PARLIER – The Parlier City Council took no action on the only action item listed under regular business of the council’s most recent meeting agenda.
No council members made a motion to either approve or deny the item, a consulting contract, at the council meeting Sept. 3. With this non-action, the city of Parlier will not be moving forward with an agreement that would have hired the city’s former interim police chief to oversee the completion of the police station renovation project — if that was ever even a possibility in the first place.
“I don’t see why we should be spending money on unnecessary contracts when we already have the staffing to do that,” Mayor Alma Beltran said. “That’s why I’ve been in a position of not wanting this item to go on the council agenda, but when you have three council members that request it, then they can override what I requested not to go on there. So this is why it’s on the agenda today.”
Consulting contract
The agenda item proposed the council approve a professional services agreement with Salvador Public Safety & Municipal Consulting, LLC — owned by Michael Salvador, who ended his time as Parlier’s interim chief just last month — for project management services for the Parlier Police Department headquarters renovation project.
Under the contract, Parlier would have paid Salvador an hourly rate of $150, plus pre-approved reimbursable expenses, with the contract capped at $30,000. The agreement would last until the project’s completion or June 30, 2027, whichever came first.
According to a city staff report, Parlier is undertaking the renovation and modernization of its police station and “due to the scope and complexity of the project, professional project management services would assist the city with overseeing and coordinating the work necessary to facilitate successful completion of the project.”
Work provided by Salvador would include: project review and assessment, contractor management, construction coordination and oversight, change order review, budget and schedule monitoring, project reporting, occupancy and move coordination, technology and operational readiness coordination and project close-out services, according to the staff report.
Although the staff report said that “staff recommends approval of the professional services agreement,” the report also acknowledged that there are no funds budgeted or available for this type of consultation.
Because there are no funds specifically budgeted for the contract, the staff report said the proposed amount would be paid from grant funds designated for the renovation project — subject to it even being an eligible expense under the grant.
Yet, the staff report went on to say that “there are no funds from the grant for project management. If contract is approved contract would have to come from the general fund.” (sic)
The staff report also said no general fund appropriation is proposed for the contract at this time. Parlier’s general fund is currently expected to end the 2026-27 fiscal year with a deficit of nearly $872,000.
Council questions
Although information was included in the staff report attached to the agenda, no city staff member formally introduced the item at the meeting. Instead, Councilmember Kathy Solorio began asking Police Chief Rene Garza questions as soon as the council moved on from the consent calendar.
“I would like to know, chief, if you’re ready to tackle that, and you understand, and you can work with it, with what Chief Mike had already had planned?” Solorio said. “How do you feel if it’s turned over to you to take over? Will we be assured by it with you?”
Garza said that was an interesting question but his “quick and short answer” was yes. He said he has managed similar projects in the past and can manage the police station renovation project if that is the direction the council wants to take.
Solorio then asked again if Garza had been through a project like this before. Garza said that while working for the Selma Police Department, he was not the primary point of contact for the new police station but was kept updated on the process and gave input.
Additionally, when Garza served as acting chief of police in Selma, the department was operating out of the new station while there was still work on the building that needed to be done and Garza helped manage that project, he said.
Solorio also asked Garza how he would handle a situation in which the contractor tells him they need more money for the project.
Garza said his job as the point of contact for the project would be to oversee that the actual infrastructure is suitable for a police department. Any questions about costs would be deferred to the city manager or engineer working on the project.
“In my experience, … my answer to that would be: Well, if there’s already an agreement in place, we have to abide by the contract,” Garza said. “I understand we can amend the contract; however, it depends on funding, and from what I understand the funding is very limited.”
Any increase in what is paid to a contractor would have to be approved through a change order signed off on by the city council.
City Engineer Javier Andrade also confirmed for Solorio that the renovation project is currently under construction using plans that Salvador helped revise while serving as interim chief.
Agenda argument
Beltran said she was aware of Garza’s experience overseeing a police station construction project, which was why she was against adding the item to the agenda in the first place.
Beltran said City Manager Aaron Palmer — who was absent from the meeting — told her the item would be on the agenda because three other council members had requested it, overriding Beltran’s mayoral power to remove an item.
Solorio confirmed that council members wanted the item on the agenda because they wanted to be able to ask questions. Solorio said that while Beltran knew of Garza’s experience, she did not.
“I needed things confirmed before I make any kind of decision,” Solorio said. “That’s why we put it on the agenda so everybody can know what’s up and going.”
Mayor pro tem Sabrina Rodriguez weighed in on the matter as well. She said the item was first proposed before Garza was brought on, which had her questioning why the city would do that before hiring its brand new chief.
“We don’t have the money to pay somebody to oversee something, sit in a meeting, say, ‘Oh yes, that’s a good idea,’” Rodriguez said. “From the day we brought chief in to get introduced to us, … he brought an entourage of knowledge, of people who support him, and he has behind him where he can call and ask a question with fellow colleagues.”
Councilmember Janie Molina said she does have confidence in Garza to be able to finish this project. She still wanted the item placed on the agenda, however, because when she first became a council member, it took her over a year and a half to get an item on the agenda, “and that to me is not right,” she said.
“I know that the mayor has her powers and she can just leave it off if she wants to, but I think it’s really important that as council members that we feel like, hey, this needs to be transparent,” Molina said. “If we don’t know, then how are we supposed to be transparent with our community? So to me, it’s very important that we at least get to put it on the agenda so we can talk about it.”
However, Beltran pointed out that the item was not brought forward as an informational or discussion item, it was specifically listed as an action item. She argued that doing so was not necessary in order for the council to still discuss Garza’s qualifications and get the answers some members wanted in a public setting.
