CHICO — The Chico City Council formally declared the vacancies of two seats at Tuesday’s meeting. The seats will be filled by appointment as decided on a 4-1 vote with only councilor Alex Brown in favor of a special election.
The vacancies come following the resignations of former councilor Scott Huber on June 21 and Kami Denlay on June 27. This was the first time council has convened since both Huber and Denlay unexpectedly resigned.
Huber was elected as an at-large councilor in 2018 while Denlay was elected in 2020 to represent District 3.
Before coming to a decision on appointment, the council took 10 speakers as they discussed plans for filling the two empty council seats. Most were not in favor of an appointment.
“Please do what’s right by our city and let the city decide who sits beside you,” Jesica Giannola asked of the council.
Lisa Currier addressed councilors saying the only fair way to fill the vacant seats is by holding an election.
Nichole Nava spoke in favor of appointments, adding “I think it’s very important for those who are llstening who want to throw their hats in the ring to understand that you need to move fast and start thinking about what you can bring to the community.”
Should a special election have been held, a county elections official placed costs for an all vote-by-mail election at approximately $363,228. With the council now opting to make an appointment, estimated costs are not expected to pass $1,500.
Brown said she felt the city deserved more than the appointments.
“The circumstances of these two vacancies I think demand better than four or five people appointing applicants to serve in these roles,” Brown said. “I don’t recommend a special election lightly. I will not support an appointment process.”
Councilor Sean Morgan spoke in favor of appointment, saying he was confident the council was capable of finding suited councilors.
“We need to decrease the polarization,” Morgan said. “We need people that can govern right out of the gate. I’m not looking for Facebook heroes. I need mature level-headed adults. I think we can find them.”
Mayor Andrew Coolidge spoke following the approval of appointment by Reynolds.
“I think in terms of doing this, the cost aspect is clear,” Coolidge said. “I think the precedence shows this is the right way to do this.”
Switching gears, Coolidge turned to the current atmosphere saying he hopes to see the “nastiness” dissipate from council meetings.
“We’ve seen the damage it can do to personal lives on both sides,” said Coolidge, seemingly alluding to social media attacks on former councilors Huber and Denlay.
The recruitment period will begin July 7 and will close at 5 p.m. on July 15. Applicant interviews will take place on July 20 followed by the Aug. 3 council meeting where appointments will be made by a balloting procedure.
Speakers ask for homeless solution
While addressing council, Julie Wood of Chico said “You’re keeping the most basic human elements from the homeless: water toilets, and shelter.”
Tim Lynch of Chico said “Everybody seems to get to this point where they don’t pay attention to anybody else’s ideas. That’s not what government is supposed to be. We can’t let people die on our streets.”
Julie Threet of Chico disagreed, speaking in favor of the work done by the city. “A city is not funded to shelter and give water to everybody,” she said.
Other business:
The council also approved The Local Road Safety Plan following a presentation from Cole Piper. The plan will look into different areas of safety including pedestrian and bicycle safety. It will also analyze traffic behavior for better intersection and lane departure safety with an interest in intersection lighting.
Starting in 2022, a Local Road Safety Plan will be required for eligibility to apply for Highway Safety Improvement Program funds. The city of Chico received a $72,000 grant to develop a Local Road Safety Plan with the requirement of matching with $8,000.
Paul C. Webster, Director of Hope Street Coalition, also gave a presentation after the council voted to bring a presentation to the agenda at the request of former councilor Denlay. The presentation discussed a plan on addressing the correlation between homelessness, mental illness, and addiction.
“It’s important to understand the limitations on what the city can do,” Webster said. “Everyone has an idea on what they think is appropriate but sometimes those suggestions are outside of bounds or prohibited by law.”
Council moved forward in favor of seeing a proposal from Hope Street Coalition. It passed 4-1, with Brown against.
“I think one of the things that’s held us back is that there’s never been a plan,” said Reynolds.
Other approvals:
The council also approved:
- Zoning map correction after including the incorrect color for 4.99 acre parcel on the west side of Notre Dame Boulevard and south of Humboldt Road.
- The cost report for the 2021 Weed Abatement and Lot Clearing Program which is expected to be $2,854.50.
- An update to the list of city officers authorized to order the deposit or withdrawal of city funds in the Local Agency Investment Fund.
- Budget modifications to appropriate $6,696,301 in American Rescue Plan Act proceeds that were discussed at the June 8 special meeting.
- An amendment to the the Airport Commission’s standard lease. The amendment would give staffing the authority to approve leases in portable hangar rows A, B, and C.
- City council meeting minutes from June 1, June 8, and June 15.
The next meeting takes place at 6 p.m. on July 20 at 421 Main St. in Chico.
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Vacant city council seats to be filled by appointment - Chico Enterprise-Record
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