City of Redding Podcast
City of Redding Podcast
City Council Recap – June 16, 2026
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Missed the June 16 Redding City Council meeting? Katie and Steve break down the highlights in this quick recap episode.
Topics include:
• A tourism and downtown revitalization update from Visit Redding and Viva Downtown
• Approval of the City's five-year, $751 million Capital Improvement Plan
• Adoption of the 2026 Water Shortage Contingency Plan and 2025 Urban Water Management Plan
• A six-month update on the Downtown Entertainment Zone
• Modernization of the City's Transient Occupancy Tax ordinance, including short-term rentals
• Redding Electric Utility's new Public Safety Power Shutoff (PSPS) preparedness program and customer rebate program
• Formation of the new Redding Electric Professionals' Association
As always, this episode provides a high-level overview of the meeting and key decisions made by the Council. For the full meeting, visit the City's YouTube channel.
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I'm Katie.
SPEAKER_01And I'm Steven. This is the City of Reading Podcast.
SPEAKER_00Today we're recapping the June 16th Reading City Council meeting and highlighting some of the key decisions and discussions that took place.
SPEAKER_01Before Council got into the business portion of the meeting, they received two presentations focused on tourism, economic development, and downtown revitalization.
SPEAKER_00The first presentation came from Visit Reading's tourism marketing director, Danny Orloff, who provided Council with a semi-annual update on tourism marketing efforts and visitor trends.
SPEAKER_01Tourism continues to play an important role in the local economy, supporting jobs, local businesses, restaurants, hotels, and recreation opportunities throughout the region.
SPEAKER_00The presentation highlighted ongoing marketing efforts designed to attract visitors to Reading and showcase everything the community has to offer, from outdoor recreation and special events to arts, culture, and local businesses.
SPEAKER_01Council also received a presentation from Viva Downtown Reading Executive Director, John Truett.
SPEAKER_00The presentation focused on a unique distinction that exists in downtown Reading. The downtown area is home to three overlapping designations: the officially recognized Main Street District, California Cultural District, and the city's downtown entertainment zone.
SPEAKER_01Together, those designations help support economic activity, cultural programming, community events, and continued investment in downtown Reading.
SPEAKER_00The presentation highlighted how these efforts are working together to strengthen downtown as a destination for residents, businesses, and visitors alike.
SPEAKER_01Next, here's a quick overview of the consent calendar before diving into the larger items that received the most discussion.
SPEAKER_00And just a reminder: consent calendar items are routine business and typically don't require additional deliberation before approval.
SPEAKER_01There are quite a few items on the consent calendar this meeting, including authorization to apply for several grant opportunities related to wildfire mitigation, code enforcement, and homelessness services, funding for cleanup and beautification projects in Caldwell Park, downtown Reading, and the Parkview neighborhood, utility infrastructure improvements, including sewer, water, wastewater, and storm drain projects.
SPEAKER_00They also approved a public hearing to be set for July 21st, in which the council and the community can discuss and comment on adjustments to the city's schedule of fees. And they also recognized July as Parks and Recreation Month.
SPEAKER_01Council approved all consent calendar items as recommended.
SPEAKER_00Next, there were a few appointments for the Economic Development Corporation of Shasta County Board of Directors. Heidi Pond, Garrett Brown, and Steve Williams were nominated and approved unanimously. Next, there were a few public hearings.
SPEAKER_01One of the largest items discussed was the city's Capital Improvement Plan, often referred to as the CIP.
SPEAKER_00The Capital Improvement Plan serves as the city's roadmap for major infrastructure investments over the next several years. It includes projects involving streets, utilities, parks, public facilities, transportation infrastructure, and other community improvements.
SPEAKER_01The current plan represents approximately $751 million in planned capital improvements over the next five years. Those projects are funded through a combination of utility revenues, grant funding, impact fees, and general fund resources.
SPEAKER_00Many of the projects residents see underway today, from bridge replacements and road improvements to utility upgrades and park investments, are part of this long-term planning effort.
SPEAKER_01The plan helps prioritize projects, identify funding sources, and ensure the city can continue maintaining and improving critical infrastructure as the community grows.
SPEAKER_00Following the public hearing, Council approved the Capital Improvement Plan for fiscal years 2025 to 2026 through 2030 and 2031. In another public hearing, Council adopted the city's 2026 Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
SPEAKER_01This is a state-required planning document that outlines how the city would respond during varying levels of water shortage, whether caused by drought, emergencies, infrastructure failures, or other events that could impact water supplies.
SPEAKER_00Importantly, adopting the plan does not mean the city is currently facing a water shortage.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. This plan helps to ensure the city is prepared if drought conditions return in the future. One of the key updates involves outdoor watering hours. If conservation measures become necessary, residents would be allowed to water during the cooler morning and evening hours, while watering between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. would be restricted to reduce water loss from evaporation. This passed unanimously.
SPEAKER_00Closely related to that discussion was the adoption of the city's 2025 Urban Water Management Plan.
SPEAKER_01This is another state-mandated planning document that examines long-term water supply reliability and forecasts future water demands.
SPEAKER_00The plan looks decades into the future and helps ensure the city has strategies in place to provide reliable water service while planning for population growth, changing regulations, and potential drought conditions.
SPEAKER_01Council approved the updated plan unanimously and directed staff to submit it to the state as required.
SPEAKER_00And now for the regular agenda. Council received a six-month update on the Downtown Entertainment Zone. For background, the Reading City Council approved this zone in 2025, forming one of the largest entertainment zones in the state, operating 365 days a year.
SPEAKER_01That's right. The Downtown Entertainment Zone allows adults 21 and older to purchase an alcoholic beverage from a participating business and enjoy it within the designated entertainment zone boundaries. The program was launched as part of the city's efforts to support local businesses, encourage foot traffic, and create a more vibrant downtown experience.
SPEAKER_00The update reviewed the first six months of operation, including participation levels, business involvement, visitor activity, and lessons learned since implementation.
SPEAKER_01Council received the update and requested additional information regarding the temporary hilltop entertainment zone, including an evaluation of its performance and the potential for future expansion or longer-term implementation.
SPEAKER_00Another significant item involved updates to the city's transient occupancy tax ordinance.
SPEAKER_01That's the tax collected on short-term lodging stays, including hotels, motels, and increasingly online short-term rental platforms like Airbnb.
SPEAKER_00The proposed updates are intended to modernize the city's tax administration process, align local regulations with recent changes in state law, and improve the city's ability to collect taxes associated with short-term rental platforms.
SPEAKER_01Council introduced the ordinance and directed staff to move forward with the next steps in the adoption process, as well as a request to return at a later date with an update on short-term rentals.
SPEAKER_00The council also received an update regarding two relatively new groups, the Financial Advisory Committee and the Audit Committee.
SPEAKER_01Both committees were established earlier this year to strengthen financial oversight, transparency, and long-term fiscal planning.
SPEAKER_00The update covered implementation progress, future meeting schedules, and next steps as the committees begin their work.
SPEAKER_01Council received the informational report unanimously.
SPEAKER_00The council also discussed the city's membership on the Shasta County Air Pollution Control Board.
SPEAKER_01The discussion focused on the city's role within the regional agency and the funding necessary to support participation and regulatory responsibilities.
SPEAKER_00Council had some overall comments about the effectiveness and the value of this group for the funding. Because the City of Reading is legally on the board and has not removed itself, the Council did note that we are obligated to pay membership dues. After a brief discussion, Council accepted the report and approved the associated budget adjustments.
SPEAKER_01Next up, one of the more significant utility-related discussions involved Reading Electric Utility's new public safety power shutoff, or PSPS preparedness program.
SPEAKER_00Public safety power shutoffs are a wildfire prevention tool used during periods of extreme fire weather when electrical infrastructure could pose an elevated wildfire risk. RAU has identified approximately 1,800 customer accounts, which is less than 5% of REU customers, located in areas that could potentially be affected by future PSPS events, which means most RAU customers will never experience a PSPS.
SPEAKER_01As part of the program, RAU will implement customer notification systems, preparedness outreach, event communications, and support measures for customers located in areas identified as having potential PSPS impacts.
SPEAKER_00Council also approved a rebate program that provides eligible customers in identified PSPS impact areas with up to $500 towards the purchase of a backup generator or battery backup system.
SPEAKER_01The program is intended to help customers prepare for potential future outages while supporting the city's broader wildfire mitigation efforts.
SPEAKER_00After a few clarifying questions from the council, they approved the program and the funding needed to implement it.
SPEAKER_01The final major item involved the formal recognition of a newly formed Reading Electric Professionals Association.
SPEAKER_00The action establishes two new bargaining units representing management, supervisory, technical, and professional employees within the electric utility.
SPEAKER_01Again, after a few clarifying questions from the council, they approved the resolution recognizing the association as the exclusive employee organization representing those units.
SPEAKER_00This action formalizes employee representation and provides the framework for future labor discussions and negotiations.
SPEAKER_01That wraps up all the major actions from the June 16th Reading City Council meeting.
SPEAKER_00As always, this is a high-level overview of the meeting. For full details, public comment discussions, and context, watch the full meeting at cityofreading.gov or at YouTube at City of Reading.
SPEAKER_01That's it. Thanks for listening and have a great week.