Council reviews financial reports, discusses EMS funding gap and upcoming water levy pass‑through

City finance staff presented the operational budget and the auditors’ follow‑up; staff recommended moving regular council meetings to the second week of each month so financial reports are complete at the time of the meeting. Council agreed to move meetings to the second week beginning in January 2026 to ensure timely financial reporting.

Council members discussed ambulance/EMS funding for the Central Valley Special Service District (CVSSD). Staff reported mineral‑lease revenues that historically supported EMS are effectively zero this year and CVSSD projects a funding gap of approximately $350,000 for 2026. Council discussed whether to increase municipal support and noted the CVSSD was considering raising the share of b and c road funds used for chip seal projects to free other funds for EMS; further action and county participation may be required.

Separately, the state has required SSDs to pass a small per‑connection fee to cover state program costs (roughly $0.40 per connection); the CVSSD plans a public hearing later in the month with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026, and the city expects to bring a local implementation/notice item to council in December. Council discussed the budgetary impact of the SSD pass‑through and the possibility of adjusting local rates to avoid absorbing the full amount of the new charge.