The Elk Grove City Council convened on Wednesday, July 24, 2024, at 6:19 PM (following a short Parking Authority meeting) and adjourned at 10:06 PM. The agenda included service recognitions, new hire introductions, public comments, consent calendar items, a public hearing on delinquent utility charges, and regular action items on e-bike programs, community survey results, fleet electrification, the Climate Compass update, and appointments to the Historic Preservation Committee and Youth Commission.
Kaley Lyons, Senior Transportation Planner, presented. The lending library (funded by a $250,000 SACOG grant) will offer free e-bike, e-trike, and e-scooter checkouts for up to three weeks to residents 18+, with a 12-month pilot. Devices include step-through, folding, cargo, and adaptive bikes from local shops. The e-bike voucher program (funded by $201,410 U.S. Department of Energy grant) provides $500-$1,000 vouchers for low-income residents (at or below 300% federal poverty level) and $500 for standard e-bikes for others. 50% of funds initially set aside for priority vouchers. Vouchers must be used at approved local bike shops (BikeHaus, Cadence, Pedego; Neighborhood Bike Shop pending). Council unanimously adopted the resolution (5-0).
Carrie Whitlock presented. Mail survey to 6,000 households received 332 responses (6% response rate). Key findings: 93% feel safe in neighborhoods during day; quality of life rated excellent/good by 84%; 89% pleased with neighborhood; 79% positive city image (up from 73% in 2021). Top priorities: safety, economy. Mobility showed largest gap (importance 71% vs. quality 49%). Ease of travel by public transit declined from 37% to 31%; by bicycle from 52% to 49%. Street repair quality increased from 66% (2021) to 77% (2024). Affordable housing rated positive by only 27%. Elk Grove ranked 1st among 32 California benchmark communities for attracting diverse backgrounds, and 2nd for valuing diversity. Governance ratings increased: customer service 82% (up from 66% in 2009), treating all residents fairly up, quality of city services 75% (up from 68%). Council received the report.
Carrie Whitlock presented the plan prepared with Sam Grimm and Doug Scott. Analysis of 196 light-duty city fleet vehicles across 8 facilities. Recommends 172 Level 2 charging ports and 14 DC fast chargers, with capital expenditure of $4.6 million and annual maintenance $88,000. Public charging: 38 Level 2 ports at $900,000 capital, $12,000 annual maintenance. Transition over 12 years will reduce CO2 by 1,200 metric tons/year. Electric fleet vehicles estimated $3.4 million more in capital but $6.2 million lower operating costs. Received $1 million federal earmark; applied for additional grant. Council adopted resolution amending FY 2024-25 Budget and 2024-2029 CIP for Fleet EV Charging and Infrastructure Project (WFC053). (Motion by Vice Mayor Brewer, seconded; passed 5-0)
Carrie Whitlock presented the first of three informational sessions on the update to the 2019 Climate Action Plan. Presented 2021 greenhouse gas inventory: community-wide emissions 56.4% from transportation, 38.3% from building energy; local government operations similarly dominated by buildings and fleet. Forecast shows legislative adopted actions (e.g., SB 100, advanced clean cars) still leave a gap to meet state 2030 and 2045 targets. Staff sought input on strategies: reduce extreme heat/urban heat island (cool pavements, tree canopy), expand nature-based solutions (preserve rural areas, carbon farm plans), circular economy (library of things, reuse), water efficiency standards, and community outreach (neighborhood resilience committees). Councilmembers expressed support for tree canopy, cool pavements, preserving rural boundaries, and engaging business/environmental groups. No formal action taken; direction provided to staff.
City Clerk Jason Lindgren reported vacancies: 1 voting member and 2 alternate seats on Historic Preservation Committee (6 applicants); 3 voting seats on Youth Commission (20 applicants). Public testimony heard from applicants and committee chair.
We have reconvened from closed session, and I would like to make the following disclosure by a five to zero vote. City council authorized and directed the city attorney's office to defend the case of Alford versus the Elk Grove Unified School District and all as identified by the case number on the city council meeting agenda. With that, we will adjourn the special meeting at 617 p.m. And at this time I would like to call to order the parking authority of the City of Elk Grove regular meeting. Today's Wednesday, July 24th, 2024. It is 6.17 p.m. And I'll turn it over to the city clerk. Then to kick this off, uh the service on the uh parking authority of the city of Elk Grove is by the members of the city council. There's no additional stipend or compensation that's paid to any of the members on the parking authority. With that, I will look up and just do a visual roll call that all members of the parking authority are present, and we can move into uh section two, our public comment for the parking authority for the sake of our uh viewing audience and our audience here. We'll procedural item will be moving through this rather quickly. All right, thank you. At this time, I'll open up public comment opportunity. I do not have anyone signed up to speak. I'll close public comment opportunity and look for the annual update on the parking authority presentation. And there's nothing to report, and there's no activity. So that was very easy. Um we don't need to have public comment opportunity because there was nothing presented. As such, we will adjourn the parking authority regular meeting at 6.19 p.m. That was the shortest meeting I think we've ever had. And now turn it over to the Alkgrove regular city council meeting. Today's Wednesday, July 24th, 2024, and it is 6.19 p.m. Clerk. Thank you, Mayor. Let's see where I've got here. This meeting of the El Grove City Council will be cable cast on Metro Cable 14, the local government affairs channel on the Comcast and ATT Uverse Cable Systems. This meeting is closed caption will be webcast at Metro14Live.secCounty.gov. Tonight's meeting replays will be on Friday, July 26th at 1 p.m. and Monday, July 29th at 1 p.m. as well on Channel 14. Previous meetings can be viewed online at the 3W's dot elkgrove city.org or YouTube.com slash Metro Cable 14. For members of the participating audience who may have personal electronic devices, please place them on silent mode during the meeting or on mute when you are not speaking. City council requests that you limit your presentation to three minutes per person so that all present will have time to participate. City Council reserves the right to reasonably limit the total time for public comment on any particular notice agenda item as it may deem necessary. Pursuant to resolution number 210-24. No individual speaker concerning public comment may address the city council for more than three minutes. If you wish to address the council during the meeting, please complete a blue speaker card, which can be found at the back of the chamber and provide it to assistant city clerk Brenda Haggard prior to consideration of the agenda item. With that, Mayor, I will move into the call to order and roll call, starting that roll call off with Councilmember Robles. Present. Councilmember Spees. Present. Councilmember Suan. Here. Vice Mayor Brewer. Here. And Mayor Singh Allen. Here. All are present. We can proceed. Thank you.