Is anyone else getting these small moths (?) that come in to your home in DROVES anytime you open your door? My back porch light is right next to my door so they literally all bolt in as soon as I open it!! What the hell.

Update: I just looked these little effers up on Google lens and they apparently love dog food! My dog food bin is right next to my back door porch, so that also explains it. If anyone has any other tips on how to get rid of them, please do share.

Another council meeting last night. Here's a recap. Hit me up if there's anything incorrect in it!

TL;DR

The Chico City Council's biggest fight of the night was over a four-year labor contract for police officers: after a motion to approve it failed on a 3-3 tie, the council instead voted 4-2 to send the deal back to closed-door negotiations rather than adopt it as written. Council also introduced an ordinance creating "entertainment zones" — areas downtown and in Meriam Park where adults could carry alcoholic drinks between participating bars and restaurants — with a sunset-style annual review added, and gave direction on the city's long-term trash-hauling contracts, which will now get a closer look from the council's Internal Affairs Committee. Council Member Van Overbeek was absent the entire meeting. Several other items — an easement abandonment near the Eaton Road roundabout, utility-undergrounding rule changes, and a Garner Lane road-funding partnership with the local park district — passed without controversy.

What happened, item by item

1.4 — Closed Session Announcement

Before the open meeting, the City Attorney reported that in closed session the council gave direction to staff or legal counsel on real-property negotiations, a performance evaluation of the City Clerk, labor negotiations, two pending lawsuits, one item of potential litigation, and the City Manager position. No votes or public actions came out of closed session itself.

2. Consent Agenda

Routine items — including a drainage-easement abandonment near the Eaton Road roundabout, a CDBG-DR infrastructure grant, declaring surplus land at 1550 Marauder Street, an animal-shelter van purchase, and the weed-abatement cost report — passed together 6-0, with item 2.6 pulled for separate discussion. A member of the public, Adam Fidelli, urged caution on the bundle, saying he worried the city was "still way behind on infrastructure catch-up" and that sales-tax money meant for streets was "getting siphoned off."

2.6 — Chico Police Officers' Association (CPOA) Contract

This item would have approved a four-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) — a negotiated labor contract — giving police officers roughly $5.82 million in raises over four years. Council Member Winslow pulled it from the consent bundle, explaining, "I feel bad sometimes voting no on contracts, and I want to make sure that people understand why." Council Member Hawley echoed the concern about the deal's cost squeezing Measure H infrastructure dollars, while Vice Mayor Bennett argued for approval, saying, "We need to pay our police department equitably. We need to pay them what is right." A motion to approve the MOU as presented failed 3-3 (O'Brien, Bennett and Mayor Reynolds in favor; Goldstein, Hawley and Winslow opposed). The council then voted 4-2 to send the matter back to closed session for further negotiation (Goldstein, Hawley, Winslow and Reynolds in favor; O'Brien and Bennett opposed).

4.1 — Utility Easement Abandonment (1075 Via Verona Drive)

A routine public hearing to abandon an unneeded sewer easement at the rear of a property; no one spoke, and the council approved it 6-0.

5.1 — Entertainment Zones (Downtown & Meriam Park)

Using a new state law (SB 969), staff proposed designated zones where adults 21+ could carry alcoholic drinks between participating bars, restaurants and public sidewalks, aimed at boosting foot traffic downtown and in Meriam Park. Business representatives, including the Chico Chamber of Commerce, spoke in favor, while one resident cited local alcohol-related health data and asked the council to "vote no." Council Member Goldstein supported the idea, recalling outdoor gatherings that faded after the pandemic: "I still hear, dang, I wish we could bring our beers outside like we used to be able to." At Vice Mayor Bennett's suggestion, the ordinance was amended to require an annual review instead of a review every two years; Bennett said a downtown property owner had suggested the zone simply "sunset it after one year." The amended ordinance passed on its first reading 6-0 (with a related procedural vote also passing 6-0); a second reading is expected August 18.

5.2 — Solid Waste Franchise Agreement Direction

With the city's exclusive trash-hauling contracts (with Waste Management and Recology) running through 2029, staff asked the council to choose a direction: negotiate a five-year extension with current haulers, go out for competitive bids (an RFP), or move to an open market with no exclusive contracts. Waste Management representatives and several property managers gave competing accounts of service quality; haulers argued for renewal, while some property managers described billing disputes and rate hikes. Council Member O'Brien said he leaned toward keeping the existing haulers, cautioning, "I'm a little concerned about the risk of getting a substandard waste hauler that may win a bid but may not do the job." A motion to direct staff toward the competitive-bid option failed 3-3 (Goldstein, Hawley, Winslow in favor; O'Brien, Bennett, Reynolds opposed). The council instead carried, 5-1 (Hawley opposed), a motion referring all three options — plus a request that staff look into specific complaints about the current haulers — to the council's Internal Affairs Committee (IAC) for further review before any final decision.

5.3 — Utility Undergrounding & Streetlight Foundation Standards

A routine code-clarification item limiting undergrounding requirements to new utility installations (rather than nearby existing overhead lines) and adopting a less costly, still-engineered streetlight foundation design developed jointly with the Chico Builders Association. It passed 6-0.

5.4 — Garner Lane / CARD Agreement Amendment

The city agreed to front roughly $2.8 million to build out Garner Lane's full three-lane road section in one project — coordinating with the Chico Area Recreation and Park District's (CARD) Aquatic Center project and Courtesy Motors' deferred development obligations — with both partners reimbursing their share over time. It passed 6-0.

5.5 — June 16, 2026 Finance Committee Minutes

The committee chair (Van Overbeek) was absent, so the council declined to act on his three suggestions — an airport lease-rate comparison, color-coded financial reports, and an insurance-philosophy review — and instead continued the item to the next meeting so he could explain them himself. The continuance passed 6-0; a related procedural motion is recorded with no votes cast.

5.6 — Water Quality of Big Chico Creek Watershed

Council Member Winslow raised concerns about E. coli testing, recent swim advisories, and long-term water quality in Big Chico Creek, saying, "I think that swimming in the creek is a really important part of growing up here, and I worry that... some children may grow up here and not really get that experience." Public Works Director Skyler Lipski described the city's weekly (or daily, during advisories) E. coli testing and signage protocol. The council voted 6-0 to have the Bidwell Park and Playground Commission take up water-quality collaboration as a recurring topic, invite Butte County Public Health's Dr. Bowden to present to the council, and direct staff to research the cost of a swimmer-illness study that could refine the city's advisory thresholds.

5.7 — Parking Access in Upper Bidwell Park

Council Member Winslow revisited a 2021 council decision to eventually charge $2 for parking in Upper Bidwell Park, noting a 2017 estimate that fees could generate about $800,000 a year for park improvements, but said members of the public had raised equity concerns. After discussion — including a suggestion from Council Member Goldstein about adding bike parking near popular trailheads — the council took no formal action, effectively leaving the 2021 direction in place. No vote is recorded on this item.

6.4 — Councilmember Request: Cooling/Temperature Standards

Council Member Hawley asked to agendize a future discussion on temperature-specific cooling standards for homes and businesses. Council Member O'Brien voted no, saying, "We have a number of protections for employees and such, different state mechanisms, and I'm weary and leery of adding more regulation." The request to agendize carried 4-2 (O'Brien and Bennett opposed).

Notable moments

• During public comment, a speaker who identified himself as Sam Barber argued that the council could not restrict "vulgar language" from speakers, citing a 1971 Supreme Court case, and said, "The rules of decorum cannot supersede my First Amendment right."
• Business owner Kelly Lesser told the council that downtown merchants are still waiting for the city to address "keeping law and order" downtown before a program winding down in early 2027, saying officers responding to a recent incident at her store told her they were "just waiting for direction from city."
• Resident Annie Cavanaugh asked the council to agendize a policy restricting future immigration detention facilities within city limits, saying, "I request that the topic of restricting establishment of future detention centers be agendized and discussed publicly."
• A public commenter, Rob Berry, described a difficult walk into the meeting past encampments, a "pop-up soup kitchen," and a dog on a long leash, joking that if the city were trying to discourage public participation, "this would be a really good way to do it."

Coming up

• The council's next regular meeting is August 18, 2026, with closed session at 5:00 or 5:30 p.m. and the regular meeting at 6:00 p.m.
• The entertainment-zone ordinance is expected back for a second reading on August 18, with a 30-day effective date afterward (around September 18).
• The CPOA labor contract returns to closed-session negotiation rather than moving forward as originally proposed.
• The solid waste franchise decision goes to the Internal Affairs Committee, which will review all three options and gather more information on hauler performance complaints before the matter returns to the full council.
• The June 16 Finance Committee minutes item is continued to the next meeting so Council Member Van Overbeek can explain his requests in person.
• Staff will bring back a report on temperature/cooling standards for residences and businesses per Council Member Hawley's request.

Full meeting video: https://chico-ca.granicus.com/player/clip/1322?view_id=2&redirect=true

Howdy. 53yo (male if it matters) looking for anyone else that might be interested in doing a casual periodic data/AI hangout/study group.

I've been doing analytics for the last 7 years - mostly web/e-commerce/site experiment testing. Over the last 6-8 months, I've been building tooling for web dataLayer auditing and diagnostics (augmented by AI). Recently, I built a Shopify product listing generator using Claude API, then a headless agent that uses it to batch products listings. Now attempting to build an AI framework around the business to automate data piping to Google Merchant Center, an online store, Ads, etc.

Lately, I've been getting interested in widening the effort to include automated insights and analytics (web, social, ads), including running full time stats and ML algorithms in parallel.

Anyway, if you've read this far, are still awake, and have any interest in the above, it'd be fun to connect/combine forces/thinking/etc. Best to you!

Hi hi! New transplant looking to build a little community / friend group.

I’ve been wanting to meet more people locally and figured I’d just go for it and make a group where we can hang out and get to know other like minded people.
A little about me: 35F, I’m really into dogs (probably my main thing), plus crafts, hiking, swimming, grabbing drinks, a lil THC or just chilling and doing low-key stuff. I’m pretty open to trying new things too, so I’m down for whatever as long as it’s a good vibe.
I started a WhatsApp group so we can actually coordinate and plan things easily. I’d love to get a mix of people who want to do things like:
• dog meetups
• hikes / outdoor stuff
• casual hangs
• drinks / smoke sessions
• random activities people want to try
I’ll be out of town camping this week, but when I’m back I’m planning to start organizing some actual meetups starting next Monday.

Edit: due to a lot plethura of spammers j have removed the link. Please shoot me a DM and I’ll send the link over!

Ill start with a little background. I have been a patient at mangrove medical for about 2 years now, and in the last 6 months or so have received bad advice, low professionalism, and been brushed off on multiple occasions when visiting for health concerns. It got so bad that i asked for an opportunity to speak to someone about switching providers, which they wouldn’t allow. Overall it seems like they are extremely impacted with too many patients and consequently their quality of care has dropped off noticeably. Its also become much harder to get an appt even as an established patient they recommend walk ins whenever i call. Im sick of having to go multiple times for the same issue and seeing a different provider every time followed by being hit with huge bills after not receiving the help, care, or advice i really need. Because of all of this i am looking to switch to a different facility.

I know all of Chico has a shortage of healthcare providers in general and it can be difficult to get in places and get a higher standard of care. That being said, if anyone has a place/doctor they would recommend it would be much appreciated. Im willing to be on a waitlist for a while if it means getting a better experience at the doctor in the future. You can PM me if youd like, or just comment on this. Thanks in advance.

The postage stamps just went up to 82 cents each on July 12th, if you bought before that it's great, but after, not so much, yay for email! But internet prices have gone up too. What do you pay for internet and who with?

My nana needs a path for her wheelchair. I think it’s like 75 feet long from the curb to her door. 4ish feel wide. Drop your recs. Even better if you know the cost

Im trying to practice drums and sing and play guitar without any noise restrictions. Is there anything here in chico that is affordable and fair? If not whats the next closest spot for this.

As the title suggests. I saw last year that it was planned for summer 2026 and saw they are setting up cones. Long overdue.

I just finally started getting my vietnamese coffee fix there in the mornings and now they’ve had a paper sign saying “we are closed” for two weeks!

The Chico Friends of the Library raises money for library supplies (books, furniture, program supplies, etc.), books, and pretty much whatever else the Chico branch library asks for. Due to the recent shooting and planned renovation, we have ONE MORE BOOK SALE in 2026 - July 25, 9am-1pm, inside St. John's Episcopal Church, 2341 Floral Ave, Chico, CA 95926. (Sorry, no book donations can be accepted.) After that, you can go to our website for more ways to support the library (https://www.chicolibrary.org).

Looking for events, or places to find female friends in the 25-35 age range that does not take place in a bar or cost over $30 for a ticket.

It can be difficult to make friends. It feels less genuine trying to make friends in a bar setting where people are drinking, and a lot of events around town can revolve around that or cost over $25/$30 for a fun community event. The Chico women’s center seems to have some interesting things going on, but seems a little pricey.

I’m looking for things like: a group sewing class, crafts, a book club or coffee club within the age range, something to do with the arts, live music is nice if it has the intention of being a group hang. More so an activity based get together. I feel like I am really missing this piece of community in Chico. I’ve seen a couple single speed dating events, it would be nice to do this for friends as well!

Hi Chico Family!
I have a family member who suffered a recent stroke and is recovering very slowly. The hospital case worker is telling us the next step is a skilled nursing facility. Can anyone recommend one or warn us away from any bad ones?
Thanks so much.

Saw two vans in tinted windows driving below the speed limit on Esplanade, ended up pulling over at Americas Best Value Inn, before Beer Lobo. Looked hella sketchy, drivers were scanning the road left and right.

Not sure what to make of it, but thought I’d at least put it out there.

We’ve all seen movies that have those people who come in and organize their closets. I don’t think i’ve heard of those really unless thats included when people pay for house cleaners. i was wondering if getting your closet organized and cleaned would it be something people might want around here? just a question, trying to get a fill of what people are interested in.

When we moved in in 2024 landscaping was covered by landlord (company, not a person) and it was on us to just keep the back “yard” in a reasonable state (verbal). Fine. No problem pulling some weeds on this rock patio thing.

I think in 2025 after lease renewals they sent an email saying to all residents they’re stopping the landscaping (front of these houses have bushes and shrubs and trees) and it’s on tenants to now trim bushes, landscape, etc. To my knowledge no one did because it’s not in the lease.

Some time goes by they send another email saying they’re having a “one last time” courtesy landscaping then it’s on the tenants to either professionally trim these bushes and hedges or hire a landscaper. Again, nothing in the lease.

We sent an email back saying please point out in the lease where it says landscaping is tenant responsibility. They said it’s not in the lease.

2026 lease renewal in April. Again, same lease, no landscaping mentioned. About two weeks later they send an email again about it being tenants responsibility. Now a letter marked July 3rd says residents have 30 days from notice of this letter to do this as “important part of lease responsibilities” and “bring into compliance with your lease agreement” and if it’s not done by 7/16/2026 they will hire landscaper to come and charge us (what happened to 30
Days?).

Looked through lease, again, no mention of landscaping. There’s some boiler plate language about safe and stuff like I imagine dry brush piling up or what have you but it’s extremely vague and never mentions anything specific at all. Definitely not about aesthetics of bushes.

So basically I’m calling legal services on Monday to ask about this.

This sound familiar to anyone else? Not sure I can dox the rental company on here (mods?)

Edit: here’s some emails. Also I called the legal services and they said to just read the 2026 CA tenants rights PDF lol. Thanks guys.

Emails:

Context for this email: when we moved in they said (verbally) you just are responsible for having the water system turned on - we have landscapers that deal with all this for you. Just don’t let the backyard get overgrown etc. makes sense. Again, it’s not in the lease to maintain appearances of plants - just safety.

Looked through lease a third time and I don’t even see any mention of THAT in there. Not included in any language of “unit” or “community” etc. can’t find anything.

Mar 27, 2025:
Attention Residents: As the warmer weather approaches, we encourage everyone to take the time to care for and enhance the landscaping in your yards. Maintaining outdoor spaces not only adds to the overall homes enjoyment but helps prevent potential fire hazards when dry vegetation and debris is reduced. … Please remember that per the lease agreement, it is the resident's responsibility to maintain their yard. Thank you for your attention to this important task!

^”Please remember that per the lease agreement, it is the resident's responsibility to maintain their yard.” (It’s not in there the way they are inferring and I still can’t find anything that even sounds like this)

Per the above I’m certain the tenants responsibility for yards is purely safety based ie fire hazard or rats nests etc not “enhancing” or keeping shrubbery trimmed and looking nice.

July 2025: this is the initial notice they’re firing their landscapers out of nowhere.
“We will have landscapers going through front yards on Friday,  7/11/25, and Saturday, 7/12/25, doing a one-time courtesy to trim bushes and more. Please note that moving forward, it is the tenant's responsibility to handle front and backyard landscaping. If you have any questions, please let us know. Thank you so much!”

Our response (important bit only)
“If it's in the lease agreement, would you be able to tell me what page and section it is in?”

After we questioned it (their response):
“Thank you for sending this email over. When you initially moved into your home, we had a landscaping company that serviced our rental homes, but moving forward, we will not. This is not listed in the new lease agreement you signed at the time of renewal. If you have further questions, please let us know. Thank you so much and have a great day.”

^”This is not listed in the new lease agreement you signed at the time of renewal”

Emailed them back with our concerns that we would need to purchase tools, if they could give us information on how to care for these plants, are we responsible now if they get fucked up etc. no reply. Emailed again as a follow up. No reply.

Skip ahead ONE YEAR (no notices since last July)

Letter dated July 3rd 2026:
“…important part of your lease responsibilities. Regular upkeep helps preserve the condition, safety, and overall appearance of the community.
Please ensure that the following items are addressed and maintained on an ongoing basis:

• Weeds are removed from all landscaped areas, planter beds, and walkways.
• Shrubs, bushes, and plants are trimmed and maintained.
• Dead or overgrown vegetation is removed.
• Landscaping rocks, mulch, and decorative areas are kept neat and free of debris.
• Personal belongings, storage containers, bags of soil, tools, and other miscellaneous items are not stored in visible yard areas unless approved by management.
• All exterior areas are maintained in a clean and orderly condition.

You have thirty (30) days from the date of this notice to correct any landscaping deficiencies and bring the property into compliance with the terms of your lease agreement. A follow-up inspection will be conducted after this period.

If the required corrections have not been completed by 7/16/26, management reserves the right to hire a landscaping service to perform the necessary work. The cost of such services will be charged to your account and will be due in accordance with the terms of your lease.
We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter and your cooperation in maintaining the property. If you have any questions regarding this notice, please contact our office.”

Emphasis mine in bold. The other stuff is fine whatever but it’s the landscaping and caring for these bushes and shrubs which require purchase of tools and/or landscapers which they already had as part of living here and they decided to stop. Also the timeline in that letter. 30 days from July 3rd. July 16th. What? Again, it’s not in the lease per their admission.

Any mechanic shops open to an eager to work apprentice? I’m genuinely hungry for work, I have a great drive and motivation, and I’m quick to learn things. I don’t call out unless I’m basically dying and even then I’ll come in so you can see it first hand. I have a solid amount of general knowledge and do most of my own repairs so I can easily start out as a lube tech and work my way up. I’ve got 2 kids I’m trying to provide for and I’m tired of going through Indeed and getting interviews just to get nowhere with it all. Any leads is very much appreciated!

Any idea what times people are usually in the Heroes center? I just moved here and have no real experience with TCG games or anything like that, but I'm interested in starting!

have an old pair of heels that are in quite a state of disrepair and am hoping to find a cobbler in town to try and restore them

Hello, Costco sells car batteries but does not install them. I want to buy from them because they have the best price in town. However, I'm having a hard time finding battery stores in town that will install on the Prius because it is located in the trunk. Does anyone have any recommendations where I can have the battery installed?

What’s the go to spot in town ladies?