Madera council adopts CAPER, approves city-clerk contract changes and routine business

Madera City Council unanimously approved a resolution to adopt and submit the City of Madera—Program Year 2024-25 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development on Sept. 17, 2025.

Grants Administrator Sunica Zuniga presented the CAPER, saying the city—s CDBG allocation for program year 2024-25 was "$989,495," total disbursements for the year were "just over $1,000,000," and that carryover balances and prior-year funds left the city with an available resource pool just over $2.4 million. Zuniga also reported remaining CARES Act COVID funds of approximately "$274,566" and told the council staff will return later this fiscal year with recommendations to repurpose those funds in line with CARES requirements to avoid return to HUD.

The CAPER presentation summarized program outcomes: youth environmental stewardship, human-trafficking victim case management, senior nutrition services and capital projects including sidewalk and curb-ramp work and parking-lot rehabilitation. Zuniga told the council the CAPER had been made available for public review and that no written comments were received during the 15-day comment period.

Councilwoman Mejia pressed staff on CARES funds timing; Zuniga replied the remaining CARES funds must be expended by September 2026 and staff expects to return within weeks with a final accounting and amendment proposal if needed.

After closing the public hearing with no on-the-record comments, the council voted to adopt the CAPER resolution and directed staff to submit the documents to HUD.

The council also approved the consent calendar by a single motion and unanimously approved a sixth amendment to the City Clerk employment agreement. HR representative Eric Battles summarized contract changes to align the clerk—s terms with other negotiated MOUs: a 3% cost-of-living adjustment effective Sept. 6, 2025, a 2% COLA effective June 13, 2026, a tiered longevity schedule (2.5% at 10 years, 5% at 15, 7.5% at 20), Juneteenth as a recognized holiday, replacement of Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day, two retention bonuses of $1,500 (Jan. 2026 and Jan. 2027), and updates to retirement and health-benefit contribution language. Battles provided a two-year fiscal impact estimate during the presentation.

All motions relating to the CAPER, the consent calendar and the clerk contract passed unanimously. The council returned routine administrative direction for proclamation recipients and other items to staff for follow-up.