By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights City Council on Wednesday will hear presentations on proposed zoning ordinance amendments for recycling centers, youth in government programming, FlashVote survey results on code enforcement, and a traffic signal control cabinet art program.
The council will also be asked to approve a grant to the Art of Living Foundation and appointments to the Sacramento Groundwater Authority. The City Council meeting will take place on Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 6 p.m. at Citrus Heights City Hall.
Consent Calendar Items: The Quality of Life Committee is recommending the City Council approve a grant to the Art of Living Foundation in the amount of $7,500 in order to fund and host a Citrus Heights Yoga Fest. The community event will be a free, one-day event promoting health, wellness, and community, and is tentatively scheduled to be held in May at Van Maren Park. The event is expected to draw over 1,000 people from Citrus Heights and surrounding areas.
In December, the Citrus Heights Water District Board of Directors approved several appointments and is requesting the City Council confirm the submitted appointments of Caryl Sheehan to serve as a representative on the Sacramento Groundwater Authority with Raymond Riehle appointed as the alternate.
The City of Citrus Heights has been designated as the appointing body for elected representatives from the Citrus Heights Water District to serve on the Sacramento Ground Water Authority, according to the city. Sheehan has served on the CHWD Board of Directors and SGA Board since 2014. Riehle has served on the CHWD Board of Directors since 2015. The appointments are for a one-year term.
Recycling Centers: The City Council is scheduled to hear a discussion on the current regulations for small recycling centers as well as proposed zoning ordinance amendments for consideration.
According to the staff report, while the city has made “significant efforts” in addressing blight through the Beautification Crew and Shopping Cart Ordinance, challenges persist around small recycling centers. Despite operators’ efforts to maintain their spaces, observations show that areas surrounding these centers often experience littering, abandoned shopping carts, increased service calls, and other blight-related activities, the city said.
The discussion is a continuation of the item, which was scheduled to be discussed in September 2024 but was postponed.
Youth in Government: The council will hear a presentation on developing programming to engage local youth in local government, in partnership with the San Juan Unified School District.
Over the last several months, city staff have collaborated with San Juan Unified School District staff and Citrus Heights principals regarding the objective, according to the agenda. The report will outline findings and provide further recommendations for implementation to the council.
Traffic signal art: The City Council will hear a presentation on implementing a traffic signal control cabinet art program, stemming from an objective listed at a March 2024 strategic planning meeting. The city has, since incorporation, made efforts to incorporate art and history into public spaces.
By the end of Phase 2 of the Auburn Boulevard Complete Streets Project, the city’s inventory will include 63 signal controller cabinets, 60 signal service enclosure cabinets, and two signal communication cabinets, all of which would be made available for artwork wrapping in the proposed Art Program. The city also has two controller cabinets and two service enclosure cabinets located on freeway on ramps at Antelope and Interstate 80. The General Services department will attempt to coordinate with the California Department of Transportation to permit the cabinets for inclusion in the program.
Survey Results: The city recently conducted a FlashVote Survey in mid-February that asked residents to provide observations and opinions on how well code enforcement is being handled in commercial areas and neighborhoods throughout the city. The Economic Development and Community Engagement Department is slated to give a presentation on the survey results.
Those wishing to make a public comment during the meeting can do so by attending the council meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 12 at City Hall, at 6 p.m., or by submitting a written comment beforehand using the city’s website. The deadline to submit comments online is 4 p.m. on the day of the meeting. City Hall is located at 6360 Fountain Square Drive.
Read the full agenda packet here.
