Willits City Council — May 13, 2026

Updating the catastrophic employee leave bank, an employee handbook "riddled with errors," and the proposed entertainment zone

The Willits arch. (Photo by Happyshooter via Flickr)

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Mayor Tom Allman gaveled the regular meeting of the Willits City Council to order at 6:30 p.m. (The full meeting is available on YouTube.) Long-time Willits employee Dan Curtis led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Public Comments on Non-Agenda Items

Six speakers addressed the council on non-agenda matters.

• Barbara Plaza urged Mayor Allman and Councilmember Bruce Burton to help her recover identity documents — including Social Security records, medical files, and Cherokee Nation documents — that she says are locked inside a shipping container on property controlled by John McKee following a foreclosure and eviction from her home at 143 Franklin Avenue.

• Danielle Barry, a 2022 Frontier Days past sweetheart, announced ticket sales for the upcoming Nedloo concert on May 20 and promoted the sale of limited-edition 100th anniversary Frontier Days commemorative coins, directing the public to contact Marcy Berry at 707-272-5395.

• Dennis Miller, a Fort Bragg resident, warned against a $98 million school bond on the June 2 ballot, citing state data showing the Fort Bragg Unified School District has already paid $93 million in interest alone on three prior bonds — a burden spread across roughly 7,000 taxpayers. He advocated for a savings-based assessment model with a sunset clause as an alternative.

• Karen Mattson, Mendocino County Museum director, invited the public to a free exhibit titled “Road Trip: Discover Mendocino County by Way of the Redwood Highway,” which features an expanded section celebrating the 100th anniversary of Frontier Days.

• A citizen raised concerns about a letter from the chief of police confirming that no-parking zones would again be enforced on West Valley, Pine, North, and West Commercial streets during the Fourth of July parade — a policy that resulted in costly tows for residents last year. Police Chief Brian Fay said the city would improve signage and outreach but noted safety requirements may still necessitate towing.

• Another citizen echoed Miller’s bond concerns, noting the $98 million Mendocino College bond would cost taxpayers a total of $210 million over 35 years and listed dozens of funded items — from sculpture gardens to parking lots — arguing voters should read the full bond text before deciding.

• Helen Simms announced that Sunday’s performance of Four Dogs and a Bone at the Willits Community Theatre is a Rotary Club buyout, with door tickets available and proceeds benefiting the theater. Free beer and wine will be served.

• Caroline Rehberger, the new owner of Flying Dog Pizza, expressed support for the downtown entertainment zone agenda item, noting that First Fridays had already driven above-average business even without her participation. “Any activity that we can bring to downtown Willits is what’s good for us,” she said.

Consent Calendar

Nici Caldwell flagged a clerical error on Item D, noting the contract listed an end date of “Sept. 31, 2026” — a date that does not exist — and confirmed the correct date is Dec. 31, 2026. Items B and C were pulled for separate discussion by Councilmembers Bruce Burton and Matthew Alaniz, respectively.

Council Member Reports

Councilmember Burton flagged constituent concerns about construction activity behind the dog park, which Public Works Director Davey Bowles confirmed is the wetland mitigation component of the rail trail project. Councilmember Gonzalez reported that LAFCO passed its budget and handled a City of Ukiah annexation of its corporation yard and noted an upcoming solid waste meeting via Zoom on May 15. Vice Mayor Alaniz highlighted a May 2 Skunk Train influencer event that promoted Willits to thousands of followers on social media. He also reported that MCOG Executive Director Barrett informed him the city has approximately $790,000 in unspent MCOG road funding available — with roughly five years of unclaimed reimbursements. Alaniz announced the next Finance Committee meeting is scheduled for May 20. Allman also noted that he and Councilmember Burton are forming an ad hoc committee on downtown parking.

City Manager Reports

Mayor Allman reported the interim city manager Bob Richardson had used up all the allotted hours in his contract and said that Dusty Duley, the city development director, was acting as the interim city manager.

Item: Catastrophic Leave Bank Policy (Consent Item B)

Human Resources Advisor Deborah Muchmore presented the proposed policy, explaining it would bring the city’s existing catastrophic leave donation program into compliance with IRS constructive receipt doctrine. “This is really about taxes,” she said. Under current practice, donors may owe taxes on donated leave; the new policy shifts tax liability to the recipient and removes a direct donor-to-recipient designation — a structure required for IRS compliance.

Public commenters were largely supportive of the concept. Nici Caldwell raised concerns about potential abuse of the system and noted that the agenda report’s “alternative impact” and “fiscal impact” sections appeared to be identical — a likely copy-and-paste error. Davey Bowles offered personal testimony, recalling that city staff donated leave to support him during a family emergency in 2019 when he had little accrued time. Buffey Bourassa, a county employee running for the Board of Supervisors, endorsed the bank model based on her experience during the 2017 fires. Eric Hart, who is also running for the Board of Supervisors, supported the idea but stressed the need for a clear, fair selection process regarding who would receive leave bank awards.

The council debated at length. Councilmember Bruce Burton questioned the policy’s necessity and pointed to the nearly $879,000 in current accrued leave liability. He also questioned how much staff time would be required to manage a leave bank benefit. Burton said he believed employees should either use their leave or receive compensation for it in the year it is earned.

Mayor Allman noted he had personally witnessed the value of catastrophic leave banks during his time at the county, recounting instances where employees donated up to 80 hours to colleagues facing serious illness. Vice Mayor Alaniz expressed support for the concept but objected to addressing policy updates piecemeal rather than comprehensively. Councilmember Gonzalez moved to approve the resolution with direction for clearer selection criteria; Stranske seconded. The motion failed 2-3, with Burton, Stranske, and Alaniz voting no.

Item: Personnel Policies and Procedures Manual Amendments (Consent Item C)

Vice Mayor Alaniz pulled this item to reiterate his concern about updating the 141-page policy manual incrementally rather than comprehensively. Public commenter Tamara Alaniz, who is also the wife of the vice mayor, agreed, arguing the document is “riddled with mistakes” and that piecemeal updates risk contradictions and confusion for staff who rely on it as their primary workplace reference.

Following discussion, the council agreed to defer a vote and form an ad hoc committee comprising Vice Mayor Alaniz and Councilmember Gonzalez to review the full manual. Mayor Allman noted that no final decisions would be made until a permanent city manager is in place.

Item: Downtown Entertainment Zone – Final Resolution

City Planner Connor Stack presented the resolution establishing rules for Willits’ proposed downtown entertainment zone, the second step in a three-part approval process. The zone covers portions of Main Street, East Commercial Street, State Street, and nearby public spaces, including Bud Snider Park. Stack clarified that the full zone boundary is not activated for every event — each use requires a management plan approved administratively by the Community Development Department and the chief of police and is not subject to individual council votes unless appealed.

Key parameters in the resolution include event hours of noon to 9 p.m., allowance for beer, wine, and distilled spirits tied to existing ABC-licensed businesses within the zone, and a mandatory two-year review cycle. Stack noted the zone was originally proposed by the Chamber of Commerce and has been supported throughout the process.

Eric Hart asked whether the city’s level of security enforcement could affect its liability exposure and sought clarification on whether nonprofits with temporary ABC licenses could serve alcohol in the park independent of the entertainment zone, which Stack confirmed is already permissible under existing law.

Councilmember Gonzalez moved to adopt the resolution as presented; Mayor Allman seconded. Councilmember Burton expressed ambivalence and suggested that restoring parking on Main Street — removed for a bike lane — would do more for downtown businesses. Councilmember Stranske voted no. The motion passed 3-2, with Burton and Stranske dissenting.

Item: Monthly Activity Reports

Councilmember Burton questioned three Alpha Analytical invoices totaling approximately $25,000 for water and wastewater testing. Nici Caldwell and Davey Bowles confirmed all testing is mandated by state and federal discharge permits, with an annual budget of approximately $130,000 to $140,000. Burton also asked about a $10,000 invoice to receivership attorney Cole Huber. Bowles confirmed it relates to ongoing litigation against the Van Hotel, where the city filed a complaint for appointment of a receiver following unresolved public safety conditions — a direction given by a prior council.

Closed Session

Mayor Allman briefly reconvened the council meeting after a closed session to discuss the possible appointment of an interim city manager.

The mayor adjourned the regular meeting at approximately 8:15 p.m.