City manager outlines Safe Routes walk audits, senior center repairs, police recruitment and ARPA planning

The city manager provided a multi-topic report covering personnel matters, recruitment, grant work and infrastructure priorities.

On personnel and recruitment, the city manager said three personnel evaluations are underway and staff are actively recruiting police officers; a lateral candidate is in background and the city will conduct written and physical-agility tests in early November.

On Safe Routes to School, staff said the city is participating in a grant with the school district and will perform walk audits at multiple school-adjacent locations to observe dismissal behaviors and identify sidewalk and crossing needs. "One of those is called a walk audit... we'll be conducting those audits at each one of the three schools," the city manager said.

The manager also reported insurance had approved re-roofing the senior center after ember damage, and noted work to address an electrical panel issue raised by the senior-center board. On traffic, staff tested speed issues on a complaint street and found limited speeding during a 45-minute observation.

Finally, the manager reminded council of available ARPA funds and asked council to consider forming or using an existing committee to recommend how roughly $800,000 in funding might be obligated, noting many allowable uses focus on infrastructure. Councilors discussed using the infrastructure committee to develop recommendations.

Staff will return with schedules for walk audits, recruitment timelines, and recommendations for ARPA prioritization as those items progress.