Mayor Highlights Progress, Challenges and Goals during State of City Address
City Hall staffing rebounds, but financial headwinds persist; Zorn touts waterfront plan, economic development initiatives in looking to future
The city of Martinez has made significant progress over the past year addressing a City Hall staffing crisis, adding 13 full-time positions and fully staffing the community and economic development, dispatch, public works and community services and recreation departments, Mayor Brianne Zorn said last week in her State of the City Address at a Martinez Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting.
Recruiting and retention was the top goal that the City Council identified last year, and Zorn thanked City Manager Michael Chandler and his leadership team for the strides they’ve made returning City Hall to full staffing; she also highlighted the 11 sworn-officer hires in the Police Department, aided by a special 6.25% salary increase last April. And the city is planning to announce soon hires for two major positions: chief building official and the finance director.
But that progress is tempered by a “challenging revenue climate with increasing expenses” as the city works toward a second goal of achieving fiscal sustainability, Zorn told the audience. Zorn pointed out that recent reports indicate that revenues from sales tax, cannabis sales and fee services are all down, while property tax is up. One-time funding from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is also expiring, and the city is required to completely allocate the remaining funds this year and spend them by 2026.
“Our Finance Department has prioritized cost-recovery initiatives that are years past needing an update,” Zorn said in the remarks she prepared for the address, pointing to a user fee schedule and water rate study.
Mayor Brianne Zorn
A public hearing will be held at Wednesday’s City Council meeting on updating user fees. According to a city staff report on the hearing: “There have been very few recreation fee adjustments in the last decade, yet staffing, maintenance and utility costs have all increased over the same timeframe. This lack of regular fee adjustments has significantly widened the gap between revenue and expenses and created a strain on the General Fund. Without adjusting fees, the city risks its fiscal stability when balancing stagnant revenues with increased demand and expense.”
The proposed changes to various city fees can be found at the following link: https://legistarweb-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/attachment/pdf/2505196/Attachment_C_-_Proposed_User_Fee_Schedule.pdf
The city will also hold a public hearing on April 17 to consider increasing water rates by 6% annually from 2025 through 2029. More information can be found at the following link: https://www.cityofmartinez.org/home/showpublisheddocument/3930/638453315413801682
Zorn also laid out some of the City’s Council’s top goals going forward, namely beginning the process of creating a “vibrant” waterfront and marina, including such components as new dining options, an events center, tidelands restoration and “sea level rise” considerations. The council recently sent its waterfront blueprint to the California State Lands Commission for consideration. The Water Emergency transportation Authority (WETA) is also considering Martinez for a pilot study for Carquinez Strait ferry service, a long-hoped for dream in the city.
The city is also focusing on creating strong downtown and commercial centers through the leadership of new Community and Economic Development Director Jill Bergman.
“She hit the ground running addressing immediate needs such as clearing out the permit backlog, streamlining the permitting process, and rolling out online accessibility,” Zorn said.
Next up are initiatives such as attracting and marketing new businesses, and further supports for businesses and entrepreneurs citywide.
Other topics Zorn addressed during the speech:
The ongoing controversies surrounding PBF’s Martinez refinery from accidents and releases. She praised the community activism from the Healthy Martinez group in mobilizing “our community to turn out to advocate for the health and safety of our residents,” and noted that the Bay Area Air Quality Management District is “considering automatic distributions to local community funds from penalties incurred.” She also noted that the city is partnering with PBF to hold quarterly cleanup events in the city, the next of which is planned for April.
A local road safety plan expected to be implemented starting this summer that will include a $240,000 grant for Safe Routes to School designs; the City Council is scheduled to sign off on it Wednesday.
The continuing efforts to craft a Housing Element that will pass muster with the state’s Department of Housing and Conservation Development (HCD). City staff are currently working on a third draft of the plan to guide housing development through 2031, after HCD sent back the previous two drafts for revisions. The city has been given a goal of creating 1,345 housing units in the next eight years.
Park projects for the new Pine Meadow Park (which was expected to go out to bid last week) and Hidden Valley Park
Wednesday’s City Council meetings
Following its recent pattern of holding special study sessions before regular council meetings, the City Council will kick things off on Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. with a discussion on potential revisions to the city’s industrial zoning policies and regulations. This fits into the economic development initiatives Zorn highlighted in her State of the City Address, as the accompanying staff report for the study session says the following:
Martinez has an opportunity to dramatically improve and expand its industrial sector – which in turn will provide more high-quality jobs, attract business sectors with long-term growth potential (such as advanced manufacturing, life sciences, and next-generation food), and facilitate significant investment that will increase revenues and improve the City’s financial stability.
The study session will focus on ways to accomplishing the following:
Streamlining zoning for target industries
Making “opportunity” sites more viable and desirable to “high value” industrial businesses looking to locate in Martinez
Aligning industrial zoning regulations with the city’s industrial goals and policies
Updating development regulations and standards to match the current realities for industrial development.
The regular City Council meeting follows at 7 p.m. The agendas for both meetings and information on how to attend remotely can be found at the following link: https://www.cityofmartinez.org/government/meetings-and-agendas