Taft council adds member at large to Public Works Committee after failed Proposition 218 vote

The Taft City Council voted 4-0 Jan. 21 to adopt a resolution amending the Public Works Committee administrative policy to add a member at large and the city engineer to that committee.

City Manager Craig Jones said the change follows a failed Proposition 218 vote to increase Lighting and Landscape Maintenance District fees and is intended to improve communication with district residents and examine a deficit in the district budget. "Since there was already members of the public and the city council meeting that volunteered and were willing to serve on the ad hoc committee for the purpose of this issue, staff would like to add a member at large to the public works committee along with the city engineer," Jones said.

The resolution also included a CEQA finding that the activity is not a project under the California Environmental Quality Act, citing Section 15060(c)(3) and Section 15378 of the CEQA Guidelines.

Councilmember Kreher moved the resolution; the seconder was not identified in the record. In a roll call recorded by the clerk, Kreher, Councilmember Walter, Councilmember Chavera and Mayor Noor voted yes; Mayor Pro Tem Bryant was absent with notice. Mayor Noor briefly described the decision as a response to repeated voter rejection of the rate increase and expressed support for involving community volunteers on the committee.

Council and staff said the city's standing committee meetings remain open to the public but that adding a member at large would give the committee a voting participant drawn from the community. The motion passed on a 4-0 vote.

The council did not adopt any immediate fee changes; the amendment establishes committee membership and procedures for further study and outreach on the lighting district's budget and voter communication.