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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/16/16 - Minutes - Regular MeetingTRES HERMANOS CONSERVATION AUTHORITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING MINUTES OF MAY 16, 2016 1. CALL TO ORDER: Chair Herrera called the Tres Hermanos Conservation Authority Board of Directors meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. in the Grand Conference Room of Diamond Bar City Hall, 21810 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Chair/Herrera led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Carol Herrera, Chair Ray Marquez, Delegate (CH); Art Bennett, Delegate (CH); Ruth Low, Alternate Delegate (DB) James DeStefano, Executive Director (DB). Guests Present: Cynthia Smith and Claire Shlotterbeck 2, PUBLIC COMMENTS: None Offered. 3. CONSENT CALENDAR: Upon motion duly seconded, all Consent Calendar items were approved as presented by unanimous vote. 3.1 APPROVED MINUTES OF April 20, 2015 — As presented with D/Low and D/Marquez abstaining. 3.2 APPROVED CHECK REGISTER for the Time Period from March 1, 2015 through February 28, 2016. 3.3 RECEIVED AND FILED TREASURER'S STATEMENTS for the months of March 2014 through February 2015. 3.4 RECEIVED AND FILED INDEPENDENT AUDITOR'S REPORT for Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2015. 3.5 CONFIRMATION OF APPOINTMENTS: a) Chino Hills Mayor Art Bennett and Vice Mayor Ray Marquez as Delegates to the Tres Hermanos Conservation Authority. b) Diamond Bar Council Member Carol Herrera as Delegate; and, Council Member Ruth Low as Alternate Delegate to the Tres Hermanos Conservation Authority. 4. OLD BUSINESS: None MAY 16, 2016 PAGE 2 5. NEW BUSINESS: THCA 5.1 AUTHORIZE THE SELECTION OF CITIZENS BUSINESS BANK AS THE AUTHORITY'S BANKING SERVICES PROVIDER. Ben Montgomery, Management Analyst, CH, stated that the relationship with Bank of America goes back several years when the City of Chino Hills banked with that institution. Chino Hills now banks with Citizens Bank and staff discovered that it is much more difficult to deal with Bank of America on such a small account since they are no longer the primary bank. Switching to Citizens Business Bank would not only increase the efficiency in dealing with the bank but save money as well. Currently, this account accumulates almost $20 per month in charges for no activity with Bank of America, and Citizens Business Bank will provide the service at no charge. ED/DeStefano said he concurs with the recommendation and had no objection to changing the bank. Upon motion by D/Bennett seconded by AD/Low, and with no objection, the motion for authorization of Citizens Business Bank as the Authority's banking services provider was so ordered. 6. AUTHORITY MEMBER COMMENTS: D/Bennett asked for an update on the City of Industry Redevelopment Agency's transfer back of the Tres Hermanos property. ED/DeStefano said he was not aware of what was happening. There has been a complete transformation of their Council and staff which happened about a year ago. Industry continues to deal with the Department of Finance on the dissolution of their Redevelopment Agency and they called off the proposed solicitation of consultants to help them set up the Tres Hermanos property for sale. The last he heard unofficially, was that the City of Industry was going to try to buy the property from the Redevelopment Agency. So the root issue will be what the new Council sees as their vision for the use of that property that they own and how that comports with the vision between the cities of Diamond Bar and Chino Hills. At some point all parties should sit down and begin a conversation about that and honestly, it is probably too soon for that to happen because of all of the changes. D/Marquez said he spoke with the Assistant to the City Manager who told him this has been a hot topic and the impression he got from her was that the City of Industry was trying to buy the property. Supposedly, there was a deal for $101 million on the table that was not accepted. She also stated that she felt the Council will try to buy the property. There have been numerous Closed Sessions (on this matter) and possibly in the near future something will be forthcoming. As ED/DeStefano stated, four out of five Council Members are new and there is a new city manager. ED/DeStefano said that the Assistant to the City Manager MAY 16, 2016 PAGE 3 THCA E has been with Industry for many years (20 plus) and for many of those years she was the city manager's executive assistant. ED/DeStefano said that Diamond Bar would be looking at Tres Hermanos more in the next couple of years because the City is just beginning what will likely be a three-year General Plan process/update. He said he hoped that the Authority and the cities would hear something from Industry in the next year or so. ED/DeStefano commented that the problem with the "bypass roadway" is that it may be of benefit to Chino Hills residence or others coming west and going south but it destroys the environment and it destroys the Diamond Bar commercial base. So long as Chino Hills' residents purchase bread and gasoline in Diamond Bar, the city will continue to live with the traffic issues. D/Bennett asked if the Confluence lane, widening of the Grand Avenue overpass and truck bypass was dead and ED/DeStefano responded that it is moving forward. It is a four -phased 57/60 Confluence "Big Fix" project. The first phase is now under construction which is developing a new right -turn lane at the old Honda Dealership property to get on the freeway going west. The next phase will begin September/October which will involve an off and on ramp on the other side of the freeway, some bridge widening and a lot of widening at Golden Springs and Grand Avenue. The third phase is more bridge widening and the final phase is the mainline improvement. The first three phases are fully funded and the mainline will either be funded through a federal grant that Diamond Bar has applied for and continue to seek resources for; or, the LA County Measure R2 project that is coming before the voters in November (1/2 cent sales tax) and if passed, monies allocated in that measure will go to fund Phase four. Diamond Bar has been involved in this for 15-20 years and during the last 10 or 12 years Chair/Herrera has led the charge in Diamond Bar to help get the funding from the federal government. There is an average of 600 vehicular accidents a year at this freeway intersection and the idea is that by segregating out the lanes and people having to make a decision far earlier as to where they are going and how they will get there will eliminate many hundreds of those accidents while adding capacity and speed through the intersection. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to conduct, Chairman Herrera adjourned the meeting at 5:51 p.m. , Tommye A. tribbins, Authority Secretary Ray Marquez, Chairman