations limit at $26,220,452, and the salary schedule effective July 1, 2025. Changes from the proposed budget included removal of committee fundraising requests (to be discussed later), adjustments to planning/building department labor costs, and correction of a transit fund error (adding $600,000 for EV charging stations at the corp yard, funded by SB 125 TERSIP funds). The budget was adopted unanimously with an amendment to clarify salary ranges for executive-level positions (replacing