The Live Oak City Council presented a proclamation to the Live Oak Lions, the 2025 Northern California 10-12 Softball State Champions. Photo courtesy of the City of Live Oak 

LIVE OAK, CA (MPG) - At the Sept. 17 meeting, the Live Oak City Council honored the Live Oak Lions as the 2025 Northern California 10-12 Softball State Champions. Mayor Jeramy Chapdelaine read the proclamation, praising the team’s “extraordinary athletic skill, determination and teamwork.” 

The Live Oak Lions achieved an undefeated record of 13-0 during their regular season and went on to win the California District 2 Major Softball Tournament of Champions with a perfect 4-0 record. 

“This team’s accomplishments mark historic milestones for the City of Live Oak, as the first 10-12 Softball Team to win the Tournament of Champions, District, Section, and State titles,” read Chapdelaine. 

The City of Live Oak commended the athletes, Juliana Robles, Eveya Martinez, Mackenzie Bole, Athena Hough, Adelina Tapia, Sofia Rivera, Riley Perigo, Charlotte Dudek, Alleyah Palacio, Yuritzi Garcia and Delilah Smith, as well as the dedicated coaching staff, “for their historic season, their dedication to excellence, and their inspiration to our community.”

Councilmember Bob Woten said, “You are a very special group of young ladies. We’re very proud of you.”

Vice Mayor Aaron Pamma said, “It’s really amazing to see young girls compete at a high level and reach the stage that you did.”

Councilmember Nancy Santana said, “You are really amazing skilled athletes, and it takes a whole tribe to make this happen.”

Mayor Chapdelaine said, “We look forward to seeing what you do next year.” 

Then City Manager Ben Moody presented a recommendation for updating the job description and amending the salary schedule for a full-time in-house finance director. 

Since 2014, the finance director position has been filled through consultant contracts. The current contract is expiring soon, and a recent Request for Proposals (RFP) resulted in several applications ranging from $220,000–$250,000 for approximately 1,000 hours of work annually. But Moody said hiring a staff member to fill this role instead would provide cost savings over time and would provide a higher value to the city. 

He recommended an annual salary range of $110,000 to $150,000, with up to 40% additional to cover the benefits package. At the highest possible range, the total salary and benefits could be $210,000 annually, with an average of 2,000 service hours. As department head, the finance director would oversee the finance team and report directly to the city manager. 

Moody requested an amendment to the current budget and a supplemental appropriation of $100,000 to fund the position this year, with that amount allocated across various city funds. 

Councilmember Santana liked the idea of having a local employee, but she said, “My concern is, I’d like to know the salary range. It sounded like there were different numbers going on.” 

Moody re-explained the stated salary range, from $110,000 to $150,000, with an additional benefits package. The actual salary and benefits would be negotiated within that range depending on the candidate’s level of experience. 

“I’m looking at it as a long-term cost savings in addition to a cultural change for the city,” said Moody. 

Santana then said she was worried about the funding for the position coming from multiple funds, since water rates were just raised for residents. Moody explained that the finance director is always paid across multiple funds, because the job involves overseeing all those funds: “We do an allocation based on that percentage of time.” 

Mayor Chapdelaine said he appreciated the possible cost savings in addition to the benefit of “having somebody in here every day, on the staff every day, working with everyone.” 

During public comment, one resident cautioned that the percentage necessary to cover a benefits package might be higher than estimated: “Those costs are skyrocketing.”

Vice Mayor Pamma said hiring a full-time, in-house finance director “improves the quality of service. I think it’s a huge value to add that position.” 

The council approved the recommendation 4-0, with Councilmember Ashley Hernandez absent. 

Moody also recommended updating the salary schedule for an assistant planner, along with a $25,000 funding transfer from permanent community development salaries to the extra help designation for this part-time position. 

Recently the city’s associate planner left the position, and Moody said the “planning function is needed.” He didn’t want to move it to an external consultant position, instead preferring a part-time position right now “as we work to reestablish the community development department.”

The council voted 4-0 to approve the recommendation.   

Finally, the council considered the creation of a part-time code enforcement officer position, with Moody proposing an hourly salary range of $24.63–$32.10 for classification I and $27.37–$35.67 for classification II, depending on the candidate’s experience level. As a part-time position, the annual hours would not exceed 960, and no benefits package would be offered. 

Moody requested approval to begin recruitment for this position, as well as a budget transfer of $25,000 from the permanent community development salaries to the extra help section of the building department salaries to cover the initial cost. 

Moody said, “We really need someone designated to that role and there’s a need.”

He said the city needs someone specifically focused on addressing blight and other code violations. 

Councilmember Santana said, “I feel it’s much needed in the city,” but she thought the salary seemed low considering “it can be a dangerous job.” She suggested they would get more applicants with a more competitive salary. 

Moody said they have already received interest in a possible code enforcement position, mainly from retired police or code enforcement officers. With their experience level, Moody said they would come in at the top of the salary range, which is aligned with regional averages. 

Santana asked if the officer would be licensed to carry a weapon, since the position carries the risk of confrontation. Moody said they could carry pepper spray or other non-lethal weapons, but not firearms: “The goal is for voluntary compliance, not to get into confrontation.” He added that local law enforcement would provide support if there were any safety concerns. 

Mayor Chapdelaine said the city is actively working to promote community development, and code violations “detract from those efforts,” so having a dedicated code enforcement officer would be a great benefit. 

The council voted 4-0 to approve the position. 

The next meeting of the Live Oak City Council is scheduled for Oct. 1.