Councilman Steve Conaway was visibly upset at Tuesday night’s Council meeting over the way the Boys & Girls Club was suddenly closed without warning or explanation.

Tuesday night’s City Council meeting began with the surprise announcement that the Santa Clara Valley Boys & Girls Clubs have closed. Councilman Steve Conaway left the dais, to speak as a private citizen, expressing his anger and disappointment with the news of the sudden closure. Conaway said there had been no dialogue with the club’s CEO, Doug Caldwell, and “any other city officials, such as the city manager.” He strongly expressed concern that the closure would have on the community.

A letter was sent to “Club Parents” dated November 24, saying the club would close November 25th. The decision to shut down will affect the Santa Paula Clubhouse, North Fillmore (Neil C. Schmidt Clubhouse), Fillmore Clubhouse, Rancho Sespe Clubhouse, and Las Piedras Clubhouse. No reason was given for the closures.

Conaway also noted the effect it will have on afterschool care. He stated that other communities have resources to fall back on that Fillmore does not.

“Some of our underprivileged families have paid ahead. I’m just saying, it speaks for itself,” said Conaway, intimating the dubious way the clubs were closed.

Councilmember Laurie Hernandez and Mayor Patti Walker both commented that they had had recent contact with Caldwell, but he never gave any indication of the closings.

Conaway asked the City to agendize possible alternate funding for Fillmore youth, saying we could “right the wrong placed on our youth”.

Mayor Walker announced that FEMA has put all changes “on hold”, referring to the recent push to force approximately 1,300 Fillmore residents to purchase mandatory flood insurance. Many surrounding communities, along with Fillmore, have been placing pressure on FEMA to reconsider the flood boundary changes. Last week Moorpark had allocated $100,000 for an engineering consultant to try to remove at least 500 homes from FEMA’s flood insurance maps. Council also placed on agenda a letter to be sent to FEMA requesting reimbursement for citizens who have already purchased flood insurance, at FEMA’s insistence. See FEMA letter on front page of this edition.

Eduardo Espinosa, Cabrillo Economic Development Corporation representative, informed Council that Central Station Townhomes are 90% complete with a bond in place. Council unanimously voted to approve the Tract Map and authorize the Mayor to sign the map; and for the City Clerk to record the map with the County Recorder’s office.
City Engineer Tom Scott addressed the 2008 Water Service Replacement Project Acceptance of Improvements. The work is complete and the City Clerk was instructed to file a Notice of Completion for the project. The City approved 5-0 to authorize payment to the contractor, J&H Engineering, their 10% retention in the amount of $7,448.88, and the release of contract, pending clearance of the 35-day lien period. Total budget for the project was $83,000, costing $78,837.

The project replaced water service lines, meters and meter boxes in the area of Waterford Lane and Cottonwood Lane. The subdivision was previously constructed with polybutylene pipe that often leaked and needed to be replaced.

Scott also discussed Public Landscape Maintenance bids and advertising. He reviewed the present funding strategies and went over six options regarding landscaping, and lighting maintenance. At this time there is no fiscal impact. The city determined it was more cost-effective to bid the job out in place of hiring city employees, complete with benefits, etc. Council voted unanimously to make no changes in current direction to funding sources for payment of public landscape maintenance and assessment district landscape maintenance. The current funding comes from the general fund and special benefit assessment respectively.

City Manager, Yvonne Quiring stated that city staff was requesting authorization to solicit proposals (RFP) for consulting services to conduct a City-wide Classification and Compensation Study. Council approved a C&C study at the August 25th meeting. It is common practice for cities to conduct these studies periodically in an effort to maintain competitive and equitable salaries and relevant classification descriptions. The RFP will enable the City to examine its organizational structure and provide information regarding pay equity and organizational integrity. The motion passed 5-0.

Attorney Charmaine Hilton Buehner, an associate with Myers, Widders, Gibson, Jones & Schneider, announced the Brown Act Settlement Agreement, which Council agreed to. The three major points of the agreement were a public admission of Council’s “errors”; a 2-hour Brown Act retraining course; and payment of $6,000 in attorney fees and costs.

The great bench debate has ended. Council vote 2-2, with Walker recused, that a city-owned bench will not be “loaned” to the library.