The agenda features two other revisits: fees for retrieving shopping carts removed from retailers and removing the city’s limit on downtown bars. Closed session includes updates for councilors on labor negotiations and Warren v. Chico as well as quarterly performance reviews of the city manager, city clerk and city attorney.

Assembly Bill 481 requires local law enforcement agencies to submit an annual report to the state with an updated inventory of items the bill classifies as military equipment and policies for utilizing this equipment. AB481 also requires a public engagement meeting, which Police Chief Billy Aldridge conducted Thursday evening in City Council Chambers.

The inaugural AB481 report went to councilors for approval before the public engagement meeting. Aldridge flipped the sequence this year and told the two-dozen attendees he’d amend the report should input merit changing it. He told this newspaper Friday that he did not need to do so after reviewing questions and comments.

In December, councilors put the brakes on resetting monetary amounts in an ordinance that would impose a fee on businesses when the city picks up abandoned shopping carts off the retailer’s property. Code Enforcement brings back a proposal that still would charge businesses that don’t respond to a notice within three days. The recommended charge would be $20 — rising to $50 on the third offense within six months.

Also last year, the council discussed removing from the municipal code a limit on bars in the downtown north district. Questions arose; staff will bring back answers for councilors’ consideration.

The Chico City Council meets at 6 p.m. Tuesday at 421 Main St.; closed session starts at 5 p.m. Meetings are free and open to the public.

Healthy Rural California, a nonprofit born of the Butte-Glenn Medical Society, announced the inaugural class for a residency program for psychiatrists in training who will come to Chico next year — when a second residency program launches for family medicine. HRC is exploring another residency, for internal medicine physicians, that could follow.

Thursday’s reveal culminated a process that began in 2019 involving a range of partners including Butte County Behavioral Health, Enloe Health and Assemblyman James Gallagher’s office, all represented at the announcement. Propelled by a $1.8 million state grant, HRC developed programs certified by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education.

“It’s important to do something to stabilize our medical community,” said Dr. Sean Maiorano, chief medical officer at Enloe Health. “We’re at a really unique opportunity (point) to grow our own and provide for our community and surrounding communities.”

Kristy Bird MaKieve, executive director of the Butte-Glenn Medical Society and CEO of HRC, introduced the first class of residents, who she nicknamed “the Fab Four” and noted all have connections to Northern California. Dr. Jasmine Gill is from El Sobrante; Dr. Leandra Padayachee, from Sacramento; Dr. Mira Parekh, Palo Alto, studying at UC Davis; and Dr. Nicole Wiecks, Sonoma County.

“These are pioneers,” MaKieve said.

The new program drew 500 residents from around the world — “Mind-blowing,” Maiorano said — and interviewed 50. The four selected will come to Chico for an orientation June 17, spend a year in Sacramento, then return for two years with Butte County Behavioral Health and the wrap-up of their four-year residency. Four family medicine residents will join them next year for three years of training, all in the north state.

Once both programs have full complements, Chico will host 28 residents a year with an economic impact of $5 million to $6 million. But that’s not the primary benefit; Scott Kennelly, director of Butte County Behavioral Health, explained that 50% of residents stay to practice where they train.

The residencies already are boosting recruitment: Kennelly said multiple candidates chose to come here after expressing, “I want to teach. I want to give back.” Maiorano sees the same enthusiasm among his hospital’s medical staff.

That’s particularly important because rural areas such as the north state feel the shortage of health care providers most acutely. Primary care and psychiatry are particular needs. Kennelly noted his department had 10 in-person psychiatrists before the Camp Fire, COVID pandemic and retirements depleted the ranks. Now, Behavioral Health relies on telemedicine. A residency program provides what Maiorano describes as “a place to land” for up-and-coming doctors.

HRC is exploring the addition of internal medicine and the potential for other education programs, such as partnering with Chico State’s nursing school.

“Lots of good things ahead,” Makieve said.

Members of the Police Community Advisory Board joined two-dozen fellow Chicoans. City Clerk Debbie Presson and Police Capt. Greg Keeney sorted question cards for the session mandated under state law. It was scheduled for an hour, though Aldridge took an additional 20 minutes to get to every question and engage in a discussion of the term de-escalation.

“The only thing I ask (for a question) is it’s relevant to the topic tonight,” Aldridge prefaced, adding: “It’s pretty much the same presentation as last year with a few updates.”

Assembly Bill 481 requires police agencies to report annually on its use of military equipment and associated policies. The City Council will review and authorize the report Tuesday; councilors received it with the agenda released earlier Thursday, and if the engagement meeting prompts a change, Aldridge promised to revise and resubmit.

“This is being held before (the) council (meets) because this is a request from last year,” he explained, contrasting with 2023 session that followed council approval. “It hurts nothing to allow this to occur before the council meeting.”

The report appears on a dedicated AB 481 webpage on the city’s website (chico.ca.us).

Aldridge went over the inventory of equipment before taking questions. New for this year are a small drone; robots for SWAT (one with a hot gas delivery system he characterized as safer than any before, another with a door-open device in lieu of a breaching shotgun); a Bearcat armored vehicle without a gun in the turret; loud speakers; and less-lethal arms to replace shotguns.

The equipment classified as military grade under AB 481 cost $180,679 — less than a half-percent of the department’s 2023-24 budget — plus $9,700 for training by outside agencies. By comparison, personnel account for $30.1 million, and other operating costs are $6.3 million.

“A lot of the equipment and tactics we use with the equip do de-escalate situations,” Aldridge said, and reduce the number of officer-involved shootings.

For the coming fiscal year, “we plan to ask for nothing new,” he said, beyond standard costs for maintenance, replacement and ammunition. In summation, he said, “We met the requirements of the law and will continue to meet requirements of the law.”

Q&A

After a 40-minute recap of the report, Aldridge took questions, calling on Lt. Joel Schmid and Lt. Omar Peña for more details.

Inquiries ranged from micro (such as the number of beanbags and rifles inventoried) to macro (situations for specific armaments, including drone deployments logged on the department website). He invited further questions by email — cpdpsu@chicoca.gov — or to PCAB representatives.

“Of course, we’re always open to suggestions on policy,” Aldridge said, with the caveat that some policies stem from legal requirements.

One audience member asked the reason Chico is equipped to this extent.

“We can’t just think locally — we need to think globally of what we might be faced with,” Aldridge responded. “We try to have contingencies for anything that may happen. We want to have the tools available, even if we don’t have to use it.

“We would hope you’d want your law enforcement to have the upper hand in critical situations,” he continued, adding: “While it looks like we have this build-out of our arsenal, it’s the standard in law enforcement.”

Grass grows tall on the railroad tracks

I’m tired of hearing those stories ’bout way back when…

— “Tumbleweed” by Gwil Owen

When I hear or read about Austin, the capital of Texas and site of a lot of newsmaking, two thoughts immediately pop into mind.

The first is a women’s basketball trip during spring break of my junior year at college, when I covered my alma mater’s first (of many since) appearance in the NCAA Tournament. I got to travel with the team, stay in the team hotel overlooking the capitol building, attend the banquet in a place along the Colorado River and, on my own, stroll down Sixth Street.

The second is the song above, performed by Austin legend Toni Price. The whole piece is a masterpiece.

Both resurfaced last weekend when I flew into Austin–Bergstrom International Airport to spend a few days with a friend dealing with some weighty issues. I hadn’t been there since 1988; I wondered how it’s changed, given that change is the only constant in life.

A lot like Chico, it’s grown. Unlike Chico, it’s a lot more crowded. I know people here complain about traffic, when not harping on homelessness and parking — the latter two also issues in Austin. But even during peak rush hour, I’ve never had a 20-minute commute turn into an hour and a half of highway idling.

Downtown Austin still has a lot of its old charm. The aforementioned capitol still cuts a nice silhouette in the skyline, even with taller towers in the vicinity. Historic buildings remain. So do iconic pieces of public art, including one that wasn’t there in ’88, the “I love you so much” mural on the side of Jo’s Coffee.

Jo’s is on South Congress Avenue. That street has history, too. It’s a lot like downtown Chico, were Main and Broadway contiguous instead of parallel. Shops, galleries, restaurants and attractions seamlessly coexist within walking distance (albeit a longer walk) from the university.

Browsing South Congress, I felt like I was viewing a Pintrest board for Meriam Park. The newer places have the mix of metal, wood, glass and color that unifies yet also distinguishes the district. Aspirational for our downtown, multiuse structures are commonplace — storefronts downstairs, residences upstairs.

South Congress has diagonal back-in parking like Chico City Plaza. Downtown, front-in diagonal spaces sit between bulb-outs. Both spots have a Chico-like system of codes and kiosks instead of meters, though we missed the sign and didn’t see a kiosk where we parked on South Congress and my friend got a ticket ($20 if paid before the hearing date, $30 otherwise).

Guess what else I saw? Actually — who? Unhoused people. California doesn’t have a monopoly on misfortune, even if sometimes it seems like we do.

A man on Sixth Street politely asked for a dollar as he walked past. Another stood with a sign. Were I there longer, I’d have had time to learn how Texans approach homelessness, but my focus was my friend.

A highlight: The Texas Toy Museum and Arcade. We spend a couple hours weaving through the vintage arcade games and collectables on a scavenger hunt that brought back memories of both our childhood decades. We found the Holy Grail by locating Waldo of the “Where’s Waldo” books. (Hint: He’s not in the Sears catalog I checked page by page … )

Like I said, Austin has grown. Folks around those parts remember when the population was a tenth the size of 2.2 million; my other visit, it was 525,000. Change is inevitable when growth is inevitable.

I never lived there, just as I didn’t live in Chico when it was a rural burg of 35,000. What I’ve experienced is the climb from 85,000 to 110,000 — significant, but more like the final push to the summit of Mount Everest than the journey to base camp.

Nowhere is perfect. We have problems to solve, greater than lamenting coin-operated parking meters. Waxing nostalgic has its place. Even so … “I’m tired of hearing stories ’bout way back when.” Spring forward.

Reach weekend editor Evan Tuchinsky at etuchinsky@chicoer.com

Hotter days? More flooding and less snowpack? Species decline and migration? Stemen amplified these and more, notably through 17 years of the university’s This Way to Sustainability conference — relaunching this week in a new format as This Way to Resilience.

He takes little pleasure in validations of his message; rather, Stemen said, “it causes me a whole lot of anxiety.”

The reflection came on a sunny afternoon outside Colusa Hall, where the symposium will run Thursday evening and Friday (see infobox). Stemen noted that Tuesday’s high of 84 hit the 99th percentile of March 19 temperatures that state has tracked since 1991.

“Everyone was celebrating the beautiful days this week,” he continued, “and I was wondering about the future temperatures.

“Midwesterners talk about ‘tornado weather’ — we have ‘wildfire weather.’ A warm breeze coming from the northeast makes me anxious.

“And my students (feel climate anxiety) as well.”

Stemen works to integrate climate change into the curriculum at schools across the California State University system; in that effort, he connected with Britt Wray, a Stanford researcher and author (“Generation Dread”) featured in a documentary titled “The Climate Baby Dilemma.” So far screened only in Canada and at film festivals, the movie will make its international university premiere Thursday, complete with a red carpet.

Friday’s expo will feature workshops and informational tables from groups such as the Climate Action Corps and the Butte Resilience Collaborative. Stemen distinguished the symposium from its predecessor conference because it’s smaller and, he quipped, “symposium is Greek for ‘We feed you’.” (Admission is free and includes pizza.)

“We like to say in the resilience world, ‘We don’t want to bounce back, we want to bounce better’,” he added. “This is our attempt to bounce better and envision what we should be doing. This Way (to Sustainability) had a great run, we learned a lot, and now I think a lot of resilience work is trying to put that into practice.”

Collaboration

The reincarnation of This Way traces to Stemen and a former colleague, Nate Millard, who now works for the American Red Cross as a regional program manager focused on reducing communities’ disaster risks. He’s also an organizer of the Butte Resilience Collaborative, a collection of local agencies brought together thanks to grant funds from the Red Cross and the North Valley Community Foundation. The organization percolated for two years before forming in earnest last August.

The collaborative was the first under a pilot program through which the Red Cross now supports 15 groups. After the symposium, BRC will meet April 5 at the Dorothy Johnson Center in Chico from 9 a.m. to noon.

Millard compares resilience efforts to a stream: Refilled by rainfall, “it bounces back to what it was. There’s this real understanding that for some people, for some communities in our county, there’s no bouncing back to something; it’s never been good. So how do we bounce forward? How do we move beyond?”

That’s where This Way to Resilience comes in. The film screening will feature a discussion afterward to examine the theme of existential dread so severe that a growing number of young adults hesitate to bring children into the world. The expo will present potential solutions.

“Butte County has so much need,” Millard said. “Even though we have the highest ACEs (adverse childhood experiences) in California, with all these hazards, the ways that we already work together is making us able to move so much faster and so much beyond what I see a lot of other counties and parishes across the nation doing.”

Stemen hopes symposium attendees come away with the same feelings of encouragement.

“One of the things that provides the most anxiety for my students is when they think they’re alone in these things,” he said. “And they’re not. That’s part of this — I think (attendees) will realize they’re not alone.”

Event details

Thursday: Film premiere, 6:30 p.m.

Friday: Expo, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Site: Colusa Hall, Chico State

More info: www.csuchico.edu/calendar

His second council term ends this year. The pattern suggests Coolidge will spend the next couple years out of local government … and, turns out, he already knows he will. Redistricting shifted his residence from District 5 to District 1, currently represented by Sean Morgan. Former police chief and councilor Mike O’Brien, appointed to fill a vacancy in 2021, is running in District 1 this fall with the endorsement of the incumbent — and, it also turns out, of Coolidge as well.

The mayor hadn’t declared his decision, but he made up his mind when O’Brien reached out a few months ago to inquire about his plans. Coolidge isn’t ruling out a future foray back into politics; it just won’t happen imminently.

In a phone interview Friday, Coolidge reflected on his civic service and what lies ahead for both him and the city.

Q: How have the last year and a half of your mayorship compared to the first two years?

A: There certainly was an elephant in the room back then, conducting meetings online with the pandemic but also going through homeless issues and things surrounding that. It was a challenge. Last year and a half has certainly been less controversial, and thus a little easier than the first two years. We made a lot of strides in moving the town in a particular direction, but a direction that the majority of people see as being the right path.

Q: What issues has the city shifted into that you feel are important?

A: I’ve been very happy because most of the items I wanted brought forward have been brought forward, most of them successfully. Of course, working on our roads. A lot of people think that roads can be fixed overnight — there’s an issue, someone comes into office, and a year later the roads are repaired obviously is not how it plays out.

We’ve had to pass a sales-tax measure, which coming into office I said right away I wanted to do; something I never thought I’d do, but seeing where the city of Chico was, it was something I felt we needed to do. It’s hard to tell citizens to have patience, that things will take time. It will take probably another six to eight years to get the roads really back into the condition they should be and put us hopefully above the state average by that time. And it’s going to take a lot of money, as well.

Homeless issues, everyone knows we’re spent a lot of time, money and effort on the last several years. Flights from the airport are something really big on my list — they’re kind of my last campaign promise. I do think they’ll come to fruition, probably after I’m done with this term, but I do think they’re on the horizon for Chico. I’m hopeful we’ll be having people flying to L.A. soon from CIC.

There are some minor issues I think are successful, from replacing trash cans downtown to making sure we’re in tune with the county. Before the last few years, our communication was sometimes adversarial with the county, and I think it’s now working in harmony with them and in partnership with them to solve some of the problems that face us.

Q: You mentioned a relative lack of controversy, though we’ve had Valley’s Edge simmering. What’s your reaction now that the voters have spoken on Valley’s Edge?

A: We voted on, and I approved, that project because they complied with all the aspects that I think they needed to comply with and put forward a plan that was within the rules and regulations we have within a special planning area. It all made sense from the government requirements for such a development.

In terms of the voters not approving it, that’s certainly their will; citizens do as they please, and they’re more than welcome to do that. I have a great deal of respect for that. Either it’s going to be brought back as a different type of project or Chico will grow in a different way.

Q: Do you have an indication of which object might be moving forward?

A: No, none at all. I have very little communication with their organization. Outside of council, I had a few conversations with Bill Brouhard when the project was coming up, and that was about the extent of it.

Q: Looking ahead to the rest of the year, what issues and developments do you expect to see?

A: The downtown streets plan is something we should take a good, hard look at to determine how that’s going to be put forward and what changes, if any, it makes to the downtown. Like with any issue in Chico, you get different opinions on both sides of the aisle — my guess is we’ll probably land on something in the middle; that typically is how it works out in government.

Something big is what I’m calling the Summer of Construction, because in a typical year you’d have $3- to $5 million in road construction taking place in the city of Chico and between ’24-25 we’ll have close to $60 million worth of road projects. People will get tired of construction traffic around the city of Chico, but it obviously is for a reason. As is the bike bridge at 20th — some folks will see that as a big project taking place, certainly cause some congestion around there as well.

Beyond that, you never know. You never know what will happen in the world or the state that will move you off your selected topics. I do think this budget cycle is going to be very important; this is probably going to be one of the most important budgets the city of Chico has had in the last 10 years.

Q: Election season is coming up. What can you tell folks about your intentions?

A: While I may return to politics some day, I’m not looking to run again this time around. In the future, I’m open to help wherever I might be needed — I’m not seeking reelection in ’24, but if I see the need and find I’m called back to serve, I’ll always be happy to do that.

Q: Looking back, what is a decision you’re particularly proud of, and is there one you think events have overtaken?

A: Hmm. I don’t know if I was proud of any particular decision. You make decisions up there based on the information you have and based upon how you feel about it, ethically and morally but also what you think would be best for the city of Chico moving forward. I’ve never second-guessed any of my decisions necessarily; I thought in the moment that all of them were the right and correct ones to make and were necessary.  That doesn’t mean the voters always loved them or that I didn’t catch a lot of grief for making a particular decision — that, of course, has happened.

I think getting out of the budget crisis the city was in when I came into office originally in 2014 was probably the biggest defining thing in those four years, turning the city around financially. Coming in this time, homelessness obviously has taken center stage, and a lot of things happened when I was out of office. I was voted out, and two days later, there was the Camp Fire. So, certainly there were a lot of struggles the city went through in the two years I was gone, but there’s been a lot of positives in the last three and a half years.

So, when I look back, we made a tremendous amount of progress on homelessness. Some people would say that’s because our hand was forced, and they wouldn’t be wrong. But, at the same time, few cities went forward as we went forward. I think the council during the first two years of my second term made a lot of decisions that made sense and were very hard decisions to make. It’s been huge, it’s been monumental, it’s been life-changing for a lot of folks. There have been a lot of success stories that have come out of the Pallet shelter, a lot of care and concern that’s been provided, and I think the citizens of Chico view that as a good compromise that’s worked very well.

Midday Thursday, water in the channel trickled under the Longfellow Avenue bridge — a sharp contrast to a year ago, when the solstice brought rain that kept levels high.

The moment came nearly three hours into open session as councilors considered whether the city should proceed with a rent stabilization ordinance to help seniors living in mobile home parks. These residents voiced their fears at previous meetings, starting in the fall after a north Chico property announced a 30% hike — triple its increases the previous two years — that the owner dropped back to 10% under pressure from the mayor and others. They also addressed the Internal Affairs Committee, which elected not to make a recommendation to the full council.

Twelve Chicoans pushed for rent stabilization — among them Larry Wahl, chair of the Planning Commission, who’s served both as a councilor and county supervisor. A representative from a park owners association, Saulo Londono, argued against restrictions. Councilors Tom van Overbeek and Sean Morgan shared the latter view; Addison Winslow championed the former.

Deepika Tandon, the least outspoken councilor, shifted the tenor of the discussion. An owner of rental property, she noted the unique position mobile home residents find themselves as owners of their abodes but not the spaces they inhabit — a distinction that excludes them from rent protections other renters receive. She sought to learn more about the options Chico has to address the issue along with costs and liabilities the city could incur.

Dale Bennett quickly concurred. About as soft-spoken as Tandon, he distilled the same sentiment into a refrain: “We need more information.” The whole panel ultimately concurred and, on a 7-0 vote affirming Tandon’s motion, directed staff to return with, well, more information.

“I do understand there are pros and cons of rent stabilization,” Tandon said afterward. “I just don’t want to make any hasty decision on that.

“California already has rent limitations on other asset classes; having that on mobile home parks would not be a bad thing, because we know the cost of housing is high for people on fixed income. So if we can help them, that would be a wonderful thing.”

Morgan warned about failures of rent control yet supported the motion. Vice Mayor Kasey Reynolds, on Internal Affairs with van Overbeek and Winslow, expressed her affirmative vote by saying, “Sure.” Audience members applauded the decision.

“We’re very good at doing things people don’t think will happen,” Mayor Andrew Coolidge said later. “On rent stabilization, we’re getting more information, and I’m glad to hear it.”

Late business

The final item stretched past 9 p.m. Ironically, the crux of the matter involved judicious use of time.

Coolidge requested consideration of a comment period for councilors. He proposed three minutes apiece, once per month, to share about subjects not otherwise covered on the agenda.

Morgan voted against a discussion when the mayor first floated the idea — and Tuesday, he read a list of reasons against it. Primarily, he anticipated councilor comments devolving into campaigning and self-aggrandizement. Morgan also noted that a previous council instituted, then quickly rescinded, a bloc for reports from members about committees on which they serve; City Clerk Debbie Presson confirmed his history lesson.

Van Overbeek was even more blunt, calling such comments “a waste of time.”

Coolidge and Winslow asserted that monthly reports would inform colleagues as well as constituents. Presson said council policies already allow for this reporting — Coolidge and Winslow moved to allow reports on councilors’ districts, too. Before they could refine the proposal, Morgan made a substitute motion to stick with the status quo. Reynolds seconded, and it passed 5-2 over Coolidge and Winslow’s dissent.

The latter came away disgruntled, the former encouraged.

Mayor Andrew Coolidge enforced the council policy limiting public comments to topics within the city’s jurisdiction, which he said does not include “ceasefires and wars in other countries.” He redirected the first speaker, Rain Scher, then called a recess when another advocate for a ceasefire resolution, Chris Nelson, did not heed his admonition.

When the council returned, Coolidge advised the audience that a recurrence would prompt another recess — and a third would clear the chamber. The final speaker, Yahmo Ahqha, criticized “the rules of purview” he contrasted with other cities, adding: “We’re supposed to be telling you how to represent us. … You have very special rules that are very undemocratic.”

When Ahqha started a call and response of “free free Palestine,” Coolidge adjourned the meeting again and declared the speaker “out of order.” When councilors reconvened, the back of the room had emptied.

Mobile home comments got emotional, as well, with hardy residents waiting two hours for their chance to speak. Councilors reached consensus on exploring options once staff returns with more information.

Tuesday’s agenda also featured reviews of the Downtown Chico Business Association’s 12-month progress report; a proposal allowing alcohol at private events in City Plaza; and a policy for allocating Fire Victim Trust funds.

Mobile home parks hit councilors’ consciousness in the fall after Pleasant Valley Mobile Estates in north Chico announced a 30% hike in space rents following 10% increases the previous two years. The owner subsequently reduced the rise to 10%, but residents of that park and others asked the council to consider adopting a rent stabilization ordinance.

The council referred the matter to its Internal Affairs Committee, which heard from affected seniors during the March 4 meeting. Neither committee chair Tom van Overbeek nor Vice Mayor Kasey Reynolds seconded a motion from Councilor Addison Winslow to recommend the council weigh an ordinance, so the item came back to the full council with no suggested course of action.

Janet Olsen, a resident of a park outside city limits, spoke to the cumulative effect of annual increases on seniors with fixed incomes. Julie Threet clashed with the mayor on the scope of her comments, nearly precipitating a third recess; comments continued unabated from the final 11 speakers.

Celeste Macklin held back tears as she described her plight.  Al Johnson said the age of his unit precludes moving it to another park in any county — “my mobile home is no longer mobile.” Mary Carlisle told councilors, “You up there have a unique opportunity to protect not hundreds, but thousands of people in the city of Chico.”

Planning Commission Chair Larry Wahl, a former councilor and county supervisor, added his voice in support: “Free market is the American way — predatory pricing is not part of the free market.” Climate Action Commissioner Bryce Goldstein echoed the call for rent stabilization.

Saulo Londono of the Western Manufactured Housing Communities Association said the California Legislature is working on rent stabilization for mobile homes. “This is an emotional issue but also a complicated issue,” he concluded.

Winslow raised the specter of a ballot initiative for an ordinance. Van Overbeek countered that “rent stabilization is a misnomer” and that owners have the right under state law to recover their costs — but Councilor Deepika Tandon distinguished park tenants from housing renters, and asserted, “They should have a little more peace of mind than an apartment (tenant) who can move whenever they want.”

Tandon made a motion for staff to return with options for an ordinance — space control and allowable increases — and hear experiences from cities with rent stabilization — specifically, costs and liabilities the city might incur.

Councilor Dale Bennett agreed, saying he did not have enough information to proceed. Councilor Sean Morgan said he’s “all for getting more information” while skeptical of the effectiveness of rent controls.

After the 7-0 vote in favor, residents applauded.

Downtown matters

The DCBA, under terms of a funding contract with the city, presents periodic updates to the council. DCBA President Greg Scott summarized the first annual report — “time flies when you’re having fun” — by reviewing the focus areas of the group’s recovery plan: reorganization, marketing/communications, events and placemaking.

The city provides $140,800 a year, with the second and third years subject to councilors’ support of the progress. Key data points he relayed were a 14% decrease in parking revenue in 2023 from 2022 and that sales-tax revenue in the third quarter last year was 93% of 2020’s rate.

Winslow asked about a $114,000 deficit, which Scott attributed to an event that underperformed expectations, Chico Live, and disparities in assessments collected from businesses.

The councilor responded he didn’t “feel comfortable recommitting” funds under the current scenario and suggested tabling the report — staff working with the organization — rather than waiting for the 18-month update. Coolidge proposed two months.

Morgan made a substitute motion to accept the report, which passed 5-2 with Winslow and Coolidge dissenting.

The council also concurred on expanding alcohol provision in City Plaza to private functions. Councilors previously approved alcohol at public events; Feb. 5, Internal Affairs recommended the change.

Other business

Regarding fire relief, the Finance Committee last month recommended a policy to delineate uses of disaster-recovery monies that “do not conflict or jeopardize other forms of funding.” City Manager Mark Sorensen elaborated that specific projects will come forward during budget planning.

Councilors approved the policy unanimously.

Other open-session discussions included three budget adjustments and adding monthly reports from councilors to meetings (the latter continuing past this edition’s deadline). Closed session, a half-hour instead of the usual hour, consisted solely of updates on labor negotiations.

Butte’s nine-win season, capped by a bowl win, brought him higher-level offers — and, Monday, he sealed his future by signing a letter of intent with Portland State University of the Big Sky Conference, which competes in the Football Championship Subdivision of NCAA Division I. Coaches, family and a dozen teammates attended the ceremony in the college’s Kinesiology and Athletic Performance Center.

Sayre is the 12th member of last season’s squad to commit to a four-year program, and Coach Robby Snelling expects at least that many to follow suit during the spring signing period that opens next month. The timing of Sayre’s decision allows him to join the Vikings’ preseason training to establish a foothold.

“One of the biggest things is that they have a need now,” Snelling explained. “They’ve got a guy injured who played a significant amount of time for them; they’re waiting to see how he comes back off of that injury, and then behind him (are) a lot of unknowns, so with Rieger getting there now, he has a great opportunity to compete and get reps this spring. To be able to do that is a huge advantage.”

Last season for the Roadrunners (9-2), Sayre completed 56% of his passes for 1,732 yards, with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, plus ran for 298 yards and six TDs. He’s the third straight Butte QB to go Division I, following Brian Harper (Weber State of the Big Sky) and Tanner Hughes (Iowa State of the Big 12).

He chose Portland for its proximity to home and the chance to play for a championship. The Vikings are coming off a 5-6 season, 4-4 in conference.

“As far as where I thought I’d be, it was a different path,” Sayre said. “I thought that I’d be one year in (for) JUCO experience, but COVID happened, I didn’t get to play ball that first year. I had a great time at Butte, developed a lot as a player, went from about 205 (pounds) to 225, put on another inch — now my arm is stronger, and we have a great program that helped me get faster and stronger.

“Things fell into place. We had an awesome season this year; I couldn’t have done it without my coaches and teammates. Now I get this great opportunity — excited to get up there and fired up to make plays for the Vikings.”