Riverbank City Council chambers were abuzz last Tuesday like they haven’t been since the COVID pandemic made its impact felt on the city and the world last year.
Mayor Richard O’Brien and most of the council members were on hand for the monthly meeting, held in city hall on July 27. Even Rachel Hernandez, representing District Two residents, was able to attend her first in-person council meeting since being sworn in, via Zoom, after the November 2020 election.
Referred to as a ‘hybrid’ public meeting, citizens were able to attend either in person or by watching on the internet. Council members Luis Uribe and Cal Campbell joined Hernandez and the mayor on the dais in chambers, while Darlene Barber-Martinez participated from home. The city clerk, police chief and other department heads were logged in via Zoom, as well.
There was just a bit of a glitch, causing a short delay right at the start of the meeting, as technical difficulties complicated audio and video hook-ups for everybody all at once, but they were quickly remedied.
Among the business items, the council approved making permanent ordinances affecting the presence of food truck vendors in Riverbank.
First authorized as a pilot program back in April 2019, the test runs were extended by 12 months in September 2019, and again in September 2020.
The council found that the regulations set for the test run were sufficient and voted to make them permanent in city Municipal Codes.
Other business included a consideration of an amendment for the development agreement between the corporation doing business as Perfect Union. The company that owns it assumed an agreement with the city first granted to the Riverbank Cannabis Collective back in January 2018.
The Perfect Union group was seeking to amend the public benefit part of the agreement so that it is lowered $4,000 or about one percent from the previous arrangement. The group has reported that their income has not risen to the point where the percentage rate would apply, instead continuing to make the minimum monthly payments.
They’re expecting to be able to apply their saving to improvements in the business so that more income can be generated.
The council voted to approve the first reading of the amendment, with the second reading and adoption expected to come at its Aug. 24 meeting. It would become effective 30 days after that date.
Also, council members will next gather for a special meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 10. It’ll be held at the Riverbank Teen Center, 3601 Santa Fe, beginning at 9 a.m.
The single topic of the meeting will be consideration of the city’s Strategic Plan, providing direction and/or comments to guide management staff on its implementation and accomplishment of the plan’s goals.
