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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020.03.03 - Minutes - Regular MeetingCITY OF DIAMOND BAR MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING OF THE MARCH 3, 2020 STUDY SESSION: 5:45 p.m., Room CC -8 Strategic Plan 2021-2024 Public Comments: None CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Tye called the Regular City Council meeting to order at 6:33 p.m. in the South Coast Air Quality Management District/Government Center Auditorium, 21865 Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Tye led the Pledge of Allegiance. INVOCATION: Rev. Dr. Jeanne Favreau-Sorvillo, Diamond Bar United Church of Christ, provided the invocation. ROLL CALL: Council Members Andrew Chou, J Ruth Low, Jennifer "Fred" Mahlke, Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Lyons, and Mayor Steve Tye Staff in attendance: Dan Fox, City Manager; Ryan McLean, Assistant City Manager; David DeBerry, City Attorney; David Liu, Public Works Director; Ken Desforges, Information Systems Director; Anthony Santos, Assistant to the City Manager; Greg Gubman, Community Development Director; Dianna Honeywell, Finance Director; Cecilia Arellano, Public Information Coordinator; Amy Haug, Human Resources Manager; Dannette Allen, Senior Management Analyst; Christy Murphey, Recreation Superintendent; Kristina Santana, City Clerk APPROVAL OF AGENDA: As presented. 1. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATES, PROCLAMATIONS: None 2. CITY MANAGER REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: CM/Fox reported that the Diamond Bar Boulevard paving project was recently completed and provided a Public Works video presentation of the project narrated by Assistant Engineer Fabian Aoun. CM/Fox thanked the community for their patience during this and other projects designed to improve the City. M/Tye stated that because trucks went through the area from Lemon Avenue to Brea Canyon before they were able to get off at Brea Canyon Road, at Brea Canyon and Golden Springs Drive the pavement is rutted and it is like driving over a washboard. M/Tye asked if this would be taken care of and CM/Fox stated that according to PWD/Liu, the area of concern will be removed and replaced. MARCH 4, 2020 PAGE 2 CITY COUNCIL 3. 4. CM/Fox provided an update on the novel coronavirus. LA County Public Health officials have indicated that there is only one case in LA County. However, the number of cases will continue to increase through community contact over time. Health officials continue to reiterate that the county is at low risk in contacting the virus. The latest information can be found on the county's website at www.publichealth.lacounty.gov or by calling 211. City staff continues to closely monitor the situation as it relates to public facilities and events and will take appropriate action should any new information become available. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Sonja Reed, representing the Diamond Bar Woman's Club and active duty military, displayed thank -you cards from the 10 families who received Christmas baskets from the club in 2019. She encouraged everyone to continue with their donations to Camp Pendleton and to help extend service to the 29 Palms base which is in dire need of assistance. To learn about donating, go to www.diamondbarwomansclub.com and designate the donation for "military". Allen Wilson said he had not heard back from the City regarding his questioning when the $3,000 monthly contract for Legislative Services would expire. He spoke about Council's consideration of a sales tax increase. Pui Ching Ho, Diamond Bar Librarian, spoke about classes and events at the library and invited everyone to check the library's website at www.lacountylibrarV.org for additional information. RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS: None Offered. 5. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE EVENTS: 5.1 Smart Gardening Workshop — March 4, 2020 — 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., Diamond Bar Center, 1600 Grand Avenue. 5.2 Planning Commission Meeting — March 10, 2020 — 6:30 p.m., Windmill Community Room, 21810 Copley Drive (Canceled) 5.3 Connect with Rec Event — Yappy Hour at the Dog Park — March 12, 2020 — 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., Pantera Dog Park, 738 Pantera Drive. 5.4 Traffic and Transportation Commission Meeting — March 12, 2020 — 6:30 p.m., Windmill Community Room, 21810 Copley Drive. 5.5 Household Hazardous Waste Collection Event — March 14, 2020 — 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Gateway Corporate Center, 130 Bridge Gate Drive. 5.6 City Council Meeting — March 17, 2020, 6:30 p.m., AQMD/Government Center Auditorium, 21865 Copley Drive. MARCH 4, 2020 PAGE 3 CITY COUNCIL 6. CONSENT CALENDAR: MPT/Lyons moved, C/Chou seconded, to approve the Consent Calendar with C/Low abstaining on Item 6.1 and pulling Item 6.5 for further consideration. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Chou, Low, Mahlke, MPT/Lyons, M/Tye NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None 6.1 APPROVED CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES: 6.1a REGULAR MEETING OF February 18, 2020—as presented. 6.2 CITY COUNCIL RECEIPT OF COMMISSION MINUTES: 6.2a PLANNING COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING OF JANUARY 14, 2020. 6.3 RATIFIED CHECK REGISTER DATED FEBRUARY 13, 2020 THROUGH FEBRUARY 26, 2020 TOTALING $668,192.17. 6.4 APPROVED TREASURER'S STATEMENT OF JANUARY 2020. MATTERS WITHDRAWN FROM CONSENT CALENDAR: 6.5 APPROVE CONSULTING SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH JHD PLANNING, LLC TO PREPARE THE CITY'S 2021-2029 (SIXTH CYCLE) HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE FOR A NOT -TO -EXCEED AMOUNT OF $75,364 AND APPROPRIATED $75,364 FROM THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE BALANCE TO THE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE FUND TO COVER THE COST OF THE CONTRACT AMENDMENT. C/Low said this consulting firm prepared the previous Housing Element and wanted to know the contract completion date and cost of that contract. CDD/Gubman responded that the last Housing Element cycle commenced in 2014 and cost slightly under $25,000 with about 194 billable hours which is not a particularly good comparison to this update because it was more of a minor true -up. The last significant General Plan Housing Element update cycle was the 2008 update where the states hit cities hard with very large RNA allocation numbers. For that update, the contract amount was slightly over $50,000 with total billable hours of 331. Compared to the current contract proposal, the consultant's hourly rate has increased by 15 percent from $130 per hour to $150 per hour. The total number of hours budgeted to preparation of the General Plan Update is about 450 hours, which is comparable to the 330 hours for the 2014 update. This cycle includes significant requirements to commit to produce housing and at the very least make sites available for more housing MARCH 4, 2020 PAGE 4 CITY COUNCIL production. Diamond Bar is dealing with 18 pieces of new state legislation surrounding cities' needs to provide additional housing, most notable of which is SB330, which includes the Housing Crisis Act of 2019. In this case, the City will be spending a significantly higher number of hours doing sites analysis to find opportunities where density can be increased or where sites can be rezoned to meet the housing production requirements. In this case, Diamond Bar is applying for an S132 grant and so far the City has received a positive recommendation from the State Housing and Community Development Department and, if approved, that grant will allow the City to defray up to $60,000 for the cost of this General Plan Housing Element Update. C/Low thought this was accomplished through the General Plan Update. CDD/Gubman explained that the Housing Element is the only General Plan Element that requires certification by a state agency. Where in the General Plan Update four focus areas were designated to allow for Mixed Use Housing, it demonstrated that Diamond Bar could accommodate up to 2300 more housing units. The problem is that State Housing and Community Development Department is not so easily persuaded that those numbers that are being designated are sites that could readily be developed within the Housing Element cycle 2021 through 2029 whereas, the comprehensive General Plan Update looks at a horizon to the year 2040. C/Chou asked the timeframe for completion of the Housing Element and CDD/Gubman responded that it needs to receive state certification by October 2021. C/Low moved, C/Mahlke seconded, to approve Consent Calendar Item 5. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Chou, Low, Mahlke, MPT/Lyons, M/Tye NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None 7. PUBLIC HEARING(S): NONE 8. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION: 8.1 SECOND AMENMENT TO THE CONSULTING SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH DYETT & BHATIA URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNERS TO PREPARE THE COMPREHENSIVE GENERAL PLAN UPDATE. CM/Fox reported that this item was continued from the Council's January 21St meeting and staff was able to work with the consultant to provide additional information and detail requested by the Council. ft, MARCH 4, 2020 PAGE 5 CITY COUNCIL C/Chou moved, MPT/Lyons seconded, to (A) approve and authorize the Mayor to sign the Second Amendment to Consulting Services Agreement with Dyett & Bhatia Urban and Regional Planners increasing the not -to - exceed contract amount by $42,074; and, (B) appropriate $42,074 from the General Fund Reserve Balance to the General Plan Revision Fund to cover the cost of the contract amendment. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Chou, Low, Mahlke, MPT/Lyons, M/Tye None None 9. COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS AND MEETING ATTENDANCE REPORTS/COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS: C/Chou announced that there were about 50 minutes left to vote and for those who have not yet voted. He congratulated Diamond Bar High School on the groundbreaking for their new three-story music building which he attended on February 19th. He attended the Salute to Heroes Prayer Breakfast last week which was a very nice event and he is pleased that the City takes time to honor first responders, firefighters and deputies who keep Diamond Bar safe. This Sunday at 8:30 a.m. he will host a Coffee and Conversation meeting at Bageloo. Everyone is invited to talk with him about what is going on in the City, voice their concerns and, check out Bageloo's new brunch menu. C/Low thanked staff for their work on Item 8.1. Council had questions and staff had a very thorough discussion with the consultant and she appreciates the work staff put into this effort. As always, the Council continues to review expenses in the spirit of its goal of fiscal responsibility. She welcomed C/Mahlke to the Council and hoped she enjoyed a great first month. On February 23rd she attended Boy Scout Troop 737 Blue and Gold Crossover Ceremonies. C/Low spoke about a fraud alert regarding social security scammers. TIPS: Never provide your Social Security number or banking information to someone you did not call. Do not wire money or provide gift cards or cash, and if you receive a suspicious call, hang up immediately and call the Social Security Administration at 1(800)772-1213 or report it to the local police. C/Mahlke reported that in mid-February she attended the California Contract Cities Association Board of Directors meeting for the first time. She was very impressed with the group of people that represent over 70 contract cities and more than 7 million residents. Diamond Bar hosted the event which was a great way to showcase the City and share some things Diamond Bar does really well and what staff does really well. March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Tonight she is wearing blue which is the ribbon color. This particular cause is important to her because one of her best friends, Stacey Heisey, is fighting this fight. For those who join in the 5th Annual RunNValk she will be rocking blue and MARCH 4, 2020 PAGE 6 CITY COUNCIL an A -Team Stacy shirt as she leads a team of walking people on the 5K on March 15th. Go to www.thedbcf.org to sign up and join in the event which is being held this year in honor of Joe Ruzicka who was a great Diamond Bar citizen. This is a great event that brings the community together for a great cause. MPT/Lyons said she would be joining C/Mahlke for the Sunday event. She and C/Mahlke attended the Diamond Bar Fashion Show and Scholarship Benefit where all of the contestants were very well poised and well spoke and beautiful, and, no matter who wins that tiara and title on Sunday, that person will represent our City well. Join her on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. to see all of the contestants and winner. While not as fast as any of us would like, the SR57/60 Confluence project continues to move forward. She chaired the Capital Projects and Construction Committee meeting last week and the committee is currently working on obtaining right-of-ways in several areas to accommodate construction and support vehicles so they will have staging areas in which to park during construction. Council Members and staff will be traveling to Washington D.C. at the end of March and will lobby representatives of Congress as well as, the Senate and the Department of Transportation and the City will keep pushing to remind them why this funding is so critical to this area. As C/Chou mentioned, they attended the Salute to Heroes Prayer Breakfast where nine individuals who through their brave and caring acts have made such a difference in Diamond Bar and surrounding communities. While each story was compelling, two stood out because they were not first responders and they were not acting as professionals. Dr. Deborah Seng was recognized for becoming a pedestrian and road safety advocate after losing her seven year old son who was hit while in a crosswalk. Jacob Payne was recognized as a community hero who ran to aid his neighbor who was being attacked by two German shepherd dogs. MPT/Lyons requested that tonight's meeting be adjourned in memory of Kris Papudesi who was the owner of Diamond Bar Round Table Pizza and a very generous patron of community non -profits as well as, one of the first to participate in Restaurant Week. She will be missed by the community. M/Tye hoped everyone had voted. Touching on what CM/Fox said relative to the coronavirus, that people not panic and do what they can to stay safe and healthy. He heard the health director for the County of Riverside say that the best thing people can do is wash their hands with soap and water. Tonight's meeting started at 5:45 with a Strategic Plan presentation from staff who did a terrific job looking out for the next three years focusing on what the Council wants to accomplish and be able to measure. Council is grateful for staff's hard work in putting together a document that everyone can understand and that Council can solidly endorse. The young man that was on the video relative to the Diamond Bar Boulevard project spoke eloquently. Fabian Aoun is a member of the Public Works staff who spoke very articulately and with great knowledge. Obviously, watching his eyes he was not reading from script and what is also very obvious is that he is very knowledgeable about what he has done as an employee as well as about his profession. It was a terrific job and these are the types of things one can look back on and know why this City is in as good a shape as it is because MARCH 4, 2020 PAGE 7 CITY COUNCIL these are the types of people who staff the City of Diamond Bar. Thanks to the whole team and thanks for the presentation and keeping the City updated on the progress of that project. M/Tye said he hoped to see everyone out on March 15th in memory of Joe Ruzicka for the 5th Annual Run/Walk. Go to website www.thedbcf.org and register. The 1K starts at 8:00 a.m. and the 5K starts at 8:30 a.m. and teams can register at a discount. He will be participating with his A -Team Stacy t -shirt and looks forward to participating with it in a group picture as well. The passing of Kris Papudesi was a tragedy for her husband and children and for the community. Tonight's meeting will be adjourned in her memory with thoughts and prayers to her family. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to conduct, M/Tye adjourned the Regular City Council Meeting at 7:24 p.m. in memory of Krishna "Kris" Papudesi, Owner/Manager of Round Table Pizza. Respectfully submitted: Kristina Santana, City Clerk The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this 17th day of March, 2020. Steve Tye, Ma or