Votes at a glance: Council approves consent calendar, crosswalk contract, fee ordinance introduction, Chamber agreement and a long-duration special events Exem

At its April 8 meeting the Calistoga City Council approved multiple routine and nonroutine items that affect capital work, development processing and special events. A summary of each formal action and outcome follows.

Votes at a glance

- Consent calendar (items 6.1–6.5 excluding 6.3): Motion to adopt the consent calendar carried by voice vote after Mayor Williams moved and Councilmember Eisenberg seconded; council announced the motion passed. (Agenda item 6.1–6.5; 6.3 was pulled for separate consideration.)

- Item 6.3 — Bridal Crosswalk construction contract: The council approved awarding the Bridal Crosswalk construction contract to Rapid Grading Services LLC (Public Works Department). Vice Mayor Lopez Ortega moved to approve the contract; the mayor seconded; the motion passed by voice vote. (Agenda item 6.3 — contractor Rapid Grading Services LLC.)

- Item 7.1 — Introduction and first-reading waiver of ordinance amending Chapters 16 and 17 regarding cost-recovery fees: Councilmember Eisenberg moved to introduce the ordinance and waive first reading; Vice Mayor Lopez Ortega seconded. The ordinance introduction passed on a roll-call vote: Eisenberg, Cooper, Lopez Ortega and Mayor Williams voted aye; Councilmember Gift was absent. (Agenda item 7.1 — amends municipal code Chapters 16 & 17.)

- Item 8.1 — Resolution authorizing execution of a five-year professional services agreement renewal with the Calistoga Chamber of Commerce for destination marketing and promotional services: Motion moved by Vice Mayor Lopez Ortega and seconded by Councilmember Eisenberg. The resolution passed by roll call vote: Eisenberg, Cooper, Lopez Ortega and Mayor Williams voted aye; Councilmember Gift absent. Year one compensation was presented as $566,496; years two through five are subject to a TOT-based true-up with a 3% annual cap and a 60-day city termination clause. (Agenda item 8.1.)

- Item 8.2 — Exemption to special-event duration limits for "Symphony of Flowers" at the former Calistoga Mineral Water bottling site (865 Silverado Trail): Council granted an exemption to the municipal code’s six-day special-event duration limit, allowing the event to run for 115 consecutive days beginning May 9 through Aug. 31, contingent on submission of required plans and materials and reimbursing any city services (traffic control, public safety staffing) as invoiced. Motion to approve the exemption was made by Vice Mayor Lopez Ortega and seconded by Councilmember Eisenberg. Roll-call vote: Eisenberg, Cooper, Lopez Ortega and Mayor Williams voted aye; Councilmember Gift absent.

Procedural notes

- Several votes were recorded by roll call (ordinance introduction, Chamber resolution, special-event exemption). The consent calendar and the Bridal Crosswalk contract were approved by voice vote.

- Where roll-call votes are shown, the transcript recorded the votes as follows: Councilmember Eisenberg (aye), Councilmember Cooper (aye), Vice Mayor Lopez Ortega (aye) and Mayor Williams (aye); Councilmember Gift was absent for those roll-call votes.

The council’s approvals will be implemented by city staff: the crosswalk contract will be administered by Public Works, the ordinance will return through final readings and codification steps, the chamber agreement will be finalized and executed by the city manager’s office, and the special-event permit will be issued only after the applicant submits required plans and pays or reimburses applicable city expenses.