Modesto Council Watch

The Modesto City Council on Tuesday voted to:

• Direct City Attorney Susana Alcala Wood to work with the League of California Cities and other municipal governments to challenge state efforts to borrow money from local governments. Modesto fears losing $3.1 million to $7.7 million if the state follows through on proposals to balance its budget with money from local governments.

• Sell property at 1517 10th St. to the Austin and Frances Parks Family Trust for $239,595. The nearly 16,000-square-foot property was a remnant of an overpass project at College and Needham avenues.

• Accept a $100,000 grant from the state Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control

• Sell a former fire station at 720 Coldwell Ave. to William Holmes and Kanthi Kiran for $175,000

• Hire Guardsmark of Sacramento to provide security at a variety of locations for an annual cost of $378,000

• Hire Goodwin Consulting Group of Sacramento to create a plan to pay for public improvements to a proposed business park off Kansas Avenue. The company could earn as much as $48,000.

• Approved a $5.5 million contract with Carollo Engineers of Phoenix to design improvements to Modesto's west-side sewer treatment plant. The intent is to help the city meet increasingly stringent environmental standards and produce treated waste water that is safe to use in agriculture.

• In addition, the council met in closed session to discuss an update to a lawsuit demanding public investments in the unincorporated islands within Modesto. The case is before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. Modesto and Stanislaus County were successful in defending themselves against the lawsuit before a lower court.