GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Monday’s Gridley City Council meeting was short, sweet and to the point.

With a gap in administration left by the departure of Paul Eckert, former City Administrator and City Finance Director, two positions were in immediate need for staffing. Council appointed Gridley-Biggs Police Chief Allen Byers as interim City Administrator and promoted from within, Ms. Elisa Arteaga as acting Finance Director. Arteaga will hold the position for the next 3-4 months and council holds the option of making changes in the position in the future. Both the installation of Byers and Arteaga are expected to result in savings for the city due to reduced salary costs.

Mayor Bruce Johnson presented a proclamation to the 6^th Street Center for Youth in Chico’s program coordinator and youth employment specialist, Mallory Penzotti, declaring the month of November “Homeless and Runaway Youth Month.” According to the proclamation, California has an estimated 200,000 children who are homeless including some 2,000 K-12 students in Butte County alone. Lack of affordable housing due to natural disasters have increased youth homelessness throughout California and 25% of children in foster care will experience homelessness at some point in their lives.

Penzotti thanked the council saying, “On behalf of all the faculty at the center and all the youth we serve, we can’t express how much we appreciate the recognition of national homeless and runaway youth awareness month.”

In other actions, Council adopted a resolution authorizing and designating councilman Ray Borges as commissioner and councilman Zach Torres as first alternate commissioner to vote in the City’s interest in governance agreements associated with the City’s participation in programs, projects and services as a member of the Northern California Power Agency.