AUG 5. NEWSLETTER
The City Council will hold a final discussion Wednesday on the proposed bond to update the city’s fire and police stations, as well as the Community Center, which includes city offices and the City Council chambers.
The agenda calls for the council to adopt the resolution ordering the General Obligation Bond Election to be placed on the Nov. 5, 2024 ballot. It is listed as an action item, and not as a public hearing, but the council has set aside 90 minutes for the topic.
The need for money from the proposed bond has been established. Architects hired by the city performed a “facility needs assessment” and determined that the police and fire facilities were woefully short of space, and the community center lacked space as well. The police department needs 13,000 square feet and the current facility is 5,070 square feet. The fire department needs 17,000 sf and has 7,600 sf of space. The Community Center needs 17,500 sf and is just 10,700 sf. To make matters worse, some of that space is in portable buildings never designed for long-term use.
Despite the need, does the public want to put up the money? Constructing new facilities, the architects estimated, would cost the city $55 million. A survey of 329 Marina voters showed that an $80 million bond measure had little chance of success. While residents saw the need for fire and police buildings, the Community Center was not seen as such. The survey suggested a smaller bond measure meant for only fire and police upgrades had a much better chance of succeeding.
However, the City Council voted against choosing that path at their last meeting, with Mayor Bruce Delgado being the lone vote against the bigger measure. Besides the discussion about the proposed bond measure, the council will receive a Downtown Vitalization Update Presentation that is expected to last 45 minutes.
Among the items on the Consent Agenda will be the awarding of a $342,000 contract for the city’s slurry seal project to VSS International Inc. of Sacramento; an amendment to an agreement between the city and Joby Aero to extend the terms of the license agreement at the Marina Municipal Airport for an additional year; contracts for professional services in planning, airport engineering, architectural design, landscaping, traffic engineering and more; and the purchase for playground equipment and installation at Windy Hill Park and Haven Park.
Before it’s 6:30 p.m. open meeting, the City Council will hold a closed session meeting with airport commissioners, representatives from Abrams’ and Preston Park’s nonprofit corporations, the Marina Groundwater Sustainability Agency and others to discuss litigation matters.
Also on the Closed Session agenda will be a conference with legal counsel on three other court cases, including the legal battle with California-American Water Company. A city employee will be disciplined and the city will negotiate with Veterans Transition Center on price and terms.
A Zoom meeting will be held to discuss with the public any actions that could be disclosed about the meeting at 4 p.m. at the link https://zoom.us/j/730251556 or call 1-669-900-9128. The webinar ID is 730 251 556.
The Planning Commission has canceled it’s Aug. 8 meeting.
Police Reports
Aug. 3
Little of note
Aug. 2
• Grand theft on Del Monte Blvd.
• Possession of a controlled substance on Beach Road
Aug. 1
• A hit and run accident on Beach Road resulting in serious injury or death. Which? The department doesn’t say. We pray the victim survived and is recovering. What did the car look like? No help there either.
• A car was also stolen that day, but no description on it either.
July 31
• There was a charge of battery on a person at the intersection of Abrams Drive and Andesite Drive.
July 30
Little of note
July 29
• A shoplifting incident on General Stillwell Drive
• A bust for possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia on Del Monte Boulevard.
7/28
• Battery on a person (simple assault) on Seaside Circle
• In one incident, there were charges of trespassing, being under the influence of a controlled substance, battery of a person with injury and then obstruction and resisting a police officer.