1. Conference with Labor Negotiator
(Government Code Section 54957.6)
Agency Negotiator: City Manager Jose Antonio Ramirez
Employee Organizations: All Represented and Unrepresented City Employees.
Excerpted from Closed Session: October 18, 2011 City Council Meeting Agenda (Which was Canceled by the way-the Closed Session Part)
Have you noticed how Closed Sessions about Negotiating with the Employee Organizations are getting canceled: almost on a regular basis?
hmmmmm..….More on that later..but first let’s check into Delta Bravo Sierra Land.
Where will this little adventure end? You never know when it’s Delta Bravo Sierra Land!
There’s Strange..and then there’s Army Strange: courtesy of Damon Shackelford: furious scribbler of military cartoons. {He’s on Facebook too! and even has his own Comic Book!!!}
![clip_image004[5]](https://thegardeningsnail.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/clip_image0045.png?w=200&h=407 "clip_image004[5]")
Help Give the Lil Guys and Gals and even better place to play!
In 2006 the city purchased the storm drain basin (4 lots) next to the park and filled it in with the intent of making it a park to service the ball park participants and their families. Since then, Lil Guys and Gals field has been a ball park used for many years by the residents of Livingston.
The Recreation Commission determined in 2011 to take on the park as a project. The commission wanted to involve the community and let them help bring this project to reality. By purchasing a stepping stone the community not only provides the financing for the park, but in turn places a personal monument in the park for years to come.
Stones will be sold until there are enough sales to cover the completion of the park. The Commission’s goal is Summer of 2012.
Once you have purchased a stone you will be called by the Recreation Department for an appointment to make/create your stone.
If you are interested in creating a Memorial Stone and/or participating in one of the many work days that will take place to upgrade the park, call the Recreation Office at 394-8830 for more information.
And Don’t forget that Tri-Tip Dinner! Proceeds go to help the Park!
Breakfast with the VFW
The Livingston/Delhi Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary Breakfast will be served on October 30, 2011, at the Livingston Veterans Memorial Hall, located at 1605 7th Street, in Livingston. Adults can eat for $6.00, and the children under 12 for eat for $4.00. Breakfast consists of Pancakes, French Toast or Biscuits and Gravy; served with Eggs cooked to order, Hash Browns, Sausage or Ham and Coffee and Juice. Breakfast will be served from 8 am to 12 pm.
Ladies Auxiliary Rummage Sale
The next Ladies Auxiliary Rummage Sale will be held November 30 and December 1-2 , 2011. If you have anything to donate contact Denis or Sue Wells and let us know where and when you would like someone to pick the items up.
VETERANS DAY PARADE This November in Livingston
Mark your calendar! The Livingston/Delhi Veterans of Foreign Wars #8327 and Ladies Auxiliary will be hosting the Annual Veterans Day Parade in the City of Livingston on November 11, 2011, at 11:00 am.
If you wish to have an entry in the parade, for an entry form contact Denis Wells at (209) 394-2059..
VOICE OF DEMOCRACY CONTEST
Are you a 9th through 12th grade student?
Could you use a scholarship of up to $30,000 from the Veterans of Foreign Wars?
The Voice of Democracy Contest is an Audio Essay contest that gives the students who are enrolled in the 9th through 12th grade in a public, private or parochial school, or home study program, (excluding foreign exchange students, students older than 19 years, and former State Voice of Democracy winners) the opportunity to express their opinion in a three to five minute audio (cassette tape or CD) on the theme, ‘Is There Pride In Serving In Our Military?’.
The first place winner at the local level (Livingston VFW) will be awarded $100, a ‘Liberty Jacket’ and a certificate: Second Place $75.00 and a Certificate, Third Place, $50.00 and a Certificate. All entries receive a Certificate of Participation.
From the local level the winners will move on to District, State and then National, and there are prizes at each level.
The national first-place winner receives a $30,000 scholarship paid directly to the recipient’s American university, college or vocational/technical school. Other national scholarships range from $1,000- $16,000 and the first-place winner from each (State) VFW Department wins an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C.
Essay and entry forms are due to the Post Commander, Denis Wells, no later than November 1, 2011.
Complete rules and entry forms can be obtained from Denis or Sue Wells at 394-2059 or at www.vfw.org.
PATRIOT’S PEN CONTEST
The Patriot’s Pen Essay contest gives students who are enrolled in the 6th, 7th and 8th grades, in public, private, parochial school or home study program, the opportunity to express their opinion in a written essay of 300 to 400 words, on the patriotic theme ‘Are You Proud of Your Country?”.
The first place winner at the local level (Livingston VFW) will be awarded $100, a ‘Liberty Jacket’ and a certificate: Second Place $75.00 and a Certificate, Third Place, $50.00 and a Certificate. All entries receive a Certificate of Participation.
From the local level the winners will move on to District, State and then National, and prizes are awarded at all levels.
Annually, roughly 112,000, students from grades 6-8, enter to win one of several savings bonds totaling $1.2 million, as well as an all-expense-paid trip to Washington, D.C. for the National first place winner.
Essay and entry forms are due to the Post Commander, Denis Wells, no later than November 1, 2011.
Complete rules and entry forms can be obtained from Denis or Sue Wells at 394-2059 or on line at www.vfw.org.
NATIONAL YOUNG AMERICAN CREATIVE PATRIOTIC ART CONTEST
Attention 9th through 12th grade students!
The Ladies Auxiliary to the Veterans of Foreign Wars is the sponsoring the National Young American Creative Patriotic Art Contest.
The first place winner at the local level (Livingston VFW) will be awarded $100, a ‘Liberty Jacket’ and a certificate: Second Place $75.00 and a Certificate,Third Place, $50.00 and a Certificate. All entries receive a Certificate of Participation.
The winning artwork will be eligible for State competition, and from there, to the National competition, where the winning artists can receive scholarships of up to $10,000.
Entries are due by March 1, 2012. Students must have crafted their entries during the 2011-2012 school year – and this must be verified by a teacher’s signature on each entry form. If a student used the U.S. Flag in his or her work, the flag’s depiction must conform to the Flag Code.
Partial contest rules: Artwork must be on paper or canvas and must be 8 inches by 10 inches to 48 by 24 inches, not including mats. Watercolor, pencil, pastel, charcoal, tempera, crayon, acrylic, pen-and-ink or oil may be used. Digital art may be used, but must be on paper or canvas; no computer discs will be accepted. Do not frame entries. Submit canvas entries on stretcher frames. Other entries must be matted on white. Do not use color mats. In matting, use heavy paper to reinforce the back. Mounted and floating mats may also be used.
Complete rules and entry forms can be obtained from Denis or Sue Wells at 394-2059 or on line at www.lavfw.org.
Donita "Sue" Wells
Ladies Auxiliary VFW 8327-13
Secretary Treasurer
1159 2nd Street — Livingston CA 95334-1204
(209) 394-2059 — Cell (209) 648-4668
Fax (209) 394-9199 — Email denisue@gvni.com
The 2011-2012 Draft Budget for the City of Livingston has been Published.
And you still have time to look it over before the Council “talks about it” in Open Session. The nice thing about a PDF file is the handy dandy search box at the top. Just type in what your interested in and the computer will find it for you. CLICK HERE to see it
If You’ve Been a Regular City Council Meeting Agenda Watcher
you’ve noticed this Brand Spankin’ New Addition to City Council Meeting Agendas:
CITIZEN COMMENTS – NOTE: Public Comment/Speaker Cards are now available on the back table of the City Council Chambers. Please fill out the appropriate card and submit to Meeting Recorder.
and some of your may be wondering “What the Heck?” and “Whose Idea Was This?”
And I can think of a few Recall Supporters whose very first reaction to the idea might well be “Card? You mean I have to fill out a stinkin Card if I want to say something during a Council Meeting?”
This could be fun!
You see…while the use of Comment Cards to “speed the process of Public Comments along and/or “give people who don’t like to speak in public” an alternative to “speaking publically” isn’t necessarily a violation of the Brown Act and/or the First Amendment, so long as EVERYBODY has to use them..
Using those cards to limit “who gets to talk about what and when” is a whole nuther ball game.
So is “letting friends/supporters” of Council Members have their say, but “forgetting” to let “the other side” have their say too. (oops! where did that card go! we bad!)
Which means…. all those other folks who have complained in the past about other City Council persons “not wanting to listen to the people” will have to show up to the meetings in time to fill out those cards too!
Just like everybody else…
Come to think of it..Which could get real “interesting” come Prop 218 Hearing time
And the next Election Cycle 
If You’ve Been a Regular City Council Meeting Agenda Watcher, You’ve also noticed
that negotiations with the City Employees Bargaining Units seem to be dragging on just a “tad”: matter of fact, Closed Sessions Items about this have been canceled at least twice.
Last year, Extensions of MOU’s (Memorandum of Understandings) with the vast majority of Employee Bargaining Units was adopted by a 5-0 vote of the City Council at the July 6, 2010 Council Meeting as the following Consent Calendar Items:
6. Resolution No. 2010-35, Approving an Extension of the Current Memorandum of Understanding Between the City of Livingston and the City of Livingston Clerical Employees Association.
7. Resolution No. 2010-36, Approving an Extension of the Current Memorandum of Understanding Between the City of Livingston and the City of Livingston Management and Confidential Employees Association.
8. Resolution No. 2010-37, Approving an Extension of the Current Memorandum of Understanding Between the City of Livingston and the Livingston Police Officers’ Association.
9. Resolution No. 2910-38, Approving an Extension of the Current Memorandum of Understanding Between the City of Livingston and the City of Livingston Public Works and Parks Employees Unit.
10. Resolution No. 2010-39, Approving an Extension of the Current Memorandum of Understanding Between the City of Livingston and the Livingston Supervisory Employees Association.
11. Resolution No. 2010-40, Approving an Extension of the Current Understandings Between the City of Livingston and the City of Livingston Unrepresented Employees not Associated with any City Bargaining Union.
And If memory serves me correctly, nobody got a raise (or if they did, it wasn’t much of one – correct me if I’m wrong – Please)
Sooooooo….last year, it was all “done” by July…let’s see…July, August, September, October, November?, December?
And don’t try to tell me it’s because “we just hired a New City Manager” and a “New Assistant City Manager Either” either…
Unless the Council has had it’s collective head up a very dark place, they all knew the Fiscal Year ended on June 30th and they had an Acting City Manager who has been here way long enough to have at least gotten the process started!
Which Reminds Me
If you would like a “brief snapshot” of what has been on the City Council’s Plant for the past few months, you can go to my 2011 CITY COUNCIL Agendas and Meeting Minutes Page.
There, you will find links to Agendas, Draft Minutes, Staff Reports, Resolutions, Ordinances and other “back up documentation”. No…it’s not “everything-everything-everything, but it’s enough to give you a good idea about “where we’ve been” and where we might be going in the future.
Speaking of Agendas, on to the
REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY MEETING AGENDA
OCTOBER 18, 2011
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
6:45 P.M.
Notice is hereby given that the Livingston Redevelopment Agency will hold a Regular Meeting on October 18, 2011, in the City Council Chambers, 1416 “C” Street, Livingston, California. Persons with disabilities who may need assistance should contact the Deputy City Clerk at least 24 hours prior to this meeting at 394-8041, Ext. 121. Any writings or documents pertaining to an open session item provided to a majority of the members of the legislative body less than 72 hours prior to the meeting, shall be made available for public inspection at Livingston City Hall, 1416 “C” Street. The Regular Meeting will begin at 6:45 p.m. The agenda shall be as follows:
Regular Meeting
CALL TO ORDER Next Resolution Number: 2011-2
Roll Call.
Changes to the Agenda.
CITIZEN COMMENTS – NOTE: Public Comment/Speaker Cards are now available on the back table of the City Council Chambers. Please fill out the appropriate card and submit to Meeting Recorder.
This section of the agenda allows members of the public to address the Redevelopment Agency on any item NOT otherwise on the agenda. Members of the public, when recognized by the Chair, should come forward to the lectern, and identify themselves. Comments are normally limited to three (3) minutes. In accordance with State Open Meeting Laws, no action will be taken by the Redevelopment Agency this evening and all items will be referred to staff for follow up and a report. For items which are on the agenda this evening, members of the public will be provided an opportunity to address the Redevelopment Agency as each item is brought up for discussion.
PRESENTATIONS
CONSENT CALENDAR
2. Approval of Minutes of Special Meeting of August 23, 2011.
ADJOURNMENT
CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
OCTOBER 18, 2011
CLOSED SESSION: 6:00 P.M.
OPEN SESSION: 7:00 P.M.
Notice is hereby given that the City Council will hold a Regular Meeting on October 18, 2011, at the City Council Chambers, 1416 C Street, Livingston, California. Persons with disabilities who may need assistance should contact the Deputy City Clerk at least 24 hours prior to this meeting at (209) 394-8041, Ext. 121. Any writings or documents pertaining to an Open Session item provided to a majority of the members of the legislative body less than 72 hours prior to the meeting shall be made available for public inspection at Livingston City Hall, 1416 C Street. The Open Session will begin at 7:00 p.m. The Closed Session will be held in accordance with state law prior to the Open Session beginning at 6:00 p.m. The Closed Session will be held in the City of Livingston City Hall Conference Room located at 1416 C Street. The agenda shall be as follows:
Closed Session
1. Call to Order.
2. Roll Call.
CLOSED SESSION
A “Closed” or “Executive” Session of the City Council or the Livingston Redevelopment Agency may be held in accordance with state law which may include, but is not limited to, the following types of items: personnel matters, labor negotiations, security matters, providing instructions to real property negotiators, conference with legal counsel regarding pending litigation. The Closed Session will be held in the City Hall Conference Room located at 1416 C Street, Livingston, California. Any public comment on Closed Session items will be taken before the Closed Session. Any required announcements or discussion of Closed Session items or actions following the Closed Session will be made in the City Council Chambers, 1416 C Street, Livingston, California.
1. Conference with Labor Negotiator
(Government Code Section 54957.6)
Agency Negotiator: City Manager Jose Antonio Ramirez
Employee Organizations: All Represented and Unrepresented City Employees.
Regular Meeting
CALL TO ORDER Next Resolution Number: 2011-67
Next Ordinance Number: 598
Pledge of Allegiance.
Roll Call.
Closed Session Announcements
Changes to the Agenda.
AWARDS, PRESENTATIONS, APPOINTMENTS AND PROCLAMATIONS
1. City of Livingston – Independent Auditor’s Report and Financial Statements June 30, 2011 and City of Livingston Local Transportation Development Act Fund – Independent Auditor’s Report and Financial Statements June 30, 2011.
GRANT ANNOUNCEMENTS
ANNOUNCEMENTS AND REPORTS
Supervisor John Pedrozo Announcements and Reports.
City Staff Announcements and Reports.
City Manager Announcements and Reports.
City Council Members’ Announcements and Reports.
Mayor’s Announcements and Reports.
PUBLIC HEARINGS
CITIZEN COMMENTS – NOTE: Public Comment/Speaker Cards are now available on the back table of the City Council Chambers. Please fill out the appropriate card and submit to Meeting Recorder.
This section of the agenda allows members of the public to address the City Council on any item NOT otherwise on the agenda. Members of the public, when recognized by the Mayor, should come forward to the lectern, and identify themselves. Comments are normally limited to three (3) minutes. In accordance with State Open Meeting Laws, no action will be taken by the City Council this evening. For items which are on the agenda this evening members of the public will be provided an opportunity to address the City Council as each item is brought up for discussion.
CONSENT CALENDAR
Items on the Consent Calendar are considered routine or non-controversial and will be enacted by one vote, unless separate action is requested by the City Manager or City Council Member. There will be no separate discussion of these items unless members of the City Council or City Manager request that specific items be removed.
4 Resolution Supporting the California Air Resources Board’s Leadership in Promoting Clean and Efficient Motor Vehicles, Energy Independence, Zero Emission Technologies and Improved Quality of Life in California.. it {Note from TheGardeningSnail – yep..I know you’ll also get the warrant register, meeting minutes, and TIGER Grant stuff if you click on this link..but hey…}
5. Approval of Minutes of Meeting Held on October 4, 2011.
6. Approval of Warrant Register Dated October 12, 2011.
DISCUSSION AND POTENTIAL ACTION ITEMS
7. Resolution Approving Submittal of a Grant Application to the Department of Transportation TIGER 3 Discretionary Grants. {Note from TheGardeningSnail: there was nothing in the Agenda Packet I downloaded over the weekend about this item…but I did find This, and This, And This from the Federal Register, that you might find interesting…I got Part 2 of the Agenda Packet downloaded on Tuesday…so if you go to Item 4 above and click on that, then go to page 67 of the PDF File…you’ll find it. I may have time later this week to break it up into it’s own individual page..but this is the best I can do at the moment.}
ADJOURNMENT
And there is also the
2011 CITY COUNCIL Agendas and Meeting Minutes
Police Chief Recruitment City of Livingston
The “Mission of the Utility Rate Stakeholders Committee” Series
- February 15, 2011 Discussion: Utility Rate Stakeholders Committee
- In Which the idea was first proposed for a Stakeholders Committee in which members would work with City Staff and Consultants
- April 05, 2011: Discussion of Utility Rate Stakeholder Committee Member Appointments
- In which the people who would be working with City Staff and Consultants were chosen
- June 07, 2011 Discussion of Utility Rate Committee Meeting
- In which it was revealed that the people who would be working with City Staff and Consultants already had their first “get together”. But the public was not invited.
The “Brief History of How We Got Into This Mess” Series
- A Brief History of Time (Spent on “Fixing” Water, Waste Water, and Garbage Rates-and other related issues) Part 1—1995 through 2002
- A Brief History of Time (Spent on “Fixing” Water, Waste Water, and Garbage Rates-and other related issues) Part 2—2003 through 2007
- A Brief History of Time (Spent on “Fixing” Water, Waste Water, and Garbage Rates-and other related issues) Part 3—January 2007 through February 2008
- A Brief History of Time (Spent on “Fixing” Water, Waste Water, and Garbage Rates-and other related issues) Part 4— January 2008 through October 2008
- A Brief History of Time (Spent on “Fixing” Water, Waste Water, and Garbage Rates-and other related issues) Part 5— October,2008 through June 2009
- A Brief History of Time (Spent on “Fixing” Water, Waste Water, and Garbage Rates-and other related issues) Part 6— Some Background Information and a Brief Recap of What Happened Between 1995 and June 2009
- A Brief History of Time (Spent on “Fixing” Water, Waste Water, and Garbage Rates-and other related issues) Part 7: Some Enterprise Funds Basics, Meeting Highlights: July 7, 2009 through December 01, and a City Council Agenda
- Who knows, I may actually get around to writing Part 8
A Few Letters, Sun-Star & and Mike McGuire Articles about Livingston Politics (and a few other things Worthy of Note) (The links here go all the way back to the 2008 Election Cycle)
The 1995 Water Rate Resolution (Do you see anything in there that says “Industrial”?)
California Department of Health Sept. 2010 Letter on Water System Funding
Well #15 Enforcement Letter & Staff Report
Well #15 Manganese Enforcement Letter Discussions
How They Voted in 2011 (Granted, it’s a Work in Process, but there are links to things there you might be interested in.)
City Council Draft Meeting Minutes for 2010
City Council Draft Meeting Minutes for 2009
City Council Draft Meeting Minutes for 2008
City Council Meeting Minutes for 2007
City Council Meeting Minutes for 2004
2010-2011 Merced County Grand Jury Final Report
2009-2010 Merced County Grand Jury Final Report
Thegardeningsnail's Weblog (because not every critter is hiding under a rock...) 