Folsom City Council Regular Meeting - May 9, 2023
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Folsom City Council Regular Meeting - May 9, 2023
The Folsom City Council held a special meeting at 5:15 PM for closed session, followed by a regular meeting at 6:30 PM. The regular meeting included presentations, consent calendar items, a public hearing on the winter shelter, and the presentation of the city manager's proposed FY 2023-24 budget. Key decisions included approving the ice rink MOU without a rental fee, adopting the legislative platform with an amendment, and receiving the budget for future adoption.
Consent Calendar
- Approved items 6, 8, 9, 10, and 11 (minutes, resolutions for water meter replacement programs, drainage analysis, and other routine items) by a 4-0 vote (Councilmember Kozlowski absent).
- Item 7 (Resolution No. 11023, Legislative Platform) was pulled for discussion. Councilmember Aquino proposed adding language supporting preservation of non-lethal means for law enforcement. The motion to adopt with that directive passed 4-0.
- Item 12 (Resolution No. 11035, Ice Rink MOU with FHDA) was pulled for discussion. After public comments, Councilmember Aquino moved to adopt the resolution but strike the rental fee (Section 25). The motion passed 4-0. Councilmember notes that the city will still require FHDA to pay for restoration and repair costs.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Scott Rafferty (business from the floor): Addressed the ongoing lawsuit over at-large elections. He argued that the city's defense is unwinnable, criticized the council's actions, and warned that the city's demographic changes will make at-large elections unsustainable. He urged the council to settle.
- Public testimony on Item 12 (Ice Rink MOU): Four speakers (Jim Harville, Karen Holmes, Jerry Brunell, Jim Snuck) representing the Folsom Historic District Association (FHDA) urged the council to eliminate the proposed rental fee. They stated that the ice rink brings 22,000–40,000 visitors annually, operates on a thin margin (average profit $3,800/year), and that the FHDA is a nonprofit that reinvests all proceeds. They noted that a new five-year contract with an Italian supplier depends on the MOU being approved that night, and that a rental fee would make the rink financially unfeasible.
Discussion Items
- Introduction of New Parks and Recreation Director: City Manager Elaine Andersen introduced Kelly Gonzalez, who started May 8. Ms. Gonzalez previously served 16 years at Cosumnes CSD overseeing parks and recreation for 200,000+ residents. Council welcomed her.
- Proclamations: The council proclaimed May 14–20, 2023 as National Police Officers Memorial Week, and May 2023 as National Skin Cancer Awareness Month. Commander Brian Lockhart and Lieutenant David Kanepa accepted the police proclamation; Keenan Davis (17-year-old TEDx speaker) accepted the skin cancer proclamation.
- HART Winter Shelter Presentation: Beverly Sees, winter shelter director, reported on the 2023 season (January 8 – March 25, 11 weeks). Key statistics: 74 guests served, 994 guest nights, average 12.6 per night, highest 20. 80% lived on the street/vehicle, 8% from Folsom, 9% veterans. 2 guests started work, 4 obtained stable housing. The shelter relied on 120 regular volunteers plus host groups. Council discussed the challenge of out-of-town guests and the need for a more weather-resistant intake location. Councilmember Aquino expressed concern about the shelter acting as a magnet; Vice Mayor Chalamcherla emphasized the human aspect and the need for coordination with other HART programs.
- Budget Presentation (FY 2023-24): Chief Financial Officer Stacey Tamani presented the proposed $108.6 million general fund budget. Key points: revenues are not keeping pace with costs; a $4.6 million annual deficit is projected by FY 2029. The budget includes no new debt, maintains a 50% public safety expenditure share, and adds 6 new positions (2 firefighters, 1 police officer, 2 CSOs already approved, 1 maintenance specialist). $1.1 million in new budget additions were proposed, including $700,000 for fire overtime, $100,000 for police rental space, and technology upgrades. The budget does not draw from the unassigned fund balance. The five-year forecast shows reserves declining to 5% of expenditures by FY 2029 if no action is taken. The council will hold a public hearing on May 23 for adoption.
Key Outcomes
- Approved the Legislative Platform (Resolution 11023) with direction to add language supporting non-lethal law enforcement tools. (4-0)
- Approved the Ice Rink MOU (Resolution 11035) without a rental fee, but with FHDA responsible for restoration and repair costs. (4-0)
- Received the proposed FY 2023-24 budget; the first public hearing and adoption are scheduled for May 23, 2023.
- Councilmember Rohrbough requested detailed breakdowns of personnel costs and the community development position swap. Questions must be submitted to the city manager by May 17 for the May 23 meeting.
- Councilmember Aquino requested follow-up on water supply messaging and action steps for the strategic plan; the city manager confirmed upcoming implementation plan updates.
- No action taken on the closed session items; no reportable actions.
Meeting Transcript
We will now reconvene the city council special meeting. Are there any final actions? Good evening, Madam Mayor. No final action tonight. All right. We will now adjourn the city council special meeting and call to order the city council regular meeting for uh Tuesday, May 9th. Will the clerk please call the roll? Council members Chamlinchilla? Here. Robot? Here? Aquino? Here. Rodriguez? Here. And Councilmember Kozloski is absent. All right, let us stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. And student Republicans. One nation under God. Indivisible with the Liberty and Justice Robert. Are there any agenda updates? Yes, ma'am. Mayor, there is a revised staff report in additional information for item 12. A copy of those documents were previously provided to you, and they are also available on the table in the back. Thank you. Will the clerk please call the next item? The next item this evening is business from the floor. Okay, business on the floor is the public's opportunity to address the city council concerning any item within the city council's jurisdiction that is not on the agenda. Please keep in mind that the city council is generally prohibited from discussing or taking action on any item that is not on the agenda. Public comments are limited to no more than three minutes. There's a speaker timer on the podium in front of you that will display the time you have remaining on your three minutes. The color will change to yellow when you have 30 seconds and turn to red and blank when your three minutes are completed. We ask that everyone respect the three minute limit to ensure that all speakers have an equal opportunity to address the city council. Are there any requests to speak? Yes, madam mayor. We have one request to speak this evening under this item. And the first speaker and the only speaker is Scott Rafferty. Good evening, Scott. Good evening. So when I was here two weeks ago, you had an opportunity to settle the lawsuit. For whatever reason, you didn't. Uh and now it's fully briefed. So we'll get a decision in about six months. Uh your city attorney told you what's going to happen about a year and a half ago. We're gonna get our map. And nothing's really changed to alter that assessment. But I just want to have a thought experiment. What if I walk outside this building and get run over by a bus? My clients can't afford another attorney, and you just win your lawsuit by default. What then?
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