The St. Helena City Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, at 6:00 PM in the Vintage Hall Board Room. Mayor Paul Dohring presided. The meeting opened with a Veterans Day observance and included a special recognition of Mayor Dohring for his 12 years of service on the City Council (and 4 prior years on the Calistoga City Council). The Council received an update on the water system flushing program, approved the FY 2025/2026 year-end unaudited financials, and acted on several consent and new business items. The Council also authorized the City Attorney to defend a federal lawsuit filed by Reed Woodson (action taken in closed session and reported as the only reportable item). All votes were unanimous except for the salary schedule approval (4–1). Consent Calendar The Council approved the remaining consent items after pulling items 10.2, 10.4, and 10.5 for separate consideration and continuing items 10.1 and 10.3 to a future date. Approved en masse were: - Item 10.6 – Resolution authorizing the City Manager to execute a Landscape Maintenance Agreement with Caltrans for the Elm Tree Tunnel. - Item 10.7 – Resolution establishing the Lewis Station Park Improvements Capital Improvement Project with an initial budget of $152,000. - Item 10.8 – Second-reading waiver and adoption of an ordinance amending Chapter 13.04 Water Conservation Regulations to comply with Assembly Bill 1572 (non-functional turf irrigation). Public Comments & Testimony - In Writing: Written comments from Greg Dolly and Daniel Hale were noted at the start of the meeting. For Item 10.4, written comment from Joshua Park was received. For Item 10.5, written comment from Daniel Hale was noted. - Public Forum (non-agenda): No members of the public spoke in person. - Item 10.5 (Sidewalk Project): Anthony McKelly, a Main Street property owner, opposed the tree component, citing sewer backups, property damage, and liability. He stated 12 property owners have requested no tree. Anna Putman, owner of property near the Cantina, requested the removal of a tree in front of the Cantina due to safety and business operation concerns. - Item 13.1 (Financials): Chris Warner, acting chair of the Finance Committee, commended improvements but criticized past net position forecasts and called for better financial reporting. A second speaker noted that the timing of the unaudited financials is consistent with other municipalities. - Item 13.2 (Water Neutrality): Gary Rose, speaking personally, stated the water neutrality policy metric is flawed and should be revised. Presentations and Recognitions 8.1 – Recognition of Mayor Paul Dohring for 12 Years of Service - Anna Chouteau (Congressman Mike Thompson's office) presented a Congressional Record entry honoring Mayor Dohring. - Liz Russell (State Senator Christopher Cabaldon and Assembly Majority Leader Cecilia Aguiar-Curry) presented a joint state resolution. - Anne Cottrell (Napa County Board of Supervisors) presented a county proclamation regarding nearly 30 years of public service, including four years on the Calistoga City Council. - Vice Mayor Michelle Deasy read a City of St. Helena proclamation highlighting Mayor Dohring's integrity, fiscal leadership, affordable housing advocacy, and work on LGBTQ+ rights. - Interim City Manager James McCann thanked the Mayor on behalf of staff, noting his fair and compassionate approach. - Mayor Dohring expressed gratitude and underscored the need to create more accessible opportunities for community involvement. Staff Briefing 9.1 – Water System Update (Joe Leach, Director of Public Works) - High-velocity, closed-loop flushing by contractor Hydrologics began October 26. Two weeks of operations flushed approximately 10 miles (51,000 feet) of pipe. Nearly 960,000 gallons of water were processed using approximately 160 filter bags and approximately 700 pounds of wet filter weight. - A brown water incident on Friday, November 7, was addressed by staff opening hydrants in the Madrona area. The tank 1A debris evacuation was completed over the weekend; a report quantifying the debris is expected within the week. - Bell Canyon transmission main camera work revealed tubercles (hard crusted debris) and potential joint offsets. Plans to flush the pipe at 7,000 gallons per minute were paused due to concerns about pipe integrity. The City has engaged Dr. Najum (Hazen and Sawyer) for a condition assessment and debris evacuation plan. - Asbestos cement pipe sampling before and after flushing showed no detectable asbestos in the first test; results from five other locations are pending (expected within two weeks). - The Division of Drinking Water plans a December visit to the treatment plant and will issue an order for additional iron and manganese sampling (described as non-punitive). - The filter rebate program has received approximately $80,000 in applications. Staff will return on December 8 to request an additional $150,000 for the program. - In response to Councilmember questions, staff confirmed they are documenting flushing locations, discovering issues with valve record reliability, and collecting data on debris hotspots. Discussion Items 10.2 – New Job Classifications and Salary Schedules (Library Director and Director of Parks & Recreation) Vice Mayor Deasy expressed concern that the proposed salary range for the Parks & Recreation Director had increased by 27.9% (minimum) and 55.4% (maximum) since 2022, compared to 16.7% overall US inflation. Staff responded that the ranges were brought forward from prior schedules with cost-of-living adjustments and are aligned with comparator cities. The motion to approve passed 4–1, with Vice Mayor Deasy opposed. 10.4 – Professional Services Agreement with Haley & Aldrich for Bell Canyon Dam Geotechnical Engineering Vice Mayor Deasy explained that the approximately $1.1–1.2 million investigation is required by the Division of Safety of Dams due to updated standards following the Oroville Dam event. Known seepage at the dam also warrants the study. The motion passed unanimously. 10.5 – Downtown Sidewalk Rehabilitation Phase 1B (Adams to Mitchell) The item sought authorization to issue a request for bids for sidewalk replacement, curb and gutter work, and street trees on both sides of Main Street from Adams to Mitchell. Staff noted that the tree placement decisions are not yet finalized; the bid process allows for cost discovery and competitive pricing while design details continue. The motion passed unanimously. 13.1 – FY 2025/2026 Year-End Unaudited Financials (Presented by Susan Casey, Interim Director of Administrative Services) - General Fund: Estimated unassigned fund balance of $16.1 million, equal to 76% of annual operating expenditures (target is 30%). Revenues totaled $22.4 million (106% of adjusted budget); expenditures were $21.4 million (84% of budget). The surplus of approximately $866,000 resulted largely from vacancies, a hiring freeze, and unspent professional service contracts (e.g., the downtown specific plan, budgeted at $400,000, remains on hold). - Water Fund: Unassigned net position of $7.5 million (12.6 months of operating reserve, target 10–14 months). Revenues of $9.6 million exceeded budget by 4%, driven by commercial and multifamily water sales and higher-than-budgeted investment earnings. Expenditures were 93.9% of budget. - Wastewater Fund: Unassigned net position of $4.1 million (9.7 months of operating reserve). Revenues of $5.6 million were 96% of budget; expenditures of $5.16 million were 82% of budget. Savings appeared in contract services, supplies, and salaries. - Casey recommended upgrading the City's accounting system to include a standard general ledger and noted that fully funding the separate Finance Director and HR Director positions will improve financial management. - Councilmembers stressed the need for better variance explanations and alignment of spending with priorities. Interim City Manager McCann defended the City's financial position, reiterating that the City has received clean audits for the past decade. - The Council received and filed the report unanimously. 13.2 – Water Neutrality In-Lieu Fee for 1360 Main Street (Steve's Hardware Redevelopment) The Council authorized the property owner to pay an in-lieu fee of $63,817.60 to comply with the Water Neutrality Policy for a proposed commercial redevelopment project. Mayor Dohring questioned whether post-development monitoring is included; staff confirmed it is not. Gary Rose offered public comment criticizing the policy's metric. The motion passed unanimously. Vice Mayor Deasy requested that the Water/Wastewater Advisory Committee formally review the Water Neutrality Policy and return recommendations within six months; Mayor Dohring supported the request, noting the committee's upcoming meeting on Thursday would be an appropriate time to add the item to its work plan. Key Outcomes - Mayor Dohring Honored: The City Council and visiting representatives presented multiple resolutions and proclamations recognizing his service. - Water Rebate Program Expansion: Staff will return on December 8 to request an additional $150,000 for the filter rebate program. - Bell Canyon Dam Geotechnical Study Authorized: Contract with Haley & Aldrich approved unanimously. - Sidewalk Project Advanced: Authorization to issue requests for bids for the Adams-to-Mitchell project approved; final tree placement will be resolved before construction award. - Salary Schedules Approved: Library Director and Parks & Recreation Director salary ranges approved (4–1 vote). - Financial Report Received: FY 2025/2026 unaudited financials received and filed; reporting format improvements and accounting system upgrade promised. - Water Neutrality Fee Approved: $63,817.60 fee for 1360 Main Street approved; policy review referred to Water/Wastewater Advisory Committee. - Litigation Authorized: City Attorney was authorized to defend a federal lawsuit filed by Reed Woodson (reported from closed session). - Next Regular Meeting: December 8, 2026, at 6:00 PM.
