The Portola City Council filled the vacancy left by former City Councilmember Stan Peiler, appointing Mikki Brown by unanimous vote June 12.
After letters of interest were reviewed from Brown and Rebecca Carlson, both Portola residents, each applicant gave a brief verbal statement at the city council meeting. Carlson said she moved to Portola three years ago to retire from the Sacramento area; she was looking for a small town like the one she had grown up in, she said.
“<Portola’s> a great town,” Carlson said. “People help each other. My mom always taught me that giving back was important … and because I’ve decided to retire in Portola, I want to give back. I would love to spend the time I do have in the City of Portola.”
Councilman Bill Powers thanked her for applying, stating that finding two applicants interested in the position was a marvel.
Brown then spoke, stating that she’d lived in Portola since May 2016, and had raised her daughter in the city. In the last two years, she has attended city council meetings in her role at the Northern Sierra Air Quality Management District, and also has attended Lost Sierra Chamber of Commerce meetings. Brown has also been involved with the Plumas County Firesafe Council, and attended county board of supervisors meetings, she said.
“I feel like you get more answers when you get down to the local government level.”
Mikki Brown, newly appointed Portola city councilmember
“I just enjoy understanding what is going on, I feel like you get more answers when you get down to the local government level,” she said in her statement. Brown noted that she was an able and willing person, and that she hoped to participate in making active and productive decisions for the city if chosen to fill the vacancy.
Councilmembers agreed that it was a treat to have two such viable candidates. Powers moved to nominate Brown for the role. Mayor Pat Morton seconded the nomination. The council then voted unanimously for Brown to fill the vacancy by roll-call vote. City Clerk Jason Shaw then swore in Councilmember Mikki Brown with the oath of office.
Porta-potties for Big Boy
The council also discussed a request from the Western Pacific Railroad Museum’s Feather River Rail Society for funding to support the Big Boy 4014 steam locomotive event, scheduled for July 10. Prior to the request, city staff had met with Union Pacific and the FRRS to discuss ways in which the city could help.
Big Boy 4014 is the largest operating steam engine in the world. The opportunity to see the engine probably won’t come around again for a long time. All 330 advance tickets have been presold, and the event promises to be quite the spectacle for history buffs and railroad enthusiasts alike, a FRRS spokesperson reported.
The request from FRRS was for $2,200 to rent portable restrooms and sinks, interim City Manager Susan Scarlett explained. Traffic control was also discussed, and Scarlett added that there was no quote as of yet on how much fence rental would cost for that.
A local resident noted that the FRRS was charging for the event and asked why the city should contribute funds to an event that wasn’t free to the community. In response, the council noted that the event was a major fundraising event for the FRRS, which allows the organization to pay for utility bills and the store clerk. FRRS is a nonprofit organization and is self-funded. After minimal discussion, council members voted unanimously to approve a motion to support the event through assistance in renting needed sanitary facilities.
Appointments and hearings
Morton made the decision to appoint incoming Councilmember Mikki Brown and Councilmember Leah Turner to the Integrated Waste Management board. The Integrated Waste Management Task Force meets in Quincy once a quarter in coordination with Plumas County officials. The organization’s bylaws state that the City of Portola is to appoint two members, one regular and one alternate. There is no requirement for elected officials or staff as community members are also appointed.
Morton also appointed Powers to the Community Development Committee, which meets intermittently to discuss community development issues and make recommendations to the council. The committee consists of two council members and one appointed member.
During public comment, local resident Lindsey Shaw commented that Portola is not a railroad town anymore. “Since we’re a mountain town with a river and we’re always up in arms, our new logo should be the pitchfork,” she said.
An air district official gave a brief update, noting that the green waste disposal event would be ending June 25, and that there were 12 remaining curbside vouchers for city residents available for those who qualify.
Scarlett, the interim city manager, reported that swim lessons are filling up fast at the pool. She also noted the effort of public works in preparing the city for the annual Gravel Grinder bike race. Scarlett said it has been very hard for public works to get parts for the water treatment plant, with efforts ongoing. “We are still working to get a meeting together with Intermountain Disposal as well,” she said. Scarlett also noted that perhaps water fountains could be replaced with water bottle fillers at the pool and city hall to encourage more use of reusable water bottles.
The consent agenda and council minutes were approved unanimously by roll-call vote after minimal discussion, with one change to a check that was incorrectly made out to Beckwourth Fire District but should have been made out to Beckwourth Peak Fire District.
The council held a public hearing for the City of Portola’s 2045 General Plan and accompanying California Environmental Quality Act documents. City Planner Karen Downs, of Manhard Consulting, the city’s general plan contractor, appeared via Zoom to hear public comments.
The last time the council looked at the draft general plan was in February, Downs said. Minimal changes then included a second update to fire services based on the election last November, and an update to air quality standards. With no public comment, a motion was made to approve Resolution 2579 with the noted amendments. The motion was carried unanimously by roll-call vote.
A public hearing was also held to allow for public comment on the proposed 2024-2025 budget for the City of Portola, with no public comment given.
A hearing officer appointment for a public hearing on a conditional use permit was then discussed. Scarlett recused herself due to a conflict of interest. The council appointed Manhard Consulting as the hearing officer for future discussion of the conditional use permit on a unanimous roll-call vote.
Resolution 2581 was brought to the table to call for a general municipal election for the City of Portola on Nov. 5. “To have an election, we must officially call for one,” said Shaw, the city clerk. Three councilmember seats will be up for election, as well as the position of city clerk and city treasurer. All positions are for four-year terms. This resolution was followed by a companion resolution that would allow the city to consolidate the municipal election with the county’s general election Nov. 5. Both resolutions were approved unanimously. They will now go before the Plumas County Board of Supervisors for approval.
