GRIDLEY, CA (MPG) - Gridley City Council had a busy regular meeting on May 5. 

First, the results of the 2023 and 2024 financial audit were presented to the council by Gridley Financial Director Martin Pineda and independent auditor Sheldon Chavan, attending remotely.

Chavan recognized that Gridley followed recommendations made in previous audits to eliminate funds with negative cash balances by determining the causes and fixing the problems.

Funds with negative cash balances were reduced from 38 in 2022 to five in 2024, “which is a terrific improvement, just closing and cleaning up those funds,” Chavan said.

The overall governmental fund balance was $11.8 million, after obligations were accounted for.

Councilmember Catalina Sanchez had questions about the funding of salaries and unfunded pension liabilities. 

“It’s a huge concern. It’s going to continue to rise. We’ve been meeting with CalPERS (California Public Employees Retirement System) many times,” City Administrator Elisa Arteaga said. “All the cities are dealing with it. We’ve had a wage study done. That’s key as we move forward into labor negotiations. It is something we are taking very seriously.”

In addition, Sanchez floated the idea of increasing sales tax to bring in additional revenue. 

Continuing on, the State Route 99 Waterline Relocation project is nearing completion and came in $107,000 under budget. City engineer Dave Harden recapped some of the project’s challenges, particularly the Pacific Gas and Electric Company project conflict. Mayor Mike Farr said that the project staff deserved a shout-out for saving the city $107,000. The council approved the submission of the notice of completion to the Butte County Recorder’s Office. 

CAL FIRE (California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection) Chief Chip Fowler, along with Captains Spencer Mallinger and Nick Birdman, then presented the 2025 Butte County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The plan came about as a result of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act in 2003. 

“It’s a collaborative effort countywide to identify and prioritize hazardous fuel reduction projects, as well as address and reduce structure ignitability of our homes, primarily in our wildland areas,” Fowler said.

The 477-page plan is reviewed annually by the Board of Forestry and CAL FIRE representatives in Sacramento, the CAL FIRE regional office in Redding and local CAL FIRE leadership. The plan makes the county eligible for project grant funding, such as fire prevention education, tree trimming, weed abatement and removing debris from ditches and retention ponds. 

Councilmember Sanchez enquired about maintenance of fire hydrants. According to Fowler, the goal is to inspect and/or repair hydrants yearly. 

The council voted unanimously to adopt the County Community Wildfire Protection Plan. 

Public Works Director Ross Pippitt described the parking situation at the south end of Washington Street, with a proposal to paint space lines. Mayor Farr referred to the current situation there as a “free-for-all.” All councilmembers agreed to go ahead with the painting project. 

Councilmember J. Angel Calderon reported on the Substance Abuse Prevention Forum on April 29 that he put together. Calderon is also working on a Suicide Awareness and Prevention event during the “Day of the Dead” celebration this November. Butte County has the highest suicide rate per capita in the state, it was reported. 

Farr reported on the Northern California Power Agency Policy Conference that he attended with Biggs Mayor Bo Sheppard in Washington, D.C. The conference’s main topic was the implementation of hydrogen instead of natural gas. 

Fire Chief Fowler reported on a Gridley fire that recently occurred in a duplex on Ohio Street. The fire was contained with minor smoke damage to the adjacent structure.

Upcoming events include the Fishing Day at Graylodge on May 10 and Red Suspenders Day on May 17.