Council preview: COVID funds on Avalon agenda

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Dec. 1 meeting to look at a transient occupancy tax ballot measure, appoint water consortium members

The Avalon City Council will hold a public hearing on Community Development Block Grant Funding and COVID Recovery funds on Tuesday, Dec. 1.

That’s not the only item on the agenda, but’s the only public hearing and the only new business scheduled, according to the agenda for the Dec. 1 meeting. The agenda is available online at the city website.

The Consent Calendar—which the council votes on collectively, unless specific items are removed for separate consideration—will cover:

• Setting Individual Campaign Contribution Limits in City Elections per Assembly Bill 571. According to the agenda, this bill goes into effect on New Year’s Day 2021. The current contribution limit: $4,700, according to the agenda.

• Designation of City Council Members to Water Consortium. The council is expected to “Designate Mayor Anni Marshall and Mayor Pro-Tem Cinde MacGugan-Cassidy to work with a community workgroup—Water Consortium—for a period of twelve months. The group will explore evolving water issues that affect Catalina Island,” according to the agenda.

• Update the Transient Occupancy Tax Committee, consider a ballot measure to increase the short-term rental tax. “The work group has evolved to focus on development of a tourism business improvement district (TB ID).” according to the agenda.

In related news, the council is scheduled on Dec. 15 to hold a second reading of a new ordinance to issue business licenses to transient rental properties (rather than conditional use permits).