Redding City Council to weigh efficiency study, interim attorney contract and mid-year budget Tuesday March 17th

The Redding City Council holds its regular meeting Tuesday evening with a packed agenda that includes a city-wide efficiency review by an outside consulting firm, a new contract for interim legal services after the city attorney's departure, the mid-year budget adjustment and a notable reversal on electric rates.

New City Manager William Tarbox, who took office in late February, has moved quickly to reshape city operations. Tuesday's meeting puts several of his early decisions in front of the full council for the first time.

Here is a look at the major items on the agenda.

THE REU RATE HIKE IS OFF THE TABLE (6.1)

The most closely watched item on Tuesday's agenda is one the council will not be voting on. Item 6.1 formally cancels the public hearing on proposed Redding Electric Utility rate increases — a hearing that had been continued from the council's March 3 meeting to this week.

City Manager William Tarbox announced over the weekend that he had ordered a financial review of REU and halted the proposed rate increases, as the Record Searchlight reported Sunday. The rate proposal had drawn significant public backlash, with residents packing the March 3 meeting and multiple outlets characterizing the increases as a backdoor tax hike following voters' rejection of a sales tax measure. The hearing will not be rescheduled at this time.

The cancellation signals an early and visible policy shift under Tarbox's leadership. The Shasta Scout reported March 14 that Tarbox had announced an "assault-style overhaul" of city operations, and pulling back the rate increases appears to be one of the first tangible results.

CIRCLE 6 CONSULTING: $300,000 EFFICIENCY STUDY (9.1)

The council will consider approving a sole-source consulting agreement with Circle 6 Consulting Inc. for up to $300,000 to perform a city-wide efficiency study. The contract is brought forward by the City Manager's office under municipal code provisions that allow sole-source procurement.

A companion budget resolution — the 29th Amendment to City Budget Resolution No. 2025-049 — would appropriate $235,230 for the agreement in the current fiscal year.

The study is a centerpiece of the operational overhaul Tarbox has outlined since arriving. How broadly the study's scope extends and what authority Circle 6 will have to recommend staffing or structural changes are questions the council may want answered before approving.

MID-YEAR BUDGET REVIEW (9.10)

Item 9.10 asks the council to accept the city's fiscal year 2025-26 mid-year budget report and adopt the 28th Amendment to City Budget Resolution No. 2025-049. The amendment increases appropriations by $1,185,570 for the current fiscal year and decreases appropriations by $938,670 for fiscal year 2026-27.

The city has been navigating significant budget pressures since last year, with council members debating cuts to services including the Civic Auditorium, sports park operations and the library. The mid-year review provides the clearest picture yet of where spending stands against projections, and the directional shift of nearly $1.2 million in increased current-year spending alongside reduced out-year appropriations is worth examining in the staff report.

INTERIM CITY ATTORNEY: BURKE, WILLIAMS & SORENSEN (9.14)

With City Attorney Christian Curtis confirmed to be leaving his position, the council will consider a contract with Burke, Williams & Sorensen LLP for interim city attorney services. The agreement carries a not-to-exceed cap of $300,000, effective upon signing.

Burke, Williams & Sorensen is one of the largest municipal law firms in California, with offices across the state. The firm would provide interim legal counsel until the city hires a permanent replacement.

MEDICAL SCHOOL LETTER OF SUPPORT (9A)

The council will consider authorizing Mayor Mike Littau to send a letter of support to the Rural Northern California Medical School Consortium in support of establishing a medical sciences school in Redding. The Shasta County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to back the effort in January.

DOWNTOWN PARKING AND TRAFFIC CHANGES (9.11)

The Public Works Department brings forward a financial update on the Downtown Parking Division and a resolution amending the city's Traffic Control Map. The changes include modifying eight on-street parking spaces affected by new state daylighting regulations, which require clear sight lines at intersections

, by converting them to designated commercial loading and short-term spaces with yellow curb markings.

Two other traffic modifications are included: changing the "no parking" red curb designation along the frontage of 1155 Lake Boulevard at Kennett Court Apartments, and extending the existing red curb on Yana Avenue at Shasta Meadows Elementary School by approximately 20 feet to improve pedestrian safety at the crosswalk.

CONSENT CALENDAR HIGHLIGHTS

The consent calendar contains 15 items. Several stand out beyond routine approvals:

Ordinance No. 2689 — Hilltop Drive Entertainment Zone (4e). This is the second reading of an ordinance amending the municipal code to establish a temporary entertainment zone on portions of Hilltop Drive. The ordinance was introduced at the March 3 meeting.

REU supply contract (4.5). The council would award Bid Schedule No. 5672 to OneSource Supply Solutions for insulators, pins, braces and guy assemblies for the Redding Electric Utility. The annual evaluated price is $300,795.80, with the bid extendable annually through February 2031. Including a $60,000-per-year contingency and sales tax, the total annual amount comes to $322,603.50.

Cannabis Tax Fund grant (4.9). The council would ratify an application to the California Highway Patrol's Cannabis Tax Fund Grant Program for $480,115 and authorize the City Manager to execute the contract if awarded.

Housing Element progress report (4.4). Staff is asking the council to accept the 2025 General Plan/Housing Element Annual Progress Report and direct its submission to the Governor's Office of Planning and Research and the state Department of Housing and Community Development — a standard annual requirement.

Vac-Con vacuum excavator (4.11). The council would authorize the purchase of a vacuum excavator for water distribution system maintenance at a net delivered cost of $650,713.30, with an additional $30,000 authorized for future pricing adjustments.

Stillwater Treatment Plant Phase II (4.11b). The council would award the Stillwater Outfall Building project to Converse Construction Inc. for $243,041, with an additional $205,000 in administration, inspection, development and contingency costs.

PRESENTATION

Assembly Member Heather Hadwick's office will present an award honoring Redding Fire Department firefighter Steven Sawyer as the department's 2025 Firefighter of the Year. The invocation will be offered by Lynn Fritz, a Karuk Tribal descendant and Shasta County Interfaith Forum chair, and Joey Carroll, who will perform a Native American flute ceremony.