Written By Lorenzo Love,
Yreka City Council Chamber, 701 Fourth Street, Yreka, CA
Regular Meetings of the Yreka City Council are held the 1 st and 3rd Tuesday of every month.
The full agenda packet can be found on the City’s website: www.ci.yreka.ca.us/AgendaCenter
Presentations:
City Council Proclamation Against Hate
Madrone Hospice Senior Services Program Updates, Chris Clother, Executive Director
Update on County Sharps (free needles) Program, Jessica Skillen, Siskiyou County Health and Human Services
Adopting an Updated Comprehensive Fee Schedule
These are the sharply increased fees that treat little mom and pop businesses the same as businesses like Walmart. No exceptions for small locally owned businesses. So a little gift shop on Miner St pays the same as Walmart.
Sometimes more because it's in a historic district. The council's attitude is if you can't afford it, don't get into business in Yreka. So much for all the pro-business rhetoric from the city.
These fees also include an annual animal livestock license for animals such as cows, horses, chickens, etc of $234.45. For a chicken.
These fees are to cover the cost of staff time to the tune of thousands of dollars in some cases, yet the staff time is already paid by the city budget paid by our taxes.
Example: For a Sign permit, you have to pay $145.60 for two hours of time for the Planning Director, Juliana Lucchesi, (Yeah, she gets $72.80 an hour.) Plus all the rest to the tune of $314.61. To put up a sign.
None of that includes the actual cost of the sign. Which has to be approved so it meets City Standards. It's not like she's working overtime. She's already being paid. If we are going to go to an à la carte system of paying for what we use, then why are we paying taxes too? But they want us to pay again.
They are double dipping right out of our pockets. Why? Because they can. Large corporations have no problem paying the increased rates. But for our local mom and pop businesses, it can mean success or failure.
These fees are inflationary, bad for business, bad for homeowners, bad for anyone who owns an animal, bad for Yreka. Don't take my word for it. Read it for yourself at: https://ci.yreka.ca.us/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_09202022-362
Dog licensing fees will be considered at a future meeting. Maybe then they can explain why stray dogs are allowed to run wild and kill people's pets while responsible dog owners pay ever-increasing license fees.
Resolution and Agreement between the County of Siskiyou and the City
of Yreka for Joint Participation in the Permanent Local Housing Allocation (PLHA)
This is a grant for $612,043 over 5 years in play.
Resolution for the Creation of a Fire Department Ad Hoc Committee
Committee members shall be City Council members
Resolution to Accept California Department of Forestry (CDF) Grant
Award of $5,050
This is a matching grant for fire turnout gear.
There will be more. Read the agenda.
