HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC_2020-07-14_MinutesPUBLIC COMMENT PROVIDED BY EMAIL
A. CONSENT CALENDAR:
3. Temporary Fee Reduction for the Review of Outdoor Food and
Beverage Installations
SUBMISSION FROM: Maria M. Kelly
From: mmkelly66@gmail.com <mmkelly66@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2020 4:37 PM
To: City Clerk <cityclerk@atascadero.org>
Subject: Public Comment on items on the agenda
Hello Honorable Mayor and Council –
Consent Calendar item A3-
o I support the reduction of fees as a way to promote opportunities to support our
business community.
Management Reports Item C1 & 2
o C1: I support a sales tax and staff’s recommendations 1, 2 & 3
o C2: I support the formation of an oversight committee or some other process to help
keep the community engaged and informed if a tax measure passes
Thank you,
Maria M. Kelly
C. MANAGEMENT REPORTS
1. Sales Tax Ballot Measure
SUBMISSION FROM: Ron Overacker
From: Ron Overacker <ronoveracker@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2020 3:19 PM
To: City Clerk <cityclerk@atascadero.org>
Subject: Council Agenda Item C-1
Atascadero City Council,
My name is Ron Overacker and I am the president of the Atascadero Police Association (APA). I
would first like to commend the council on your leadership in getting this sales tax measure to
vote. Especially in these trying times, it has taken a great deal of courage to fund studies and have
the discussion to get us to tonight.
Although the world has shifted so dramatically since the council first discussed this tax measure, the
need is as strong today as it was when this discussion first began. The Covid pandemic sweeping the
nation, business closures, and a resurgence of the virus is again creating so much uncertainty with
how we conduct our lives and its effect on the community's physical and economic health.
The governor is scheduled to release 8,000 prison inmates due to the pandemic and the 'zero-bail'
policy of issuing criminals citations without taking them to jail will continue until the Governor ends
the state of emergency.
The events in Minneapolis have sparked nationwide protests, riots, and open calls to defund the
institution of policing. However, even closer to home in Paso Robles and Templeton, our officers
bravely answered the call with an active shooter incident that resulted in multiple officers and
deputies being injured. Our officers also raced to assist Paso Robles when a wildfire swept through
their residential community, evacuating residents and helping get them to safety.
Despite all the changes in the world since this tax measure was introduced, the need is reinforced
day after day.
But our agency does not just more bodies; frankly, the professional policing service which this
community has enjoyed is the envy of the nation. Despite the ratio of less than one officer per
thousand, the city still employs professional officers that do their work with dignity and represent
the highest ideals of our profession every single day. In other places, people are demonstrating
(And sometimes rioting) on the city streets, demanding the same professional, compassionate
policing that we here enjoy (And may even take for granted). Many places have lost all hope in
their police departments by demanding that society dismantle and defund the police.
Here in Atascadero, the strong relationship and mutual trust between the public and police is at risk
without passage of this tax measure. Inadequate funding will eventually erode the ability of the
Atascadero Police Department to attract and retain qualified officers. Without additional staffing,
our officers will not be able to protect the community as more and more criminals are on the streets
both through the zero bail and prison release. The public won't feel safe as the city is eventually
overrun with crime.
This tax measure is the best hope of allowing our department to continue with an adequate staffing
pattern and maintain the high levels of professionalism which we have come to enjoy.
This really isn't about the police department. It is about the community, and our ability to maintain
the trust of the people of Atascadero. The national dialogue about policing as an institution should
tell us that we have something special and even enviable. Instead of defunding our police
department, this tax measure will give our agency the necessary resources to maintain the high level
of service and professionalism which we have all come to expect.
Our fire department and infrastructure needs are all similarly circumstanced in their own ways. Our
city has stretched our dollars as far as they can, and the community is worth having a professionally
staffed and trained fire department with modern facilities and equipment. The city's infrastructure is
aging and requires funding to maintain in order to continue the quality services provided by the city.
I am encouraged that this council sees that vision, so I again ask for you to unanimously vote to
place this sales tax measure on the ballot.
Sincerely,
Ron Overacker, President
Atascadero Police Association
SUBMISSION FROM: Grigger Jones
From: Robert M Jones <grigger@robertmjones.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2020 4:06 PM
To: Ron Overacker <ronoveracker@gmail.com>; Brandon Roberts <broberts@atascadero.org>; Tess
Ramirez <tramirez@atascadero.org>; Robert M Jones <grigger@robertmjones.com>
Subject: RE: Council Agenda Item C-1
Dear City council members
I Heartedly concur with the salient and articulate comments of Officer Overacker.
As your previous polling indicates pre-Covid, our Atascadero residents understand that we need
financially healthy departments for our first responders.
I urge you to unanimously vote to place this measure on the ballot.
Grigger Jones
SUBMISSION FROM: Ron De Carli
From: Ron DeCarli <rondecarli@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2020 5:02 PM
To: City Clerk <cityclerk@atascadero.org>
Subject: Agenda item # C-1, Sales Tax Ballot Measure
Honorable Mayor and Councilmembers,
My name is Ron DeCarli. I reside at 9270 Barranco Road in Atascadero.
I want to thank the Council for unanimously voting to consider pacing this item on the ballot for the
November election. It takes a lot of courage to consider placing a tax measure during these trying
times.
I strongly urge your council to support the staff recommendation as stated and continue the steps
necessary to place this on the ballot.
Please give the voters an opportunity to vote on this measure.
Your staff report clearly identifies the need and rationale.
Thank you
Ron De Carli
SUBMISSION FROM: Maria M. Kelly
From: mmkelly66@gmail.com <mmkelly66@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2020 4:37 PM
To: City Clerk <cityclerk@atascadero.org>
Subject: Public Comment on items on the agenda
Hello Honorable Mayor and Council –
Consent Calendar item A3-
o I support the reduction of fees as a way to promote opportunities to support our
business community.
Management Reports Item C1 & 2
o C1: I support a sales tax and staff’s recommendations 1, 2 & 3
o C2: I support the formation of an oversight committee or some other process to help
keep the community engaged and informed if a tax measure passes
Thank you,
Maria M. Kelly
SUBMISSION FROM: Brandon Roberts
From: Brandon Roberts <broberts@atascadero.org>
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2020 4:51 PM
To: City Clerk <cityclerk@atascadero.org>
Subject: City Council Agenda Item C-1
For comment on agenda item C-1. Thank you!
Brandon Roberts
Atascadero City Council,
My name is Brandon Roberts and I am the president of the Atascadero Professional Firefighters
Local 3600. I would like to start off by thanking and commending the council on continuing to move
this tax measure to a vote this evening.
As we have all witnessed, our nation is in unprecedented times in response to COVID-19, however,
the need for this tax measure is still as great as when discussions first began. As we are entering a
resurgence of cases on the Central Coast and the state, we must continue to provide for our
community at the same, if not higher level than before; our community and citizens deserve that.
This tax measure is our best hope to solidify that level of service into the future, not just within our
fire department but across all departments within the city.
Our department prides itself on having the highest level of professionalism and providing the
highest level of service and care to the community we love. As we see our call volume rise, we strive
to continue to meet the needs of our city with what we currently have, however, we acknowledge
that as those needs rise so too will the stress on our existing budget and abilities to respond.
Additional funding made available through this tax measure would allow our department to replace
aging infrastructure, and equipment, as well as provide the personnel needed to respond to our
citizens when they call in their time of need. Enhancing our ability to respond to our neighbors, and
community is a must if we want to continue to have the trust of our residents and to be there for
them when they call, no matter what the circumstance.
We pride ourselves on our relationship with our fellow City personnel as well, and feel the loss when
we are unable to retain those valued members. Our community deserves a professional police
department that can respond to the increase in call volume that they too are seeing. Additional
staffing and retention of personnel would allow our officers to continue to have the trust of our
residents and provide the protection our community enjoys and expects. The funding from the tax
measure would greatly aid in their ability to provide compassionate policing that has been in the
news daily for the last few months.
As a whole, our city’s infrastructure is aging and will need to be improved to continue the quality of
life we currently have. The tax measure that is being put to a vote tonight would be a major step in
the right direction to those necessary improvements.
I commend our city manager and finance department for their ability to utilize our current funding
to the maximum benefit of our city and community. I also applaud our city leadership in leading us
through this challenging pandemic while continuing to provide the services our residents deserve.
I would again like to thank our council members for their vision of a better future for Atascadero. As
a lifetime resident of the city, and the president of your Atascadero Professional Firefighters, I ask
you to please unanimously vote to place this sales tax measure on the ballot.
Sincerely,
Brandon Roberts
Atascadero Professional Firefighters, Local 3600
2. Consideration of Oversight Options for the Proposed 2020
Essential Services Transactions and Use Tax Measure
SUBMISSION FROM: Courtney Haile
From: RACE Matters SLO <race.matters.slo@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2020 5:10 PM
To: City Clerk <cityclerk@atascadero.org>
Subject: Re: Comment on item C2, Management Report, Oversight Options
Good evening Mayor and Council,
We know you are reviewing a Ballot measure for November; and we hope that you will review your
options for oversight and implementation of funding through a lens of diversity, equity and
inclusion. If this ballot measure is to pass in November, we encourage the Council to take a
deliberate and sustained process involving community oversight that supports an overt public
dialogue. As you implement this oversight, please involve the creation of an advisory group, task
force, or the like in the process regarding police funding and staffing that will work together with
public safety professionals to hear multiple perspectives, consider creative options, and make sure
that issues of racial equity and social justice are considered in crafting how we improve public safety
services in the Atascadero community. We believe this will be a powerful and important step for all
involved and bring greater understanding, collaboration and effective sustained support for both
community and city law enforcement.
Thank you for your consideration and your commitment to serve your community. We look forward
to further collaboration.
Courtney Haile, on behalf of R.A.C.E Matters
SUBMISSION FROM: Maria M. Kelly
From: mmkelly66@gmail.com <mmkelly66@gmail.com>
Sent: Tuesday, July 14, 2020 4:37 PM
To: City Clerk <cityclerk@atascadero.org>
Subject: Public Comment on items on the agenda
Hello Honorable Mayor and Council –
Consent Calendar item A3-
o I support the reduction of fees as a way to promote opportunities to support our
business community.
Management Reports Item C1 & 2
o C1: I support a sales tax and staff’s recommendations 1, 2 & 3
o C2: I support the formation of an oversight committee or some other process to
help keep the community engaged and informed if a tax measure passes
Thank you,
Maria M. Kelly