Employee of the July-September 2008 Quarter Angela Mumme.

Mayor Patti Walker, on behalf of the Council, presented the award to Angela Mumme.

Pictured above are City of Fillmore’s Employee’s of the Quarter for October - December: Arnold Castaneda, David Brown and Joe Zuniga.

Fillmore City Council met at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, January 27, 2009 at City Hall. Council Member Laurie Hernandez was absent. The Council honored certain city employees, recognized winners in a student essay contest, received updates on the Central Ave. Storm Drain Project, adopted safety laws for the new skate park, and discussed the Special Projects Manager position.

Mayor Patti Walker, on behalf of the Council, presented awards to city employees. Employee of the July-September 2008 Quarter was Angela Mumme for her outstanding work, positive attitude, and friendly disposition. Employees of the October-December 2008 quarter were Joe Zuniga, Ray Morales, Jaime Magdaleno, Arnold Castaneda, and David Brown. Those five employees were called to duty on New Year's Eve to repair a broken water main. Water was restored by morning. Employee of the Year 2008 was Angela Mumme. She responded, "I'm flattered considering the quality of the people I work with."

Judy Dressler, Chair of the Vision 2020 Civic Pride Committee, presented awards to winners of The Fillmore Civic Pride Essay Contest. The contest was open to 4th and 5th Grade students who submitted 200-word essays on "Why I Like Living in Fillmore." Liz Ocampo won First Place. Diego Aparicio Rodrigues won Second Place. Mirella Lemus won Third Place. Honorable Mentions were received by Perla Chavez-Hernandez, Sammy Estrada, Andrea Diaz, Destiny Alonzo, and Taylor Wright.

Deputy City Manager Bill Bartels said that Central Ave. will be re-opened Monday February 2nd. Crosswalks will be restored before the project to repave Central Ave. from Sespe St. to Highway 126 starts. The project has gone out to bid and paving will occur in late April or early May. Rubberized asphalt will be used. Because the price of asphalt has decreased, the city will also make sidewalk repairs. Large signs advertising downtown Fillmore have gone up adjacent to Highway 126.

The Council discussed Special Projects Manager Roy Payne's Fee Agreement, and his job performance. The seven tasks listed on the 2005 Fee Agreement are mostly complete, but Finance Director Barbara Smith claimed that Payne was still needed to provide updates to pro forma projections on water and sewer rates. Payne is still facilitating the Business Park project. Smith explained that the funds to cover Payne's fees came from a combination of various city sources and developer monies. Jamey Brooks said that he believed a conflict of interest was inherent in the Fee Agreement because the fees came from both the city and developers. Rod McDonald, of KDF Communities, and Steve Conaway said that Payne was a successful advocate for the city in negotiations with KDF. The Fee Agreement included a $1000 retainer every two weeks and other compensation arrangements. Brooks and Gayle Washburn claimed that the services rendered were overpriced. McDonald said that Payne's expertise had been invaluable in ensuring that the Business Park project moved smoothly forward without costly delays. Conaway noted that delays in developing the Business Park would mean delays in the Business Park's provision of 1500 jobs and taxes. Brooks and Washburn voted to terminate the Agreement, but the motion failed. The Council decided to form an ad hoc committee (consisting of Conaway, Washburn, and two city staff members) to re-negotiate the terms of the Agreement.

The Council adopted safety laws for the new skatepark, and officially selected an ad hoc committee to discuss the Skatepark Grand Opening. Committee members are Steve Conaway, Laurie Hernandez, Dave McDonald, Jackie Avila, and Patrick Maynard. The Council approved a Grand Opening budget and waived permit fees for the event. Dave McDonald said that approximately 150 kids use the park daily, Monday through Friday, and 200 to 300 daily on weekends. Steve Conaway said people are coming from LA, San Diego, and across the county.

After much discussion, the Council accepted a Caltrans Bicycle Transportation Account Grant for the acquisition of property to close a gap in the Santa Clara River Bicycle Trail. The gap is between Highway 23 and the new KB Homes Levee Bike Path.

The Council approved city staff's request to use Oxnard City Corps (OCC) to plant and provide for sustainable vegetation at the closed landfill. According to OCC's website, "City Corps exposes youth ages 13-24 to experiential learning and hands-on training through a variety of projects and activities." Public Works Director Bert Rapp explained that the work is part of the area's recovery from the 2005 floods.

Janice Schieferle requested that Relay for Life be allowed to use Shiells Park September 25-27, 2009. The Council discussed the potential impact of the usage on AYSO, and tabled the discussion until the February 11th joint meeting with the School Board.

The Council directed staff to print up a community survey to be distributed at City Hall and online so that the Council can receive direction from the community before having a goal-setting session which will be instrumental in developing next year's city budget. City Manager Tom Ristau pointed out that the budgeting process starts in April.

The city wells had a power outage on January 11, 2009. Well No. 5 was not working properly afterwards. The Council allocated $8000 to replace the contactor and automatic transfer switch for Well No. 5.
The Council approved a contract amendment of $43,300 with Hawks and Associates to revise the plans and specifications for the Permeable Weirs on the Waste Water Treatment Plant and Riverwalk Levee sites. According to the relevant city memo, "significant revisions are necessary to meet new requirements from the regulatory agencies."

The Council awarded the 2008 Water Service Maintenance Project Contract to J& H General Engineering Contractors, Inc.

The Council formed an ad hoc committee to consider having a prayer before Council Meetings. The committee, including Jamey Brooks and Patti Walker, will look into whether local clergy would be interested in giving invocations. City Attorney Ted Schneider informed the Council that California law sets specific limits on such invocations.

Washburn announced a vacancy on the Air Pollution Control District Advisory Committee. She said that the committee would welcome a member from Fillmore, and she encouraged citizens to volunteer.

Marie Wren announced that the new Wii is set up at the Senior Center to provide electronic bowling, boxing, and tennis. A volunteer is needed to run the Tuesday lunch-time salad bar, a weekly 3-hour job. Seniors can call for transportation to and from the Center. People wanting a ride or to volunteer should call the Senior Center's office at 524-4533.