[{"_1":2,"_97":-5,"_98":-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",[32,74,85],{"_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":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6749610,"mediaKeyId","3206669-a16ac99da029a917d71b8e682d78754a","parentId",3206669,"title","Willows City council narrows priorities to 2'23-year work plan, focuses on reserves, business support and public safety","audioSeconds",2165,"startMs",687000,"endMs",2852000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206669-a16ac99da029a917d71b8e682d78754a&start=687&end=2852","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206669-a16ac99da029a917d71b8e682d78754a/thumbnail_687000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6749610/Willows-City/Glenn-County/California/Willows-City-council-narrows-priorities-to-223-year-work-plan-focuses-on-reserves-business-support-and-public-safety","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6749610-4166485ca69f1a80706019786ae5bae6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445668&Signature=NN9UqqumIXZTvEbLp3~SYBps9fHdb3w3P82-EguGOBsQA~6lNR9OVUSaAHFHZTDRuUfkToWgpRG-CE8dFknYPQrtfsrgRER9KiaPhPSWUH9yXrC4lz4Wcp7Wi2OzLvwGzMR6COuY~uhrHl9siEgxRG8oN~5VMuoe91-NA01TB2liXwS~V6HEDTxDiPx4UYnG77Qqj8bcRiw6Wtf4QDeXwp4JCukvXfVRQM2AyFSCn7fKPKQzMwNi~cjrGxhEyNYp6DiD4oAGuSvVxsJZpdeWb62Q0CLgLXwz-w5ZYtyi-5WJTby9fBt1g91q2aiRCKinxyfDSV3tW9PzoZgROTdA3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-07T00:06:24Z","article","Willows City council met for a priorities and visioning workshop and directed staff to convert the 2024 priorities into a focused 24'36-month work plan. City Manager Marty and facilitator Giovanni Triceri of RIA Collaborations reviewed last year's outcomes and presented a revised, red-line draft for council feedback.

The council emphasized financial stability as the overarching objective. City Manager Marty presented Measure I sales-tax projections and the short-term budget picture, reporting projected sales-tax revenue of about $1,900,000 in a full fiscal year and noting a near-term structural deficit and forecasted erosion of reserves if current spending continues. Council members asked staff to establish a minimum general-fund replenishment floor (examples discussed included $100,000 per year) and to separate one-time capital items from ongoing personnel costs when prioritizing new positions.

Economic development and business support surfaced as an immediate operational priority. Council members favored creating a single point of contact at city hall to assist prospective and existing businesses, improving counter intake and follow-up, and using a redesigned city website to showcase tourism assets and simplify permitting. Staff noted that existing capacity constraints make hiring a dedicated economic-development officer unlikely in the near term; cross-training and clearer intake procedures were proposed as near-term steps.

Public safety remained a major focus. The council discussed replacing Engine 2, right-sizing fire services to Advanced Life Support (ALS) capabilities, and the long-term costs of establishing a Willows police department. Several council members instructed staff to pursue a practical sequencing of actions that preserves public safety while protecting reserves; staff recommended exploring a multi-year extension of the current sheriff contract to allow time for planning and budgeting.

Council members also raised grant strategy and asset-replacement planning. Staff warned that citywide grant-seeking is uneven because of limited bandwidth, while fire department grant cycles tend to be more regular. The council asked staff to include an apparatus/equipment reserve approach in the work plan and to consider dedicating strike-team/apparatus rental revenue to equipment replacement rather than general operations.

As a next step, facilitator Giovanni and city staff will consolidate the workshop notes and return with a final presentation and a fleshed-out staff work plan that spells out the proposed \"what\" (priorities and sequencing) and the \"how\" (staff steps, timing and estimated costs). The council also asked that the revised priorities document show status for each item (completed, in progress, priority) to improve transparency. No formal votes or ordinances were taken at the workshop.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","May 5, 2025 City Council Special Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Willows City council met for a priorities and visioning workshop and directed staff to convert the 2024 priorities into a focused 24'36-month work plan.","taxTitle","Willows City, Glenn County, California","taxId",71416,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":78,"_47":79,"_49":80,"_51":81,"_53":82,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":83,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":84,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6749600,"Willows council prioritizes business point of contact, website overhaul and realistic grant strategy",0,1712000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206669-a16ac99da029a917d71b8e682d78754a&start=1712&end=1712","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206669-a16ac99da029a917d71b8e682d78754a/thumbnail_1712000.jpg","/articles/6749600/Willows-City/Glenn-County/California/Willows-council-prioritizes-business-point-of-contact-website-overhaul-and-realistic-grant-strategy","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6749600-0368a1c2b60f9d89d040cceca5ff13a3/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445668&Signature=ojd5yeJK~3H-wMBrXISKNmrZlyKOW-HAoeADI8J3cFcSxkzbXW1AN4oSvg63xeozV941MhdyqkN3j4a5x6AqpvaFQjqeb7b-Q9MMXmNz9Kgp~1NTrEAWMHegSnWVaO7y1VgJmSL7xApgfyIZyEZP1dqtQEP~7530PICWmyrEixkZEayrrLGZiWAN4oishCCzdZyLBLOWWf73Px0CsCYl7zuVax7OgIgWuP5-EEdDpNMGlGKqTTs7zudlEY6RnbkNiScDS5QuETWj1prPoAtQtzHN-7nHhTojaaCiI9h5xxE~RmxdK1TM432pN-1Zl2rSZq21H0Fw0ep4bDKXTC2pZQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilors prioritized improving the business experience at city hall and using the city website as a low-cost economic-development tool. Members said a single point of contact or intake process at the public counter would reduce confusion for applicants, improve follow-up and help retain and expand local businesses. Several councilors suggested cross-training existing staff and piloting an intake process rather than immediately hiring an economic-development officer.

The council also backed a website overhaul that would serve both functional needs (permits, forms) and promotional needs (tourism highlights, museum and refuge information). Staff described website updates as an achievable 2'23-year goal.

On grants, staff and the fire chief noted different disciplines have different grant rhythms: some fire-related grants recur regularly and are well publicized, while many city-hall grants are episodic and require more research and reporting capacity. Council asked staff to include a realistic grant calendar and capacity assessment in the work plan and to identify near-term, low-effort grant opportunities where appropriate.

The council did not commit to hiring new economic-development personnel in the immediate budget cycle, citing housing and recruitment constraints; instead it asked staff to identify low-cost steps (process mapping, intake forms, cross-training and website changes) that can improve business support quickly.","Council asked staff to create a business intake/concierge process, improve the city website to highlight tourism and local assets, and to develop a realistic grant calendar that accounts for limited staff capacity.",{"_33":86,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":87,"_41":88,"_43":89,"_45":90,"_47":91,"_49":92,"_51":93,"_53":94,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":95,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":96,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6749605,"Willows council discusses Engine 2 replacement, ALS capability and long-term costs of starting a city police department",1502,3386000,4888000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3206669-a16ac99da029a917d71b8e682d78754a&start=3386&end=4888","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3206669-a16ac99da029a917d71b8e682d78754a/thumbnail_3386000.jpg","/articles/6749605/Willows-City/Glenn-County/California/Willows-council-discusses-Engine-2-replacement-ALS-capability-and-long-term-costs-of-starting-a-city-police-department","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6749605-f4914eb084fe48ffd025986b82619ab0/orig.mp4?Expires=1770445668&Signature=LABBsQQBYdxGALBXWIWPcyDqdQKAstWcR9v-usYgfKOAS8~V8p9kyIcZXvmG12Vpgm9Now9Eg0UVijHSPtgT13qRG7P4qw9Ds3RB2eE6blfNP6TgFnZj7j~XL~c9AqBfT1nEToukxWu00vzTkaZ~QFVEoyUhLzPniyzpjhPqVr0i4ogZWxLW2OuRMnT3QTy22pkSQabooO92HLZUSGnuTc~7gOFi1kSOZNaez7gKEThv580161EbvUFMMfGec2LMZiRbW9zOjUOwYPIzssPeM3kWOCs4jj9acI7qqh8YUVkDP3SklVn6TuAONQElKapBZcz4QiKY0GKfHNQWHJgjYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Willows City council devoted a large portion of its priorities workshop to public-safety planning, raising near-term capital needs and the long-term cost of establishing a municipal police department.

Fire department needs were front and center: council members and staff agreed Engine 2 requires replacement and discussed an asset-replacement approach that would set aside funds over time. City staff noted a $250,000 budget allocation already identified toward Engine 2; council members asked staff to prepare an apparatus reserve proposal and to explore dedicating strike-team/apparatus rental revenue to that reserve so equipment wear is funded by equipment use rather than general operations.

Council members pressed on emergency medical services capability. The discussion distinguished having paramedic-qualified personnel from the formal ALS authorization of units and protocols; staff and the fire chief explained that achieving full ALS service would require protocol approvals and potentially new operational arrangements and funding. Council members said their priority is to sequence achievable steps over 24'36 months instead of committing to immediate full ALS conversion.

On law enforcement, councilors discussed the capital and startup costs for a local police department compared with continuing a contract with the county sheriff's office. Several council members noted the startup costs would draw heavily on Measure I revenues and would require multi-year budgeting; staff recommended pursuing a 2-year extension of the current sheriff contract to allow planning time, staffing analysis and a clear cost estimate before any definitive decision.

No formal decision to form a police department was taken at the workshop. The council asked staff to include public-safety sequencing, cost estimates and reserve options in the work plan to present during the FY26 budget process.","Council prioritized short-term sequencing for public safety, recommending staff examine equipment reserves and consider a multi-year extension of the sheriff's contract to allow planning time for a possible Willows police department and ALS implementation.","actionData","errors"]

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Willows City council narrows priorities to 2'23-year work plan, focuses on reserves, business support and public safety

Willows council prioritizes business point of contact, website overhaul and realistic grant strategy

Willows council discusses Engine 2 replacement, ALS capability and long-term costs of starting a city police department