Mayor Nieves Bridal and council members heard year-end reports from multiple city departments on operations, staffing and capital projects.

Department leaders summarized 2024 performance and highlighted projects and needs. Billing and collections reported 9,822 work orders completed, 521 new utility accounts and a water‑meter replacement project that is 52% complete; the City Clerk reported handling 155 public‑records requests and managing election materials for 2024; the municipal court detailed 2,740 filings, a 92.97% clearance rate for 2024 cases and recent courtroom audio‑visual and safety upgrades; development services reported 506 new residential permits and nearly 11,000 inspections; economic development described business attraction and grants including two pending $20 million EDA applications and a $60,000 USDA award for small business support; human resources and risk highlighted recruitment successes, training increases and a citywide compensation study; parks and recreation summarized completed pool renovations, event attendance increases for the Fourth of July and Founder’s Day events and ongoing park and facility improvements.

Why it matters: the reports show the pace of growth in San Luis, the operational strains on small departments and several capital or grant‑dependent projects that are timed for the coming year. Council members complimented staff and repeatedly noted that many departments are operating with limited personnel while workload rises.

Highlights and supporting details follow. Billing and collections (presented by the Billing and Collections Manager) said it issued 335 business licenses in 2024 and implemented three online customer forms plus a new payment portal after the prior vendor was not renewed. The water meter replacement program has replaced 2,295 meters and 2,188 meter antennas to date; staff installed two base stations to collect reads.

The City Attorney’s Office (City Attorney Kaye) said the office completed franchise agreement work and litigation related to right‑of‑way acquisitions on Cesar Chavez Boulevard, and that the prosecutor’s office handled 404 new misdemeanors in ten months and is implementing case‑management software. The City Clerk (Sonia, City Clerk) said the office processed 155 public records requests, sent 1,224 business license renewal notices in December and ran a special and general election cycle in 2024 involving three council seats and two ballot propositions.

Municipal Court (Judge Figueroa) reported 11,535 courthouse visits in 2024, 2,740 filings through Nov. 27, 2024, and a high share of self‑represented litigants. The court completed data‑room rewiring required by a 2017 OSHA report, added cameras and wireless routers to support virtual hearings, and plans to update case‑processing procedures and the bond schedule in 2025.

Development Services (presenter from Development Services) said staff opened 176 code‑enforcement cases, issued 506 residential permits and performed 10,951 inspections; the department finalized a parks and trail master plan and completed fee updates and a text amendment to conform rezoning timeframes to state statute.

Economic Development (Economic Development staff) said the city assisted two expanding manufacturers, expects 50 jobs in phase one of one project and 35 jobs at another expansion, secured an EDA grant to extend water and sewer for a private expansion, launched a small‑business accelerator with USDA funds and restarted the Economic Development Commission with seven appointees. Staff reported submitting major grant applications, including two $20 million Community Change grants and an active‑transportation grant for canal trail work.

Human Resources and Risk (Director of Human Resources Adela Cortes; Risk Manager Maria Savory) reported the city’s full‑time headcount rose to 324 (90% of budgeted positions), turnover fell from 15% to about 10.8% in 2024, training hours rose from 290 to 910, and the city completed a comprehensive compensation study with salary adjustments planned for January. Risk said it conducted 69 safety walkthroughs, launched a new hire safety orientation and expanded hazard assessments and safety trainings.

Parks and Recreation (Director Angelica Roland) reported completion of the municipal pool renovation, expanded cultural‑center programming, higher attendance at the July 4 festivities (estimated 10,000–15,000) and the Asado & Brew founders event (6,000–8,000), and ongoing projects including East Community Park infrastructure and procurement of a prefab restroom.

The presentations prompted council recognition of staff workload and requests that council review staffing and budget priorities in the upcoming budget cycle. No formal council actions were taken during the overview presentations.