Latest news with #LodiCityCouncil
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City of Lodi to hike fees at Lodi Lake for first time since 2022
May 24—The City of Lodi will be increasing fees at Lodi Lake, but officials say the higher costs will still be well below what's charged by other local agencies for recreational activities. The Lodi City Council voted 3-0 to approve the increases Wednesday night. Currently, daily entry fees into Lodi Lake are $5 and an annual entry pass is $50. An annual boat launch pass is $100. With Wednesday's approval, entry fees to the lake will be $8 for residents and $10 for non-residents, while an annual pass will be $80 for residents and $100 for non-residents. Annual boat launch fees will increase to $130 for residents and $156 for non-residents. In addition, entry fees to the beach will increase from $3 to $5 for non-residents. However, Lodians will still pay $3. The only entry fee not increasing is the one-time boat launch fee, which is currently $13. The city last increased fees at the lake in 2022, when the entry fee was raised from $4 to $5. Staff said other increases at the park were minimal. Councilman Alan Nakanishi said the increases approved Wednesday were modest, adding that supporting the proposal was a "no-brainer." "If you went to the park four years ago, the pavement was rough, the bathrooms were stinky. We needed fixings," he said. "I went there last week. Amazing. Smooth pavements, chairs. We're building a bathroom. It's really beautiful." In addition to entry fees, the city will also increase rental fees at the eight picnic areas at the park: — Youth Area: from $300 to $375 for residents and $330 to $450 for non-residents — Hughes Beach: from $80 to $165 for residents and $135 to $198 for non-residents. — Kiwanis Shelter: from $120 to $225 for residents and from $132 to $270 for non-residents. — Parson's Point and the Rotary Area: from $160 to $175 for residents and from $176 to $210 for non-residents. — Beach Shelter: from $100 to $150 for residents and from $110 to $180 for non-residents. Three new areas, the CA and AA Picnic Areas and the Discovery Center Patio, will see rental fees of $40 for residents and $48 for non-residents. Staff said compared to similar regional facilities, Lodi Lake's current entry fees are about 60% lower and its boat launch fees are 20% lower. As an example, weekend vehicle fees at Micke Grove Regional Park are currently $16 and $10 for holidays. Daily fees at Camanche Reservoir are $20.50 while an annual pass is $235. Boat launch fees are $17.75 daily and $200 for an annual pass. While the new fees are expected to increase revenues by more than $93,000 annually — average revenue over the last three years has been $227,903 — staff said the annual cost to operate Lodi Lake over the last three years has been more than $1.1 million. The funding gap is covered by $893,243 out of the city's general fund. Staff said the park generated $91,594 in entry fee revenue last year and generated $116,937 since July 1. Annual passes generated $10,540 last year and generated $27,654 since the start of the 2024-25 fiscal year. In addition, beach entry fees generated $6,966 last year, and have generated $11,799 since July 1, staff said. "We have an absolutely beautiful park now," Mayor Cameron Bregman said. "I was walking the nature area last week. Everything is meticulously landscaped and kept up, and I'm astounded by what the City of Lodi has to offer." The new fees will take effect July 1. Vice Mayor Ramon Yepez and Councilwoman Lisa Craig-Hensley were absent from Wednesday's meeting, as they were attending the OneVoice trip in Washington, D.C.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lodi Council appoints acting city manager
May 9—James Lindsay told the Lodi City Council on Wednesday night that he was honored and excited to be able to serve the community. The Santa Clara County native was appointed acting city manager by a 4-1 vote, with Vice Mayor Ramon Yepez dissenting, and will start work immediately, staff said in a social media post after Wednesday's meeting. "This is a great opportunity to be able to get to know the community, to be able to work with you all, work with staff and work with the community," Lindsay said. "I'm looking forward to getting to my first day of work." Lindsay recently retired from the City of Saratoga, where he served as city manager for 10 years and its development director for nearly three. After retiring, he moved to El Dorado County and founded the consulting firm Sierra View Partners in Auburn. He earned a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from San Jose State University in 1992, and his career in the public sector began with the City of Milpitas in 2003 as its permit center manager before becoming its planning manager until 2005. He held similar positions with KB Home and the Campbell-based Metropolitan Planning Group until returning to Milpitas in 2007 to serve as its planning and neighborhood services director. In that role, Lindsay said he oversaw the city's growth from a manufacturing community to one of high-density and mixed use as its transportation options improved. Bay Area Rapid Transit completed its progression to the South Bay while Lindsay was in Milpitas, connecting the city of nearly 78,000 residents to the Peninsula and East Bay. Lindsay would then join the City of Saratoga in 2011, which he said was a unique situation. "It was a very financially constrained city, and to be able to operate and serve the community with those constraints was both very challenging and rewarding," he said. "One of the keystones of that work was to be able to work with the governor's finance staff to be able to rectify some property tax equities that helped open up some additional revenue." As an appointed retired annuitant, Lindsay will be earning $140 an hour as acting city manager. City Attorney Katie Lucchessi said his hours cannot exceed 960 in a given year. That equates to $134,400. Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services director Christina Jaromay, who was serving as acting city manager in a temporary role, said she developed a good sense of how Lindsay has been in an administrative role. She said a former Saratoga mayor gave Lindsay "rave reviews," while a local business owner there worked hand-in-hand with him to develop his winery. "So a broad assessment of really great reviews of Mr. Lindsay by a collaboration of leaders," she said. "And (he's) just really involved in the community and wanting to do well in the community." Councilwoman Lisa Craig-Hensley said she appreciated Lindsay's background in community development and finance, as it is of great interest to Lodi's business community. "And you're charmful approach to communication with the city council, understanding to look 90 days out for agendizing things of importance to us, both individually and as a whole," she said. Lindsay takes over for Scott Carney, who was placed on administrative leave last month pending an investigation into financial abuse claims he alleged staff were committing. Carney read a prepared statement during the April 1 council meeting alleging that the city attorney and city clerk edited staff reports without his knowledge or approval. He claimed the pair redacted parts of his approved reports to protect some employees, and that internal reviews of purchasing activity revealed evidence of widespread misuse of city credit cards to purchase personal items. Mayor Cameron Bregman ordered Carney to stop speaking before he could finish his statement, stating the city manager began speaking about ongoing personnel investigations and a non-agendized item. The Brown Act forbids city staff and elected officials from discussing personnel matters that are not placed on an agenda. In a recent social media post, Bregman said he spoke to Carney on the phone prior to publishing the April 1 agenda, offering him the opportunity to make his remarks as a "generic" agenda item. Carney declined the offer, Bregman said. During public comment Wednesday, resident John Slaughterback suggested the city perform a forensic audit into Carney's claims, or form a citizens oversight committee to monitor the process and bring any concerns to the council. "The citizens of Lodi need to feel that this investigation has not been biased in its findings," he said. "The added procedure would give residents more confidence and a credible investigation." Earlier in the meeting, the council unanimously approved a $210,000 contract with the Meyers Nave lawfirm to conduct a forensic audit. Bregman said information related to the investigation would be discussed at the council's May 21 meeting. Yepez did not disclose why he voted against appointing Lindsay Wednesday night, and did not respond to inquires by press time Thursday.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lodi transit service expected to see 25% growth in coming years
May 9—The City of Lodi expects GrapeLine ridership to increase by 60,000 passenger trips in five years, a 25% increase over today's numbers. Tahoe City-based LSC Transportation Consulting presented a draft Short Range Transit Plan to the Lodi City Council during a special Tuesday meeting, which contains an overview of existing GrapeLine services, transportation needs in the community and future operating plans over a five-year period, among other data. The city's SRTP was adopted in 2019, and since that time, staff said there have been significant developments to transportation trends in Lodi, including ridership pattern changes to transit ridership patterns and new local developments. The consulting firm said ridership will increase as the city begins implementing new routes and services over the next few years. One of those new routes is a proposed east-to-west corridor, which will provide connections to residents not needing to visit Downtown Lodi. The route will travel along Kettleman Lane from South Lower Sacramento Road to Cherokee Lane, as well as to Reynolds Ranch and along Harney Lane, and increase ridership by 13,800 trips, the firm said. GrapeLine will also extend Saturday service by one hour to 7:30 p.m., increasing ridership by 720 trips annually. In addition, bus frequency along Route 2, which travels along Central Avenue and Kettleman Lane, will increase during weekdays with service at stops every 30 minutes during peak travel times. This will result in an increase of 15,300 passengers annually. When Valley Rail constructs the ACE station near Flag City, GrapeLine will provide service from Downtown Lodi three times a day, increasing ridership by 5,300 trips annually. While service increases were a top request during a survey the firm conducted last year, these improvements will also increase costs by about $554,100 annually, the firm said. The city also plans on replacing some of its fleet by purchasing two 29-foot compressed natural gas-powered buses in fiscal year 2025-26. A 35-foot electric trolley will also be purchased, but not until fiscal year 2028-29. All three vehicles are expected to cost $2.5 million. Bus stop improvements scheduled include 13 new locations and routine maintenance of existing ones, which will entail signage replacement, adding benches and shelters, all at a cost of $640,000. Other improvements include communications upgrades, transit station facility repairs and parking structure security upgrades, among others, at a cost of $6.7 million. The firm surveyed 454 residents in May and August, and found that 33% use GrapeLine to get to school, while 22% use it for shopping and 17% use it for work. In addition, only 19% of riders have access to a vehicle if public transit wasn't available. Another 50% said they would walk somewhere if transportation wasn't available and 14% said they would not make a trip at all. Councilwoman Lisa Craig-Hensley thought 2030 was an ambitious target to have the ACE station up and running in Flag City, but what counted was that a plan was in place. She also said a cross-city route that transported residents to the station was going to be a boon for the city. "That west-east connector is going to be critical to expand into that area, particularly for jobs down the road, and planning for that now is a good thing," she said. "The housing development that might occur there, I don't know who will be the user group out there, but I think for purposes of getting jobs to expanded areas, that would be a good investment."
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
City council could appoint acting city manager today
Apr. 30—An acting city manager could be named by the end of the day today. The Lodi City Council will hold a special closed session meeting at 5 p.m. to consider appointing an individual to take over administrative duties on a temporary basis in the wake of the fallout with City Manager Scott Carney. The council spent nearly three hours interviewing two candidates in closed session last Tuesday, after which Mayor Cameron Bregman said he was "ecstatic" about both. Carney was placed on administrative leave April 9, a week after he read a prepared statement during a council meeting alleging that city attorney Katie Lucchessi and city clerk Olivia Nashed edited staff reports without his knowledge or approval. He claimed the pair redacted parts of his approved reports protect some employees, and that internal reviews of purchasing activity revealed evidence of widespread misuse of public funds and city credit cards to purchase personal items. He added that there was resistance to his investigation among staff and that there was evidence the city had been failing as a steward of public trust. Bregman ordered Carney to stop speaking before he could finish his statement during the April 2 meeting. Bregman later said he stopped Carney from continuing because he began speaking about ongoing personnel investigations and a non-agendized item, which opened the city up to litigation that could cost "millions of taxpayer money." The Brown Act forbids city staff and elected officials from discussing personnel matters that are not placed on an agenda. The council appointed Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services director Christina Jaromay acting city manager on April 11, and Bregman said Carney's leave was expected to last 45 days. Bregman added the city would investigate Carney's claims of financial misappropriation while he was on leave. The council hired Carney last May to replace former city manager Steve Schwabauer, who retired in 2023. Prior to coming to Lodi, Carney served as the deputy director of administration for the California Department of Health Care Services for three years. He also served at Stockton City Hall from 2014 to 2020 before taking a sabbatical. Wednesday's meeting begins at 5 p.m. at Carnegie Forum, 315 W. Pine St. It will also be livestreamed at
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'A lifeline': Lodi mayor says funds for homeless center vital for region
Apr. 25—Lodi's mayor on Wednesday said the city's commitment to building an access center should not be called into question, and that federal funds allocated to support its operation will be spent. "Contrary to recent claims, the access center project has been consistently and meticulously planned over the last four years, with a clear timeline, dedicated staff, and a broad community input," Mayor Cameron Bregman said. "This facility is not simply a project — it is a lifeline. If withdrawn, these funds would not go back to the county to still be used in our broader San Joaquin County community, but rather go straight back to the federal government and provide no service to our local residents." Bregman's comments come after San Joaquin County Supervisor Steve Ding said he would be asking the board to take back some $8.2 million in funding allocated to the center during Tuesday's meeting. Ding said the City of Lodi is currently lacking leadership, internal controls and has no plan to spend the funds. The supervisor's remarks came a week after the Lodi City Council was scheduled to discuss canceling a previous request for proposals to operate the access center and consider either leasing or selling the facility to a third party for $1. The discussion was tabled to a future meeting so the entire council could vote on the item, as only three members were present. Bregman said selling or leasing the site would require the new operator to provide services for five years, adding the city would be using the asset to repay any funding received. The county allocated $2.8 million in to the city for the access center in 2021. Another $5.3 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding was allocated the following year. Bregman said pulling the $8.2 million funding Ding referenced would force the city to use general fund dollars to complete the access center, as well as cause it to lose the ability to address homelessness. He added the city's community development department, which has guided the project since its 2021 inception, has devoted hundreds of hours planning, securing funding, and coordinating logistics for the project with many agencies, including county staff. To halt it now, he said, would undermine years of hard work and relationships, as well as deny critical services to vulnerable residents. And while the city is currently experiencing executive transitions with the recent decision to place city manager Scott Carney on administrative leave, Bregman said the core group of city and county staff members are still working together to complete the project. "The city's acting leadership team has not only maintained city operations but has continued to move key initiatives forward, including the access center," he said. "We, the city, the staff, and this council are not only managing, but in full force, with highest work ethics, driving forward our goals and objectives." While Bregman said funds withdrawn would be returned to the federal government, the project's MOU between the city and county state they would be returned to the latter if not used for the approved project by Sept. 30, 2025. In addition, the MOU states the city "agrees to maintain all program, fiscal, statistical and management records and make such records available for inspection by county representatives," and that those records include "property documents, any and all costs associated with the project, opening of the access center, and learning and job training readiness center invoices, records of services rendered, and receipt/contractor service-related correspondence." Failure to comply with county requests and inspections results in a breach of the MOU. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office of Federal Assistance Management, the federal government retains a reversionary interest in real property constructed, acquired, or improved with federal funds. Modernization projects totaling $500,000 or more are required to file a Notice of Federal Interest against the property title, and all construction projects are required to file an NFI. In addition, the NFI requires prior written approval in order for a property owner to mortgage, sell, transfer or use the property for a purpose inconsistent with the award. The HRSA said while leasehold improvements — modifications made to a leased property to accommodate the specific needs of a tenant — are allowed under federal funding, property owners must provide a landlord letter of consent and agree in writing to allow the recipient to undertake the proposed project; acknowledge federal interest and file an NFI against the property title in the local jurisdiction before the project begins; and agree to modify the lease with additional terms that indicate the continued rights of the recipient or federal government in the event that the lessor of record changes. Construction on the permanent access center, located at 710 N. Sacramento St., was scheduled to begin this month and last about a year. The planned 23,000-square-foot center would include overnight space for about 100 individuals, which could be expanded to 200 if needed. Plans also call for a commercial kitchen, space for as many as four classrooms, a medical clinic and offices. The council is expected to receive an access center progress update at a future meeting, and Bregman invited supervisors and county staff to attend. "The city is committed to completing the access center and strengthening our partnership with the county," he said. "We believe in a shared responsibility to serve all residents, especially those in greatest need. We urge the board of supervisors to continue on the path already set forward for this vital regional project."
