-Editorial
At its February 4 meeting, the Brawley City Council took steps to reorganize its community engagement efforts by adopting a resolution to dissolve the Community Improvement Committee (CIC). The committee, initially formed in August 2023, was intended to include members with experience in construction trades who could take a hands-on role in improving city facilities.
However, the committee’s structure under the Brown Act posed challenges, particularly restricting the ability to hold impromptu meetings and on-site facility inspections, which are crucial to project completion. The resolution to dissolve the CIC will allow the group to transition into a more flexible volunteer-based program.
According to Special Projects Manager Denise Garcia, restructuring the committee into a volunteer group will facilitate faster project execution while still maintaining administrative oversight. Volunteers will be processed similarly to other city volunteers, with projects coordinated by city staff and updates provided to the council every quarter.
In a related agenda item, the council reviewed the establishment of new committees, including a Budget Committee, Legislation Committee, Healthcare Committee, and Education Committee. The discussion focused on the applicability of the Brown Act, which mandates public access to official city committee meetings and imposes restrictions on meeting formats.
Interim Assistant to the City Manager John Tang noted that while some committees, such as the Legislation Committee, would face minimal Brown Act challenges, a Budget Committee would be significantly impacted. The budget preparation process is extensive, requiring careful deliberation among city departments, bargaining units, and council members. If a formal Budget Committee were formed, it would likely be restricted to high-level budget discussions rather than active involvement in the preparation process.
Given these considerations, the council opted to appoint individual liaisons instead of forming committees. Councilmember Perry Monita will serve as the Public Safety Liaison, while Councilmember John Grass will take on the role of Healthcare Liaison. Councilmember Timothy Kelley was designated as the Community Improvements Liaison, and Mayor Pro Tem J.J. Galvan will oversee Traffic Safety. Mayor Gil Rebollar was appointed as the Education Liaison, while both Councilmembers Grass and Kelley will serve as Legislative Liaisons. City Manager Jimmy Duran clarified that if the mayor needs to discuss budget matters, he will reach out to the City Manager or a staff member as needed.
The council also approved the city’s participation in Operation Stonegarden (OPSG), a federal grant program under the Department of Homeland Security. The program provides funding for overtime and equipment for local law enforcement agencies to support border security efforts in collaboration with the U.S. Border Patrol.
Under the approved agreement, the Brawley Police Department will receive $214,798.40 in funding, with allocations including $50,780.00 for overtime pay, $14,218.40 for fringe benefits, $6,800.00 for fuel expenses, $100,000.00 for the purchase of ten license plate readers (LPR), $38,000.00 for LPR maintenance, and $5,000.00 for the purchase of two computer notebooks. City officials noted that funds designated for LPR equipment and maintenance will be partially used to cover existing expenses related to the city’s Flock account, which manages automated license plate recognition technology. The council’s approval authorizes the City Manager or the Police Chief to sign the agreement and incorporate the funding into the city’s budget under the designated Stonegarden grant fund.
In another police-related matter, the council approved the purchase of evidence storage solutions and office furniture for the Brawley Police Department. The department had previously converted a former holding cell into an evidence storage area, and this approval allows for the installation of shelving and workstations.
Following a public bidding process, the council selected Spacesavers as the preferred vendor for storage solutions, despite not being the lowest bidder. The company’s proposal was deemed the best fit for police evidence storage needs.
Additionally, the department will purchase office furniture from Office 360 to complete the workspace setup.
To fund the evidence storage project, the city will amend its FY24/25 Capital Improvement Plan, allocating resources from the Police Development Impact Fund (Fund 452), including $38,000.00 for evidence storage solutions and $2,224.55 for office furniture.
