Modesto City Council watch

• A five-year agreement with the firm of Sidley Austin for legal services related to the joint powers agreement between Modesto and Stanislaus County for the waste-to-energy plant near Crows Landing. Covanta Energy owns and operates the plant. Recent state legislation could change the economics of the plant and require renegotiating the contract between the joint powers agency and Covanta. The legal services are for as much as $500,000 over the five years and would be paid for by the authority.
• Applying to the California Department of Housing and Community Development for as much as $1 million in grant funding for park and recreation projects.
• Affirming the proposed appointment of Yamilet Valladolid from El Concilio to serve as the nonprofit representative on the city’s Safer Neighborhood Initiative Oversight Board. The board has 11 members, who come from such sectors as education, business, neighborhoods, labor and public safety.
• The council meets at 5:30 p.m. in the basement chambers of Tenth Street Place, 1010 10th St., Modesto.

This story was originally published February 28, 2016 at 5:22 PM with the headline "Modesto City Council watch."