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Sanger officials outline consultant contract review, towing policy and community immersion training
Summary
City staff told the council Jan. 15 they are auditing consultant contracts after a CSG agreement exceeded the city manager’s authority; police reviewed towing practices governed by CHP tow agreements and described a new community immersion orientation for officers.
City staff and department chiefs gave updates at the Jan. 15 Sanger City Council meeting on consultant contracts, towing practices and community engagement training.
Dr. Joshua Goggins, the city’s new community development director, described an audit of third‑party contracts and said the CSG consultant contract exceeded the city manager’s spending authority, which is why the item came before council. He said staff plans to consolidate consultant services where useful and tighten future contract amounts to keep recurring costs within administrative spending limits. “My aim is to make sure that our money is being spent wisely and that we’re not just writing checks to anybody and everybody,” Goggins said. Council members noted the budget amendment could reach six figures depending on billed hours; staff said the contract is billed for hours actually worked and future agreements will be scoped to be more targeted.
Chief of Police John Reynolds updated council on towing protocols. Reynolds said the department follows the California Highway Patrol rotational tow service agreement, which sets rate caps and storage practices for participating tow companies. He said residents who believe they were overcharged or mistreated should file complaints with the Sanger Police Department so staff can investigate and, if warranted, report findings to CHP for possible removal of a tow company from the rotation. “If there is a tow practice that somebody believes they are being victimized in some way, then they do need to come to the Sanger Police Department and our traffic unit will go investigate,” Reynolds said. He added the department averaged about 17 vehicles stored over the last three months (fewer than six per month on average) and that some tows result from arrests or unlicensed drivers.
Reynolds also described a community immersion training pilot launched Dec. 4 that pairs new officers with city leaders, business owners and community members to provide local history and stronger community ties; the program is largely volunteer‑driven and cost the city only a modest lunch expense so far.
City staff also reported Parks & Recreation and finance updates including planning for Blossom Trail events in March, more than 660 signups for the March 7 run, and ongoing audits for Measure C, TDA and Measure S. Staff said pothole repairs and graffiti cleanup are handled in‑house and encouraged residents to report issues through the city’s Ask Sanger web portal.
