After Deadline: Live from City Hall, Council stole my lede
Submitted by After_Deadline on Tue, 2009-07-14 16:32.
We're about to get under way here at the Modesto City Council, which is not going to consider whether it wants to ask voters to do away with runoff elections.
That was the lead item on this week's agenda, but Mayor Jim Ridenour has postponed that decision. I'll find out why in a little bit.
In the meantime there are some pressing decisions tonight, such as whether to begin charging sport teams to keep the lights on at baseball fields and some expensive sewer projects.
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Ppd
Ridenour said he wanted to hold off on the decision about runoff elections because the city Charter Review report recommended that Modesto reconsider how to manage runoffs if voters adopted district elections.
Voters did adopt district elections, so Ridenour plans to form a committee to investigate how runoffs should be governed.
The Charter Review Committee called the runoff system "broken" because of time constraints. District elections are wild card for runoffs because it will take much fewer people to win a race when they take effect this fall.
Roads
Public Works Director Nick Pinhey is giving an overview of the city's roads. Half of the city's roads are rated as in poor or very poor condition.
The city has about $250 million worth of roadwork, but about $4.5 million a year earmarked for road projects.
National Night Out
McGruff and is here to promote this year's National Night Out, which is scheduled for August 4.
We have another mascott, Knight, which might work well for Downey High School, too. The Knight costume was bought by Target as a National Night Out mascott.
Police Appreciation
The city is adopting a proclamation declaring Aug. 1 as Law Enforcement Appreciation Day.
when exactly did the district measure pass
wasn't it in 2007 and we haven't figured this out still?
Ex employee
Ray Petorini (sp?), a former city of Modesto employee, is telling the mayor that he hasn't been able to schedule a meeting with elected officials.
"We're losing too many of our trees that I consider the most valuable asset the city has," he said.
He's concerned about Modesto ash trees being lost to cancer.
Ridenour says he'll make time for Petorini (sp?) in the first week of August.
Districts
The city adopted district elections in February 2008.
Consent
There's some good size contracts on tonight's consent agenda, such as a $108,068 contract to upgrade a parking garage elevator, advancing a joint water project with Ceres, Hughson and Turlock by dividing some early planning work, a $400,000 contract adjustment for designs to a major sewer project, and a $668,321 construction management contract to oversee a sewer project.
There's also an item that would get Modesto a new flight school at the Modesto airport.
The calendar passed 6-0.
Marsh
Councilman Garrad Marsh is absent. He is traveling.
Very light crowd tonight.
Expensive sewer line
The council is considering a $5.7 million contract to repair a sewer line near Emerald Avenue. This is an old sewer line that has failed in recent years, prompting emergency repair contracts. K.J. Woods Construction of San Francisco is in line to get the contract.
Passes
The contract passed 6-0.
That's a grant
The city's considering applying for a $25 million federal grant to rehabilitate neighborhoods suffering from the region's foreclosure crisis. The city would use the money to acquire and fix foreclosed homes, as well as to support social programs for the homeless.
Going forward
The council voted to apply for the grant, $25 million.
Lights
The council is setting a new fee of $30 an hour to keep lights on at public baseball fields. No teams or leagues are here to comment.
The council set the charge by a 6-0 vote.
Air quality grant
We have another grant - $1.2 million for public transportation through a state air quality grant.
No comments about that. Passes 6-0.
League lobbying
The council appointed Mayor Ridenour to be a voting member at a League of California Cities conference. Ridenour has become a leading voice in the organization, mainly in attempts to block the state from borrowing local government cash.
Next sewer line
The concil is considering a $1.3 million contract to rebuild the "El Rio" sewer line on the east bank of Dry Creek. This line has required emergency repairs in the past. D.A. Wood Construction of Modesto had the low bid.
Passes
The El Rio line passed by a 6-0 vote.
We'll be out of here soon.
Police management
The council is looking at an agreement with the Modesto Police Management Association. It saves about $241,000 through furloughs and other wage concessions.
Ridenour says thanks
Ridenour thanked MPMA and other public unions that accepted these and similar wage concessions.
The council approved the agreement 6-0.
That's it. Goodnight.
Did anyone speak during public comment?
?
A_D Please stay safe
Keep your head down.
wow that was some
Fast talking by ridenthehour, Hopefully we will get more details in tomorrow's paper.
Have a feeling this agreement needs to be looked at more closely.
Thanks TS
And there wasn't any public comment.
I'll be here on The Hive for my entire assignment.