After Deadline: Live blog from City Hall, a little shuffling on the agenda

The Rev. Michael Douglass praised Bob Schmal, the Modesto community activist who helped launch west Modesto's Weed and Seed program. Douglass leads Advancing Vibrant Communities, a Christian organization in which Schmal participated.

Video interlude: We're watching promotional material for Stanislaus Literacy Center. Mayor Ridenour is about to proclaim Sept. 8 as International Literacy Center. The video showed a young man who is learning to read after missing the opportunity to go to school when he should have because he was compelled to work at the age of 5.

Parks Director Julie Hannon is thanking Hi-Tec USA, a Modesto-based shoe company, for sponsoring several parks activities over the past year and contributing $1,000 to the department's Fund Development Program.

Councilman Will O'Bryant is participating in tonight's meeting by phone from his home.

Susan Mendieta is here to speak up for the Oct. 3 International Festival at the Gallo Center. The free event kicks off at 11 a.m. with a parade and performances going into the evening.

Resident Emerson Drake is back to ask the council to reconsider its Tin Cup ordinance. Drake contends that the city should place tighter restrictions on donations to candidates. He didn't get a response this time.

who is also a blogger here, never gets much of a response anyways! He just looking to help out Stanford's campaign since Stanny does not have much in the way of finacial support.

You're going to pay an extra 8 cents a month on your garbage bill, an increase that reflects a rise in fuel costs.

Other consent calendar items include:

A five-year contract with Central Valley Concrete of Merced that commits the city to buying about $300,000 worth of concrete, gravel and sand from the company each year.

Buying three pumps for the city's Jennings Road sewage treatment plant at a cost of $196,291.

Spending $256,402 on new equipment for the city's water quality control laboratory.

And awarding a $467,430 contract for work replacing sewer lines.

The council's going to Graceada Park Saturday to meet with residents. The event is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to noon. I think this is the third in the council in the park sessions Councilman Dave Lopez has been organizing.

The council awarded a $237,692 contract to upgrade lights at six parks. The aim is to cut down on vandalism and graffiti.

The parks are Aqueduct, Carver and Cheyenne, Mark Twain, Charles Sharp, Chrysler 99, Wesson Ranch Park and Stockard Coffee Park.

Drake and another resident raised questions about the council's June decision to close restrooms, a la, why repair lights when you're thinking of closing parks?

Parks Director Hannon says the money is available and budgeted in an electric account. Also, the park restrooms are open despite the June vote, at least for the next two months.

The council is looking at list of 16 roads that are considered priorities for street overlays. The repairs would be funded initially with city money, but could be replaced if the city gets some cash from the federal stimulus package.

The street plan passed. It designates $200,000 to design the repairs.

Councilman Dave Lopez did not vote. He stepped out of the room. Councilman Brad Hawn had a conflict on one item within the plan and did not vote on that specific project.

Acting Deputy City Manager Jim Miguel described the Finance Department shuffling. It passed unanimously without comment from the council.

The HR reorganization also passed unanimously without comment.

Community and Economic Development Director Brent Sinclair and Planning Division Manager Patrick Kelly are presenting their priorities for the upcoming year. Their department has been hit especially hard by this year's budget cuts.

I just saw out of the corner of my eye Barbara Santos, the Human Resources Department deputy director. She will be laid off because of the HR reorganization. She's worked for the city as a contractor and an employee for quite a number of years. A friend gave her a hug and they walked out.

Kelly says the Planning Division intends to focus on big annexations, such as the Shackelford county island and Kiernan Business Park development. Other top items include executing this year's catalog of developable land (urban growth review), studying more county island annexations and focusing on regional planning.

The planning plans passed unanimously.

Sinclair and Kelly are describing how they'll implement this year's urban growth review. That document describes how and where the city should grow. The most important items from that review are going before voters in November, when they'll indicate whether the city should consider annexing five areas outside its limit.

Following up on those choices, the city would have to change some land-use designations, adjust some its planning boundaries and conduct an environmental impact report.

Drake is raising questions about how these annexations would tie in with plans for a North County Corridor. "I'm wondering if we're divvying up the property already," he says.

There doesn't seem much set in stone for an answer because the plans are still in flux.

"These are just mile-high plans right now," Councilman Garrad Marsh is telling Drake. The development of Kiernan as the North County Corridor will define how that area grows, Marsh says.

"If it comes in and it takes most of the land, that's going to set the tone," Mayor Ridenour said. "We've got to at least get a plan out."

The urban growth review work plan passed unanimously. That's a wrap.