At a glance• WHAT: City Council meeting
• WHERE: Council Chambers, City Hall, 1 Plaza Circle
• WHEN: 7 p.m. Tuesday
The Patterson City Council will review a new agreement for animal control services, partially funding a skate park and increasing numerous recreation fees at its Tuesday meeting.
The council and representatives with Stanislaus County have been trying to figure out new animal control services since October 2008, when the county notified City Hall it planned to terminate the animal control contract. The county representatives wanted a new contract that they felt covered the true cost of their services. They also wanted to replace the nearly 40-year-old animal shelter now in use.
To do so, they wanted Patterson, along with several other local jurisdictions, to chip in extra funds. After reviewing the matter for several months, city staff is recommending that the council enter the new contract, which will result in the city’s annual payment of $21,000 jumping to about $89,000, plus a one-time payment of about $298,000 for shelter construction costs.
The council will also review a request for $250,000 to partially fund a skate park. City staff estimates the entire park will cost close to $650,000.
Staff is requesting the money come from a fund created by fees collected on most of the newer homes in Patterson. The monies, dubbed the “community facilities fee,” total about $800,000.
Those monies have restrictions on how they can be spent. Basically, the money must go to constructing new facilities. Patterson Parks and Recreation Director Adrienne Chaney said the $250,000 would help secure additional funding through competitive grants, which is where city staff hopes to get a majority of the skate park funding.
Chaney is also bringing a proposal to the council that, if passed, would see numerous city fees increase. In a report to the council, Chaney wrote that program and staffing cuts would be likely if the increased fees weren’t put in place.