Turlock addresses farmers market, roads, crime

Turlock tackled its most ticklish topics in a marathon City Council meeting that touched on the dueling farmers markets, a booming entertainment venue, downtown parking, fixing city roads and crime fighting.

As the minute hand spun toward 10 p.m. at the Tuesday meeting that began at 5 p.m., the panel appeared to hold its breath as the mayor asked for public comment before voting on a street-closure request. No neighbors rose, however, to speak against the request by Sacred Heart Catholic Church for a two-hour closure to host a festival Monday.

That same section of Cooper Avenue was the focus of intense neighborhood protest this spring as the church sought, and ultimately achieved, permanent closure of the block that splits its elementary school campus. A silent collective sigh followed the vote and the council moved forward to arguably the weightiest matters of the night for the community as a whole, discussed and voted on with no audience participation in 17 minutes.

In what municipal services Director Michael Cooke called a historic vote, the council unanimously approved the final pipes to convey Turlock’s treated wastewater to Del Puerto Water District farmlands through the North Valley Regional Recycled Water Program.

Creators of an in-depth report on the city’s water supply took the last slot on the agenda. The report concluded the city has enough water, for now, but needs to take steps to ensure wells stay clear of contaminants. Turlock relies entirely on groundwater, pulled from dozens of wells running through six layers of aquifers. Water from layers with higher levels of pollutants can seep into clear water stores if disturbed by drilling or wells without proper design and servicing, the report noted.

The bulk of the meeting went to three issues: crime statistics and ways to lower them; how to best use a small addition to road funds; and the extension of city water to the RAM Farms pumpkin patch, corn maze and winter ice rink that draws up to 50,000 visitors a year.

The ice rink

The request for a $17,000 extension of 1-inch pipe across Daubenberger Road for a county-required restroom drew fire for nearly an hour from neighbors of the property just outside the city limit at Canal Drive.

“RAM Farms has continuously and willfully violated its use permits,” said Matt Rickard before detailing conditions he said were not met. “When a permit is not complied with or enforced, it’s not worth the paper it’s on,” he said, pointing to a temporary tent over the ice rink that remained year-round. Others complained of noise and parking problems. One neighbor spoke for the business, saying ag harvests were worse.

RAM Farms owners Mike and Ron Macedo denied the charges, saying the business has complied with all the county’s provisions despite often murky or competing requirements by different agencies. Stanislaus County regulators required such extensive structural support for their “temporary” tent that it is now used as a barn to store ag equipment when the ice rink is not operating, Ron Macedo said.

“Are we trying? Are we doing everything we possibly can? Absolutely we are,” he said.

The council voted unanimously to allow the extension, fully paid by RAM Farms, with two conditions: that city staff coordinate with county staff on oversight of the business; and that the Macedos host the neighbors for a community airing of concerns.

Fixing the roads

How to fund and where to spend $100,000 that Councilwoman Amy Bublak asked be put aside for road repairs in advance of the Measure L road tax vote ended with a decision to take the money from gas tax funds. The funds were set aside for future signal installation and maintenance, staff said, but could be replenished by the general fund if needed and had the benefit of not triggering an ongoing commitment from the general fund if Measure L passes.

The vote was again 5-0 to use the $100,000 to put a slurry seal on streets in a residential area just west of the Stanislaus County Fairgrounds, meant to seal the roadway and extend its life for six to 10 years.

Policing fairgrounds

In a separate item, Turlock police revealed the fairgrounds are actually on city land, annexed in 1971, and not under Stanislaus County sheriff’s purview as has been assumed for decades.

Turlock Police Department Capt. Steven Williams said the discovery was made in the aftermath of a loud outdoor concert at the fairground July 23 that triggered hundreds of calls to the Turlock dispatch center. Complaints of noise and foul language poured in from all across town and even outlying areas. In investigating how to better handle such an influx, the department also looked at its jurisdictional standing in the matter and realized local noise ordinances would apply.

City crime trends

In an overview of crime trends in the city, statistics show a recent spike in car thefts and burglaries, the top offenses in Turlock. The city had two murders in 2015 and 17 rapes, both down from 2014. But stolen cars jumped 44 percent year over year to 513 cases in 2015.

To combat the trend, the department will target places and times with the highest incidences of crimes being reported, using police on bicycles and undercover operatives at times. One detective will work on auto theft full time, and the department will work with county probation officers to raise compliance checks, police Chief Rob Jackson said.

The department also plans to raise its profile on Facebook, Twitter and other social media, and monitor traffic on other active sites in the city, he said.

“The statistics alone aren’t enough to help us direct our enforcement efforts, so we really need to reach out to our community and get more information from them,” Jackson said.

Farmers markets

The council took up the farmers market issue with a report on how the Turlock Downtown Farmers Market – the for-profit venture new to downtown this year – is faring. Reduced traffic and fewer vendors brought complaints by downtown business owners and led to consolidation of the market at Central Park and plans to close for the season at the end of August, said Allison Van Guilder, director of Turlock park, recreation and public facilities.

The Turlock Certified Farmers Market, a nonprofit community group displaced from Main Street by the new applicant, moved to the fairground, a shady venue where it appears to be flourishing. The increasingly bitter battle for the Main Street location on Saturday mornings packed council meetings for several months.

In a move that could settle the issue, the council decided to consider at its next meeting a directive ending Main Street closures except for one-time events of community interest, such as the yearly Santa parade.

Downtown parking

Downtown’s resurgence also figured in discussions of area parking at the meeting. A parking study found plenty of available spots, just not necessarily at the right place or open at the right time.

The plan approved by the council will work on improving directions to existing lots immediately, with better signage going in by February. Over the next year, the city will look at ways to improve sidewalks, lighting and general user-friendliness of the area.

But the real problem of downtown parking, that everyone wants to park right in front of the door, was left with only further exploration of action. The parking study the city commissioned found a large portion of street-parked vehicles sat six or more hours in their spot, suggesting employees were taking the spots.

Experts who wrote the study recommended enforcement of two- or four-hour time limits for curb parking, with future installation of smart meters that drivers could find and make electronic payments into via their phones. The council, noting past complaints by business owners, opted instead to ask owners to join them in studying the matter further.

This story was originally published August 10, 2016 at 6:38 PM with the headline "Turlock addresses farmers market, roads, crime."