[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6346908,"mediaKeyId","2246314-7f065fc35f664cc092cb26fd2014c9e5","parentId",2246314,"title","Votes at a glance: Livingston Council actions Feb. 4 — contracts, MOUs and appointments","audioSeconds",2818,"startMs",3845000,"endMs",6663000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2246314-7f065fc35f664cc092cb26fd2014c9e5&start=3845&end=6663","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2246314-7f065fc35f664cc092cb26fd2014c9e5/thumbnail_3845000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6346908/Livingston-City/Merced-County/California/Votes-at-a-glance-Livingston-Council-actions-Feb-4-contracts-MOUs-and-appointments","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346908-23bdebe656cf57893e6c9360c3bf623f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195026&Signature=KsT3dOfiJq61gM47PUk3ZL7aP6Jd99u~mnkMyGXQYLtBNfR9cERE0fQBnYLxIrZ59TGE01PD3R7tV9pYCDPvMwjILtQg0GaK-TSLWYjiddsnwZk4ASdo9v30MqwKTxoQxs9MuzYP9H27i95I1oeF12XzJynGeB2FlSi1raVzewcVGIPuRc-Tsw041J78bK4snHz30GkgtIzrIZuGaLMeIjsP3p8Hj9XuFSyPnytSYNFuSPlcjVgVbOxu9sqnipE8GECAzb3k-up~od34yFhXt-~ERcrJTGksC7j7zVM-OuSfOmvpgwGRPo4DhZzyMp0HgJshDQo5T3apefufrr3LPQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Livingston, CA","date","2025-02-07T08:30:39.383Z","article","The Livingston City Council took the following formal actions during its Feb. 4 meeting. This roundup lists each item, the motion outcome and recorded votes where provided.

- Consent calendar: Items 4 and 5 (agreement with Midway Amusements for the 2025‑27 Sweet Potato Festival; MOU with the Supervisory Employees Association for 7/1/2024–6/30/2025 and revised pay schedule) were approved by a 4‑0 roll call (Ross, O’Paul, Mayor Pro Tem Semmer, Mayor Moran — all “Yes”).

- Item 2 (amendment to interim city manager contract providing a 4% cost‑of‑living increase effective 2/1/2024): Approved by roll call (Roth yes, O’Paul yes, Moran yes; Semmer recused) — recorded as 3‑0 in favor with one recusal.

- Item 3 (professional services agreement with Shannon Pump Company to repair Well 15 and Well 17; amount not to exceed $208,773.23; waiver of formal bidding): Approved by roll call (4‑0).

- Item 6 (Memorandum of Understanding between the City and the Livingston Police Officers Association for 7/1/2024–6/30/2025 and revised pay schedule): Councilmember Roth recused and did not vote; remaining members approved the MOU 3‑0.

- Items 7 and 8 (general plan amendment and zoning map amendment for the Moonglow development; and a time extension for the Villages at Main application): Both items were continued to the Feb. 18 meeting because required adjacent‑property notices had not been completed; council voted to continue 4‑0.

- Item 9A and 9B (midyear budget adjustments and directive to move Gilton franchise fees): Item 9A (midyear budget amendments) passed 4‑0; Item 9B (authorize finance to move Gilton franchise fees from fire services fund back to the general fund, and deposit future Gilton franchise fees to the general fund / sanitation fund as directed) passed by roll call 4‑0; council also directed staff to return with options for an administrative fee and phasing scenarios.

- Item 10 (Planning Commission appointment / vacancy and direction to solicit applications): Council directed staff to bring back a resolution appointing Diego Castillo as a permanent member and to solicit applications for the resulting alternate vacancy; motion passed 4‑0.

- Item 11 (Parks, Recreation and Arts Commission vacancies): Council appointed one member (Jessica, per staff list) and directed staff to solicit applications for remaining vacancies; motion passed 4‑0.

- Item 12 (discussion and direction on dissolving the ad‑hoc committee for over‑the‑counter building permits): Council dissolved the ad hoc committee and directed staff to follow the existing staff memo process (staff to make findings and forward memos to the city manager, who will distribute to council); motion passed 4‑0.

- Item 13 (designation of delegates for the Merced County Association of Governments One‑Voice trip): Mayor Moran and Mayor Pro Tem Semmer were originally designated; Councilmembers Roth and Paul volunteered to attend in their stead and the council appointed Councilmembers Roth and Paul to represent Livingston; motion passed 4‑0.

- Item 14 (status update on administrative fee for solid‑waste billing): No fee adopted; council directed finance staff to return with models and phased options (see separate article for full debate and directions).

- Item 15A (appointment to fill city council vacancy): The council appointed Robert Wallace to fill the vacant council seat by a 3‑1 vote (Roth yes; O’Paul yes; Semmer yes; Moran no). Wallace was sworn in at the meeting.

- Item 15B (city treasurer vacancy): The council appointed Perwinder (name as submitted) to the treasurer position pending verification that he meets code requirements; the appointee will be sworn after verification. Councilmember O’Paul temporarily recused himself from the dais during consideration of that appointment.

Several other routine or technical items were approved on consent or processed as staff direction; where votes were recorded the roll call results above reflect the meeting transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Livingston City Council Meeting February -04- 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The council approved routine consent items, a well‑repair contract, a police MOU, midyear budget adjustments, franchise fee transfers, and a council appointment; it continued two planning items and filled the treasurer vacancy by appointment.","taxTitle","Livingston City, Merced County, California","taxId",72037,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6346910,"Police dispatch window attacked; Livingston officers de‑escalate without injuries after two‑hour standoff",0,1862000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2246314-7f065fc35f664cc092cb26fd2014c9e5&start=1862&end=1862","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2246314-7f065fc35f664cc092cb26fd2014c9e5/thumbnail_1862000.jpg","/articles/6346910/Livingston-City/Merced-County/California/Police-dispatch-window-attacked-Livingston-officers-deescalate-without-injuries-after-twohour-standoff","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346910-dd4f129a8b97a8c487d38f89fb18c3f6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195026&Signature=KHXwQaGpDe94D~kAfU2OQITmyzz73V-96V3MdRRIZQH-XrB4jJB19PrlLXlljCeM9Bt3C~Im2b3~LCKlyEY25NRqUv1a4tIfLquo15nCcmzPVd0xeTz7NaF-aR~9oXM7jKahVj~ktEHy5U4BIG4wAvgsUgB8ojUGLXTMd386wtxvaeNAiH6W5M4snmkGunZYeaTZ23k5BXUGZFtpL5yOc6o~8VCf2izYWYu68ZYTOxx5joY2THSjU4Kcx78eXSqGWmkLTYF8rFOhj7NMoS7pIUBChGk8beTfY4sC97SuNww5BuuoBXcSQIpQR5ZKX7xad3ZBYs0bSShv44QodFa6RQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At about 2:35 p.m. the day before the Feb. 4 council meeting, a disturbed individual entered the foyer of the Livingston Police Department and struck the dispatch window with a large butcher knife, creating deep gouges in the plexiglass and prompting an immediate response by officers, Police Chief Schiff told the council.

Chief Schiff said three officers, including himself, were on scene and contained the individual in the lobby. For roughly two hours officers used time, distance and verbal tactics to persuade the person to drop the knife; at one point a woman with a baby carriage exited safely. The department deployed firearms and tasers as a deterrent but did not use lethal or less‑lethal force. After roughly two hours the person relinquished the knife and was taken into custody.

Chief Schiff credited a range of personnel for the successful, non‑injury outcome — officers, dispatchers, the dispatcher supervisor and civilian staff. He specifically acknowledged that Interim Finance Director Happy Baines assisted by acting as a Spanish‑language translator for about an hour and 45 minutes when the subject did not speak English and phone translators failed.

The chief said staff held a debrief the same afternoon and identified training needs. Councilmembers thanked the department, praised the joint effort and noted the incident presents an opportunity to review training and equipment needs for similar situations.

City Manager Christopher Lopez and councilmembers praised the department’s patience and coordination with civilian staff and outside responders. No formal council action was taken; the council asked the chief to return with any training or equipment requests arising from the after‑action review.","A disturbed person attacked the police station’s service window with a large knife; officers contained and de‑escalated the individual over roughly two hours, and the suspect was taken into custody without reported serious injury. The council heard a debrief and council members said training needs were identified.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6346915,"Council approves midyear budget changes, moves Gilton franchise fees amid debate over new administrative charge",1577,5114000,6691000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2246314-7f065fc35f664cc092cb26fd2014c9e5&start=5114&end=6691","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2246314-7f065fc35f664cc092cb26fd2014c9e5/thumbnail_5114000.jpg","/articles/6346915/Livingston-City/Merced-County/California/Council-approves-midyear-budget-changes-moves-Gilton-franchise-fees-amid-debate-over-new-administrative-charge","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6346915-dcdd1b92be9634c46729ef3b8b6c7d74/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195026&Signature=a2KzIjam1qinPWgotvnvUPy4DPAp6-y8ewXKW7UxNlHo-GOgE-3gmTqruQJHFX5WvvcDGMHrloQ228zoQUyXUmqhnKvsq5Hz8j7DvmJ~oRt24IDtfAg7vwl0ZPKjRIon6-9borNCcNc0Ol2c32eMc8hQFqWzpUt0kH0IOhqLynkS1wsPmIHHKUI5eGQ-IEvGI4w~u-vZw6f7ceERx5I2J0jlNB9oAkFyTa4SsKreaSaoxMd~JWSapYsPonHJNk2ry7Gr-KV2kKLIRuLyVEcbkg-eP04ThRhUEJvcQatSVeMPY7vgZp1FsvZ9enbq8vgoryTn84BkiFyd0Eld2Y3Udw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Livingston City Council on Feb. 4 approved midyear adjustments to the fiscal‑year 2024‑25 budget and voted to move the franchise fee owed by Gilton Solid Waste back into the general fund to cover a budget gap.

City Finance Director Happy Baines told the council that the midyear package increases general‑fund expenditures by $281,007.05 and non‑general‑fund expenditures by $650,004.73, with uncommitted reserves proposed to cover additions. He said moving Gilton’s franchise fee to the general fund would increase general‑fund revenue by about $305,000.

The vote followed lengthy debate about two separate charges tied to the city’s new Gilton contract: a 15% franchise fee the city imposed on the hauler and a proposed administrative fee meant to reimburse staff time spent on refuse billing and related services.

Councilmember O’Paul and others pressed staff for detail on how the administrative fee was calculated and how long the sanitation (solid‑waste) fund could sustain the current city subsidy. Baines said the most recent estimate of the administrative fee would be roughly $588,000 annually — about $14.02 per account per month — but that estimate did not yet account for franchise‑fee revenue that the council voted to redirect earlier in the evening.

Councilmember U’Pal (Council recorded as Oppal/Upal during the meeting) urged a measured approach: move enough franchise‑fee receipts now to balance the current fiscal‑year shortfall and place the remainder into the sanitation fund. Council ultimately voted to move sufficient franchise‑fee receipts to cover the general‑fund gap and to place remaining franchise receipts into the solid‑waste fund; staff were directed to return with concrete options — including phased rate approaches — for approving an administrative fee going forward.

City Manager Christopher Lopez and Baines warned that continuing to underfund the sanitation fund would deplete reserves and force larger increases later. Baines told the council that if the city does not offset administrative costs the sanitation fund reserves could be exhausted in fiscal year 2025‑26 unless rates or other revenues change.

Councilmembers discussed several mitigation options: shift some administrative responsibilities to the hauler (which could raise contract costs), conduct a rate study, subsidize the fee from one‑time reserves while phasing in a smaller monthly charge, or require other operational changes. Staff said they would model phased increases (examples: $1–$2 per month steps) and present formal proposals at the next feasible meeting.

The council also approved a separate midyear action to add personnel and operating funds in several departments, including a temporary police sergeant position to cover patrol needs and funding for audits and planned capital improvements.

In the motion to move franchise‑fee receipts, council specified that the portion needed to balance this year’s general‑fund shortfall be transferred immediately and the remaining franchise revenue be set aside for solid‑waste costs. The council asked the finance department to return with a report on timing and exact dollar amounts to be transferred and with options for a phased administrative fee. Staff indicated the earliest feasible return date would be the second regular meeting in March if analysis and public notice timelines are met.

The council did not adopt an administrative fee on Feb. 4; instead it directed staff to prepare a clear revenue/expenditure comparison and present options for how a fee might be phased in to avoid a single large rate shock for customers.","The Livingston City Council approved midyear budget amendments and directed staff to move franchise-fee receipts from Gilton’s waste contract back into the general fund to cover a current shortfall. Council also asked staff to return with options on how to handle a newly proposed administrative fee for solid‑waste billing.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Livingston Council actions Feb. 4 — contracts, MOUs and appointments

Police dispatch window attacked; Livingston officers de‑escalate without injuries after two‑hour standoff

Council approves midyear budget changes, moves Gilton franchise fees amid debate over new administrative charge