Folsom City Council Special and Regular Meeting – June 13, 2023

The Folsom City Council met on June 13, 2023, beginning with a 3:00 p.m. special meeting that adjourned to closed session and reconvened with no final action. The regular meeting began at 6:30 p.m., included a joint workshop with the Traffic Safety Committee, and adjourned at 11:43 p.m. Key actions included renewing the Historic Folsom Property and Business Improvement District, forming the River District Master Plan Citizens Advisory Committee, discussing Folsom Lake Corridor traffic safety, and denying an appeal of the demolition of the cabin at 608 Bridge Street.

Closed Session

• The special meeting moved into closed session for three existing litigation items and a City Manager performance evaluation. Upon reconvening, the City Manager reported no final action.

Proclamation

• Mayor Rosario Rodriguez proclaimed July 1–3, 2023 as Western Rodeo Days in Folsom, marking the 62nd annual Folsom Pro Rodeo; Chris Keebles was recognized as the 2023 Grand Marshal.

Consent Calendar

• Resolutions 2–5 and 7–11 were approved by unanimous roll call as routine items.
• Item 6 (Resolution 11046, RRM Design Group consultant agreement for the River District Master Plan) was pulled for discussion. Public commenter Terry Sorensen stated the public had not received enough information; staff noted an additional information packet was available. The item was approved unanimously.
• Item 12 (Resolution 11052, RBH Construction agreement and appropriation for the Community Development Department Permit Counter Project) was also pulled. Vice Mayor YK Chalamcherla noted that only one bidder responded after rebidding at approximately $334,000 and urged future competitive bidding. The item was approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

• During business from the floor, Loretta Hedinger urged the city to invest in historic district expertise, comparing current conditions to past economic development decisions. Ricky Jones, representing the Folsom Police Officers Association, disputed Mayor Rodriguez’s prior statement that homelessness was “minuscule,” citing police statistics, understaffing, and community concerns. Doug Skalsey, owner of Bidwell Studios and a reserve officer, supported law enforcement and called for more manpower and attention to transient activity.
• During the traffic safety workshop public comment, Mark McClellan, speaking for residents near Giannata, said a traffic engineer hired by residents found a Level of Service F for vehicles exiting Giannata and inadequate sight distance from the left-turn refuge; he urged implementation of the U-turn option.
• During the demolition appeal public hearing, Loretta Hedinger and Beth Kelly, president of the Heritage Preservation League, opposed demolition without a qualified historic assessment and urged proper documentation and salvage of materials. Terry Sorensen supported appellant Bob Delp.

Discussion Items

• Historic Folsom PBID Renewal: Stephen Wang and consultant Emily Brown explained the 10-year renewal process. The city owned properties representing about 48% of assessments, and petitions reached 78% weighted support. Prop 218 ballots were counted: 33 ballots were received, with 87.75% yes and 12.25% no, so no majority protest existed. The Council unanimously approved Resolution 11041 renewing the district and levying assessments. The district generates approximately $170,000 annually for advocacy, marketing, and enhanced maintenance.
• River District Master Plan Citizens Advisory Committee: Staff recommended forming the committee under the mayor’s ad hoc committee authority for a term running July 15, 2023 through July 15, 2024. Public speakers asked for representation for the River District Organizing Committee and Friends of Folsom Preservation. The Council voted unanimously to select two stakeholder representatives from each category except open space resources (one representative), and to appoint all 11 at-large applicants. Selected stakeholder representatives were: California State Parks and U.S. Bureau of Reclamation; Friends of Folsom Preservation and Folsom History; CSUS Aquatic Center and Lake Natoma Paddlers; Friends of Folsom Parkways; Historic Folsom Residents Association and Sutter Street Merchants Association/Folsom Historic District Association; and River District Organizing Committee and Folsom Chamber of Commerce/Visit Folsom.
• Traffic Safety Along the Folsom Lake Corridor: Public Works Director Mark Rackham and Senior Engineer Zach Bosch presented data showing 75% of corridor traffic is cut-through, collision rates on the four corridor segments are below the state average, and unsafe speed was the primary collision factor in more than half of Folsom Lake Crossing collisions. Speed survey law and engineering/traffic survey requirements were explained. Staff concluded the East Natoma/Giannata intersection does not meet any signal warrants, so a traffic signal is not justified. The Council and Traffic Safety Committee expressed consensus to implement the U-turn at the adjacent signal, improve sight distance by pruning/removing vegetation, and continue the phase one median barrier project. Phase two was discussed using potential federal funding through Congressman Kiley.
• Demolition Appeal – 608 Bridge Street: Planning Manager Desmond Perrington presented the staff recommendation to deny the appeal. The Council first voted 3–2 that Bob Delp had standing to appeal. Staff stated the cabin was built between 1904 and 1942, is not on the city’s cultural resources list, has deteriorated significantly, and is not historically significant. Delp argued that a qualified historian should evaluate the cabin before demolition and that staff used the wrong eligibility criteria. Applicant Jennifer Jennings said there was no evidence of historic significance and that she wanted to build an accessory dwelling unit to help address housing needs. Public testimony opposed demolition without more research. The Council voted unanimously to deny the appeal, with conditions: demolition may not occur for 30 days to allow relocation by an interested party at no cost to the applicant, and condition of approval number three was amended to include litigation tolling.

Council Comments & Reports

• The City Manager reported that Folsom’s water conservation warning stage three ends June 19, 2023, aligning with state action; the Folsom Lake Crossing/East Natoma safety project begins June 14, 2023, including 2,150 feet of median barrier and radar feedback signs; and the 10th annual Community Service Day is September 16, 2023.
• Mayor Rodriguez responded at length to business-from-the-floor criticism of her homelessness comments. She cited her 40–50 hours of ride-alongs, work with nonprofits, Sacramento County PIT count data showing Folsom at 0.05% (20 of 6,664 counted), and police data showing 1,275 calls involving unhoused individuals out of 22,573 calls for service from November 1, 2022 to June 6, 2023. She apologized if her “minuscule” remark was taken as dismissive, praised police and nonprofit work, and said she remains committed to the issue.
• Councilmember Rohrbough thanked the sheriff’s department for a dam tour; Vice Mayor Chalamcherla praised the traffic workshop; Councilmember Kozlowski promoted rodeo tickets.

Key Outcomes

• Renewed the Historic Folsom Property and Business Improvement District for 10 years through Resolution 11041 after an 87.75% weighted yes vote.
• Formed the River District Master Plan Citizens Advisory Committee with 12 stakeholder representatives and 11 at-large members.
• Directed staff to implement the U-turn at the signal adjacent to Giannata, proceed with sight-distance vegetation work, and incorporate selected Kimley-Horn recommendations on the Folsom Lake Corridor; no traffic signal was approved for Giannata.
• Denied Bob Delp’s appeal of the Historic District Commission’s demolition approval for 608 Bridge Street, subject to a 30-day delay for possible relocation and a litigation tolling condition.
• The Council agreed to review appeal standing rules citywide; a resident request to increase allowed chickens/rabbits will be handled in the zoning code update.