Sonora council to pick mayor

The City Council will pick Sonora’s next mayor and install recently elected council members at its regular meeting on Monday evening.

The city’s next mayor, a position held by councilman Bill Canning, will be chosen among the five-member council to serve a two-year term that will last until June 30, 2014.

Once the council has chosen a successor to Canning, it will be the new mayor’s responsibility to appoint a mayor pro-tem who will serve a two-year term with confirmation from other councilmembers.

The council will also vote to certify the results of the June election. Council members who garnered seats during the midterm election will be administered the oath of office during the evening meeting. Those taking the oath will include incumbents Canning and Ron Stearn, and newly elected member Connie Williams. City Clerk/Treasurer Marijane Cassinetto will also take the oath before serving out another four-year term.

Once the mayor is chosen and the council is set there will be a public hearing to solicit opinions from the public about a community development block grant program funded waiver. The waiver would authorize $138,000 to add improvements and waterproof a portion of the Sonora Police Department.

The project will waterproof concrete roof decks of two connected buildings and a two-level parking garage used by Sonora Police.

In other action the Sonora City Council will:

• Hold a public hearing to consider a community development block grant to fund Sonora’s Homebuyers’ Assistance Program and the city’s Microenterprise Assistance Program. The program’s annual report, which funds the Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program, will also be reviewed.

• Consider a resolution to grant Cal Sierra Disposal a 2.162 percent increase in garbage collection rates based on the Consumer Price Index as provided by the city’s franchise agreement.

• Weigh a resolution to grant preliminary approval for the city engineer’s report for Sunrise Hills units 1 and 2, to levy an assessment and set a public hearing on Aug. 6.

• Hear a presentation from Comcast informing the city that after Aug. 14 the company will transmit all video services in a digital format. This means that customers will need to have a digital set-top.

PUBLIC MEETING: Sonora City Council, 5 p.m. Monday, City Hall, 94 N. Washington St.