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Citrus Heights Messenger

The End of an Era

Dec 15, 2022 12:00AM ● By Story by Shaunna Boyd

The Citrus Heights City Council honored the long-time service of retiring Councilmembers Jeannie Bruins, who served for 20 years, and Steve Miller, who served for 17 years. Left to right: New Mayor Tim Schaefer, Councilmember Porsche Middleton, retiring Councilmember Jeannie Bruins, retiring Councilmember Steve Miller, new Vice Mayor Bret Daniels, and City Manager Ashley Feeney. Photo courtesy of the City of Citrus Heights

Council Honors Retiring Members Jeannie Bruins and Steve Miller

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) - It was an emotional scene at the December 8 City Council meeting as they honored retiring Councilmembers Jeannie Bruins and Steve Miller.

Councilmember Bruins is the longest serving councilmember, first joining the Council on December 11, 2002. She served as mayor in 2006, 2011, 2016, and 2019. Prior to serving on the Council, Bruins was a member of the Citrus Heights Incorporation Project and was instrumental in the fight for cityhood. Major projects approved during her 20 years on the Council include construction of the Citrus Heights Children and Youth Center, the new City Hall, and the Citrus Heights Community Center; rehabilitation of Sayonara Drive; the formation of the Citrus Heights Police Department; development of the Citrus Heights Community Garden; revitalization of Auburn and Sunrise Boulevards; and approval of the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan.

Councilmember Steve Miller first joined the Council in 2005, serving as mayor in 2008, 2013, 2018, and 2021. During his tenure, he helped move forward major projects such as construction of the new City Hall and the Community Center; revitalization of Auburn and Sunrise Boulevards; development of the Mitchell Farms project, the Old Auburn Multiuse Trail, and the Arcade-Cripple Creek Trail; approval of the Sunrise Tomorrow Specific Plan; and he helped introduce SmartRide to Citrus Heights.

Both Bruins and Miller were commended by the Council for their distinguished and devoted service, and their tireless efforts to promote fiscal responsibility, safe and secure neighborhoods, and economic growth.  

Councilmember Bret Daniels said the city is “extremely lucky” to have two councilmembers who served for so long and “dedicated so much of their lives” to that service.

Vice Mayor Tim Schaefer said he “learned an incredible amount about what this job is about from both Councilmember Bruins and Councilmember Miller. … Some pretty amazing things have happened under the leadership of these two, and I am very grateful for that.”

Mayor Porsche Middleton described Bruins as a “guiding star” who “helped us understand what it meant to be a part of this community and to serve selflessly. I will never be able to thank you enough for all of your guidance and your continued mentorship.” To Miller, Mayor Middleton said, “You have been the levity that I needed on the council.” She said he always reminded her “that we’re doing this for the benefit of the community and that’s where the joy comes from.”  

Bill Van Duker spoke during Public Comment to thank Bruins and Miller for their time on the Council. He said it was “the end of an era.”

Bruins said, “20 years went very quickly.” Despite describing herself as an “unwilling candidate” initially, she felt “this was a higher calling.” She said she will treasure the relationships she’s built with councilmembers, staff, and residents: “It’s been a joy.”  

Miller said it had been “an honor and privilege and true pleasure to serve Citrus Heights,” And he looks forward to serving the city in a new venue–as a newly elected member of the San Juan Unified School District Board, winning the Area 7 seat in the November 2022 election. He reminded everyone, “If you want to be involved, show up. We’ll find a place for you.”

Council then certified the results of the November 8, 2022, election—swearing in new Councilmembers MariJane Lopez-Taff for District 2 and Jayna Karpinski-Costa for District 4, and the re-elected Porsche Middleton for District 5. After the new members took their seats on the Council, selection of the new mayor and vice mayor commenced—with Tim Schaefer confirmed as mayor and Bret Daniels as vice mayor.

The new Council considered whether to authorize the City Manager to execute service agreements under the amount of $200,000 for the development of Infrastructure Financing Strategies and any necessary ancillary engineering work for the Sunrise Tomorrow Project—which will guide redevelopment of the 100-acre Sunrise Mall site.

Economic Development and Community Engagement Director Meghan Huber introduced the item, explaining that although infrastructure such as water, sewer, storm drainage, electricity, and other utilities exist along Sunrise Blvd. and Greenback Lane, the Sunrise Mall site still requires project-specific infrastructure and an associated funding plan to facilitate eventual infill redevelopment.

In August 2022, the City issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) from firms to conduct analysis of various public infrastructure financing scenarios of other economic development tools. They received three responses, and Kosmont Companies was identified as the best qualified to complete the scope of work identified in the Infrastructure Financing Strategies RFP.

It is expected that additional engineering work will be needed to inform the analysis and address phasing scenarios, so staff recommended a total funding allocation of $200,000 to ensure complete Infrastructure Financing Strategies that can be successfully implemented. This amount includes a total fixed-fee budget of $52,500 to Kosmont, with $147,500 remaining for engineering work. The $200,000 total would be comprised of $160,000 awarded to the City from the Sacramento Area Council of Governments’ Green Means Go Grant and $40,000 allocated from the City’s federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding.

Kosmont would need approximately 120 days to complete the Infrastructure Financing Strategies analysis, which will include comprehensive information on the options, fiscal and economic benefits, and advantages and disadvantages to implementing public infrastructure on the site to facilitate redevelopment. The City will use the analysis as a playbook for how to potentially leverage a variety of financing tools and public funding sources to plan and construct the needed infrastructure.

Vice Mayor Bret Daniels said he would not typically support giving the city manager so much oversight control, but he on this occasion he will support it: “I feel confident that it will be done in a proper way.”

Councilmember Porsche Middleton said the City’s award from the Green Means Go Grant shows that people in the region are excited about the work Citrus Heights is doing and that the Sunrise Tomorrow project will benefit both the City and the region.

The Council voted unanimously to approve the resolution.

Council then considered whether the City should apply for the Higher Impact Transformative (HIT) Grant Program, which is a competitive funding program through the State Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The HIT grant program aims to increase the housing supply, reduce vehicle miles traveled, unlock infill development, support multimodal options, and help facilitate local projects that are working toward those goals.

Community Development Director Casey Kempenaar explained that the HIT grant is targeting projects like Sunrise Tomorrow, which will be high impact and significantly transform land use on the site. The City’s scope of work for the requested grant award would be to support infill development of the site through frontage improvement, laying more utilities, intersection improvements, and development of a transit center.

There is $30 million available statewide through the HIT grant, with a $10 million maximum grant allowance. Because it is a competitive grant, staff recommended Council allocate $1 million from ARPA as matching funds (which will be pro-rated if the City is granted less than $10 million).

The Council voted unanimously to approve the grant application, which is due by December 31, 2022.