5 Things You Need to Know About Watsonville: City Council Edition

It's a big night for the Watsonville City Council. Here's what you need to know.

The meetings start at 4:30 p.m. with the joint city council/redevelopment agency meeting in the council chambers.

In one interesting agenda item, the city is considering entering a memorandum of understanding with the California Sunshine Regional Center to recruit Asian business investors to Watsonville.

The agenda includes the latest code of ethics inquiry, this time into the behavior of Mayor Daniel Dodge, Councilman Manuel Bersamin and Library Board Trustee (and former city councilman) Antonio Rivas.

That item will be discussed immediately following the redevelopment meeting—possibly as early as 4:35 p.m—so there's reason to attend that afternoon session.

Last month, for the way he treated a city resident. During that process, Bersamin stated publicly that he was ready should he be the next focus of ad-hoc committee.

The committee is recommending the group be admonished.

has proposed the man he beat for the seat—Dobie Jenkins—as a member of the personnel commission.

The item is on the consent agenda, so it looks like Jenkins is a shoe-in.

There will be some talk about water.

City councilors will get a tutorial on the 2010 Urban Water Management Plan. Following questions and comments from the public, the council will be asked to approve the plan.

The city's final budget for next year will be discussed and approved. Watsonville has been facing a $1.9 million budget shortfall, but negotiations with police and fire unions reduced some personnel costs.

A week ago, the city council made decisions on , but didn't make deep of cuts as initially planned.

The budget discussion is on the 6:30 p.m. agenda.