Votes at a glance: Oakdale council approves entertainment zone, fee updates and interim city manager

Oakdale City Council took several administrative and policy votes on March 3. None of these items required the same level of public hearings as the Sierra Point annexation, but together they shape city operations, event permitting and development funding.

Votes and key details - Entertainment zone for downtown market (Agenda item 10.2) — Approved 5–0. The council adopted an ordinance designating Third Avenue (E to F Street) as an entertainment zone during the Oakdale Morning Market (May–September). The designation allows brick-and-mortar businesses in the zone that already hold California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) licenses to serve alcohol for on-site consumption without a separate weekly ABC catering permit. The ordinance includes limits on container type, requires plastic cups for outdoor service, and gives the police chief authority to modify or suspend the zone if public-safety issues arise. The change reduces administrative burdens on businesses and allows them to preserve limited ABC catering permits for private events.

- Capital facility fee adjustments (Agenda item 10.3) — Approved 5–0. The council adopted a resolution to adjust the city’s capital facility impact fees using an engineering/construction-cost index. The revision applies retroactively to the last several years of index changes (most recent index used: April 2024). Examples in the staff report showed adjusted rates such as a single-family residential per-unit fee moving from $27,926 (2016 base) to approximately $36,764 using cumulative index increases; multifamily and commercial rates were also increased. The city stated the adjustment keeps fee revenue aligned with inflation for water, sewer, storm and streets backbone infrastructure.

- Interim city manager appointment (Agenda item 11.1) — Approved 5–0. The council unanimously approved appointing Police Chief Jerram Amar as interim city manager effective March 7, 2025, and approved a short-term employment agreement that raises his pay to the designated interim manager salary step while he serves. The agreement preserves his police chief position should the council later select a different permanent city manager.

- Consent agenda (multiple items) — Approved 5–0 (consent vote recorded earlier in the meeting). The council accepted the consent agenda with the exclusion and rescheduling of item 9.6. Consent items included routine administrative approvals and a 20-year term airport lease referenced in the staff report.

Context and next steps - Entertainment zone: Staff emphasized the ordinance streamlines ABC compliance and reduces weekly administrative reviews; the police chief will conduct reviews and has authority to impose additional public-safety conditions or suspend the zone if necessary. The council directed staff to monitor impacts and review the zone every two years as required. - Fee adjustments: The capital facility fee increases are intended to ensure future development contribution rates reflect real construction costs; staff expects the adjustments to be collected at the time of building permits or subdivision map approvals and to fund backbone infrastructure required by future development. - Interim management: The city will issue a request for proposals from executive search firms to recruit a permanent city manager; the council will review search proposals and set a timeline for appointment. The interim appointment ensures continuity of administration during the search.

Outcome summary All four items passed on unanimous votes (4–1 dissent on the Sierra Point annexation was recorded separately in that agenda item). Council members indicated they will continue to monitor implementation of the approvals and return to the public for future project-level approvals and financing plans.