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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020.04.07 - Minutes - Regular MeetingCITY OF DIAMOND BAR MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING APRIL 7, 2020 CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Tye called the Regular City Council meeting to order at 6:37 p.m. Mayor Tye stated that consistent with COVID-19 regulations, all Council Members and staff are participating via teleconference and there is no physical location for public attendance. The Public has been invited to join the meeting online or by phone at the numbers printed on the agenda. The City has also allowed Public Comments to be submitted in advance to the City Clerk. If any were received, they will be read into the record during the Public Comment period. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Tye led the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: Council Members Andrew Chou, Ruth Low, Jennifer "Fred" Mahlke, Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Lyons, and Mayor Steve Tye Staff participating telephonically: Dan Fox, City Manager; Ryan McLean, Assistant City Manager; David DeBerry, City Attorney; David Liu, Public Works Director; Anthony Santos, Assistant to the City Manager; Greg Gubman, Community Development Director; Grace Lee, Senior Planner; Dianna Honeywell, Finance Director; Marsha Roa, Public Information Manager; Kristina Santana, City Clerk. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: As presented. 1. CITY MANAGER REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: None 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS: CC/Santana stated that no comments were submitted by email. With no one indicating their wish to speak on general or agenda items via teleconference, M/Tye closed the Public Comments portion of the meeting. 3. CONSENT CALENDAR: MPT/Lyons moved, C/Low seconded, to approve the Consent Calendar with the exception of Items 3.11 and 3.14 pulled by C/Chou 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 3.1 APPROVED CITY COUNCIL MINUTES: 3.1a MARCH 3, 2020 STUDY SESSION MEETING MINUTES. 3.1b MARCH 3, 2020 CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES. APRIL 7, 2020 PAGE 2 CITY COUNCIL 3.1c MARCH 19, 2020 SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING MINUTES. 3.2 CITY COUNCIL RECEIPT OF COMMISSION MINUTES: 3.2a Traffic and Transportation Commission Minutes of January 9, 2020. 3.2b Planning Commission Minutes of January 28, 2020. 3.3 RATIFIED CHECK REGISTER dated February 27, 2020 through March 11, 2020 totaling $1,354,116.40. 3.4 RATIFIED CHECK REGISTER dated March 12, 2020 through March 25, 2020 totaling $1,435,603.54. 3.5 APPROVED TREASURER'S STATEMENT for February 2020. 3.6 APPROVED CONSULTING SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ASSOCIATES (ESA) IN THE AMOUNT OF $228,095 TO PREPARE AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT (EIR) FOR THE CROOKED CREEK SUBDIVISION PROJECT. 3.7 APPROVED THE 2019 HOUSING ELEMENT ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT FOR FILING WITH THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT (HCD) AND THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF PLANNING AND RESEARCH (OPR). 3.8 ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 2020-05 DESIGNATING AUTHORIZED AGENTS AND APPROVED DESIGNATION OF APPLICANT'S AGENT RESOLUTION FOR NON -STATE AGENCIES (CALOES FORM 130). 3.9 APPROVED EXECUTION OF THE SAN GABRIEL VALLEY REGIONAL HOUSING TRUST JOINT EXERCISE OF POWERS AGREEMENT. 3.10 APPROVED GENERAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH THE COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES FOR SPECIFIED COUNTY SERVICES THROUGH JUNE 30, 2025. 3.12 APPROVED SECOND AMENDMENT TO THE CITY'S STANDARD SOFTWARE PURCHASE AND LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR INSTALLATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF AN ADAPTIVE TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEM (ATCS) WITH SIEMENS MOBILITY, INC. 3.13 ADOPTED RESOLUTION NOS. 2020-06 (No. 38, 2020-07, No. 39, and 2020-08 No. 41) ORDERING THE CITY ENGINEER TO PREPARE AND FILE A REPORT RELATED TO MAINTENANCE OF IMPROVEMENTS IN LANDSCAPING ASSESSMENT DISTRICT NOS. 38, 39, AND 41, AND ANY ASSESSMENT THEREON FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020-2021. MATTERS WITHDRAWN FROM CONSENT CALENDAR: APRIL 7, 2020 PAGE 3 CITY COUNCIL 3.11 APPROVED FUNDING AGREEMENT WITH THE LOS ANGELES COUNTY METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY TO SECURE MEASURE M FIRST/LAST MILE AND COMPLETE STREETS PROGRAM GRANT FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $2,985,000 FOR THE DIAMOND BAR BOULEVARD COMPLETE STREETS PROJECT. C/Chou asked if staff could elaborate on when the City might expect to receive the grant funds in light of the current pandemic and when the project might begin. CM/Fox explained that the grant funds are eligible to be used currently and the City has until 2022 to commence construction. As indicated in the staff report there is about a $3 million funding gap for this project and staff will continue to look for additional funding sources. MTA has been willing to work with Diamond Bar in the past and should the City need to ask for extensions in order to secure the funding or because of unexpected delays such as COVID-19, he is certain the MTA would be willing to work with the City on that issue. C/Chou moved, C/Mahlke seconded, to approve Consent Calendar Item 3.11. 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 3.14 APPROVED PURCHASE OF TWO (2) 2020 FORD TRUCKS FOR THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT IN THE AMOUNT OF $85,888.62 TO FRITTS FORD. C/Chou said he was concerned about spending $85,000 plus on the purchases of two trucks when businesses are shuttered and wanted to know if this purchase could be postponed for a few months until the City had more clarity about what the future holds. PWD/Liu responded that the City does not have a maintenance yard and these trucks are used on a daily basis. In addition, the trucks slated to be replaced are almost 14 years old and at the end of their service life. Even during these difficult times, the City continues to provide essential services and staff is on duty every day to perform the necessary work to maintain the City. The quote came from Fritts Ford of Riverside and the price will be honored only until April 19th. If the City decides to delay the purchase of these two trucks, the price will be more. In addition, one of the two trucks to be replaced is already out of commission, which has mandated usage of one of the pool cars meant for staff. The second truck, according to the service manual, is due to suffer the same fate at any time, which means that to fix it would cost more than the blue book value which is less APRIL 7, 2020 PAGE 4 CITY COUNCIL than $8,000. C/Low asked PWD/Liu to explain "essential services" as they apply to these trucks. PWD/Liu responded that the trucks are equipped with all equipment and tools essential for maintenance throughout the City. On a typical day these workers will enter parks to perform daily routines checks of facilities and to make necessary repairs, which require the onboard tools. Repairs may include replacement of faucets, repair of leaks, playground equipment cleaning and repairs, etc. C/Low said she understood that the City's facilities are closed to the public including the trails and that the park bathrooms remain open. With the closures, is there still the same need as if those facilities are not closed and PWD/Liu responded yes because the City needs to stay on top of things and everything is checked on a daily basis. C/Chou felt that only the vehicle that was not working should be placed at this time and the second truck replaced next quarter. C/Chou moved to purchase one truck only and delay consideration of the purchase of the second vehicle until the next quarter. C/Mahlke seconded the motion for purposes of discussion. C/Mahlke asked how this motion would affect the approval since the purchase money for two trucks had been approved as part of the budget. C/Low said the motion was vague. C/Chou amended his motion to purchase a truck to replace the truck that is currently out of commission and push out the purchase of the second truck to the next quarter. M/Tye felt this was a decision best left to staff to determine which purchase was to replace which truck if that is the direction of the City Council. CA/DeBerry explained it could be part of the motion to allow staff to make the determination as to which truck would be replaced if the Council chose to go in that direction. MPT/Lyons asked PWD/Liu to comment on approximately how many miles are on the truck that is still running. PWD/Liu explained that the current working truck is a 2006 Ford F350 that has about 85,000 miles on it with a current Blue Book value of only $7,800. On the maintenance side, since January 2018 the City has spent over $10,000 in recurring costs. Staff is very concerned about the safety and working conditions of the truck and has been told and advised by the repair shop that the engine is basically in its last hours of life and that it would cost an additional APRIL 7, 2020 PAGE 5 CITY COUNCIL 4. 5 $16,000 to $20,000 to replace the engine. Staff does not believe it is a sound investment for the City to continue pumping money into a truck that is basically at the end of its service life. These trucks are working full time and not only is the mileage to be considered, the total hours of operation are taken into consideration as well. Looking at the average speed compared to the number of miles is about 30 mph which shows the trucks are working hard. In addition, they are often sitting idle when they are providing traffic control as well as, power to do the work that is done from these trucks. Staff believes that the condition of these two trucks is unsafe and that they are not in good working condition. MPT/Lyons said that given what PWD/Liu has stated, she offered a substitute motion to approve Item 3.14 as recommended. C/Low seconded the substitute motion. Substitute motion approved by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS PUBLIC HEARING(S): NONE COUNCIL CONSIDERATION: Low, Mahlke, MPT/Lyons, M/Tye Chou None 5.1 CITY COUNCIL STRATEGIC PLAN 2021-24: ACM/McLean presented the City Council Strategic Plan proposed for the years 2021 through 2024. Three years ago the City Council adopted what was then the City's first Strategic Plan which was a first step toward a more aspirational planning process setting forth a work plan for the City that replaced the previous more specific list version of the Council's Goals and Objectives. The 2017-2020 Strategic Plan was an ambitious undertaking with more than 90 tasks identified, about 95 percent of which have been completed or are underway. Some of the projects are multi- year such as the SR57/60 Confluence Project, a project involving state and federal authorities. In addition, there are many ongoing work plan items that do not appear in the Strategic Plan which are completed by the City's various departments day in and day out, year after year. The success of the Strategic Plan shows the vision of the City Council as well as, the talent and dedication of staff in carrying it out. This proposed revised Strategic Plan seeks continuous improvement recognizing that people, conditions and priorities change over time, and flexibility is necessary to respond appropriately moving forward. Diamond Bar is at a turning point in its history with the passage of the 30 year mark of incorporation where the City is transitioning to more maintenance of infrastructure, experiencing a change in demographics as well as, the current situation related to COVID-19, one of the greatest challenges ever APRIL 7, 2020 PAGE 6 CITY COUNCIL to face this and other communities. Council recently adopted the General Plan 2040 which sets the framework for the next 20 years and the Strategic Plan needs to reflect those goals as well. The goal of the proposed Strategic Plan was to lay a foundation for decisions and recommendations and to involve the entire team in doing so. ACM/McLean stated that when the revision process began, the executive team met and worked on a draft plan where certain themes appeared. Everyone agreed that the process needed to be collaborative. This was carried out during an extensive staff engagement process during which all City staff members participated in developing the document. The second theme that emerged was that the plan should be more aspirational and that the plan would set high level goals and strategies and identify the high priority initiatives that mattered most to the Council and community, and to use the plan as the foundation for the decisions going forward to make certain that the policy, initiatives and projects being proposed fit within the Council's identified priorities. There are four main elements that make up the proposed Strategic Plan. Three main goals are identified: 1) Responsible stewardship of public resources; 2) Open, engaged and responsive government; and 3) Safe, sustainable and healthy community. These three goals were a component of the previous strategic plan, and as staff worked on them they found them to be a good common thread to continue into the proposed Strategic Plan document. The second level is strategies. As an example, a strategy to accomplishing the first goal "Using responsible stewardship of public resources", would be to secure long term financial sustainability. Below the strategies would be "Key Initiatives", the nuts and bolts work plan items, the goal would be to have responsible stewardship of the City's resources and the strategy to accomplish that would be to secure long term financial sustainability, and one initiative to meet that goal and strategy would be to "reduce subsidies in Lighting and Landscape Assessment District Nos. 39 and 41 ". ACM/McLean concluded by stating that this plan has been designed to be an aspirational roadmap to guide the organization through the next three years to realize the vision, values and priorities; to set high level policy goals and strategies; and, to prioritize the key initiatives to meet the policy guidelines of the City Council. C/Chou thanked staff for putting this document together. He recalls how impressed he was during staff's Study Session report and he continues to be impressed by this project. He believes that this document will serve as a guide to the City going forward. He thanked staff and his colleagues for their work. APRIL 7, 2020 PAGE 7 CITY COUNCIL C/Chou moved, C/Mahlke seconded, to approve the City Council Strategic Plan 2021-24 as presented. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: 5.2 2019 PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT: Chou, Low, Mahlke, MPT/Lyons, M/Tye None None ACM/McLean presented the staff report stating the report will be posted on the City's website for public consumption. In general, this document provides an overview of the City's Public Safety program including partnerships with the LA County Fire Department, the City's law enforcement team from the LA County Sheriff's Department as well as, an overview of statistics and trends and public engagement programs that work with the City's Public Safety Team. ACM/McLean elaborated on the services provided by each of these partnerships. In early 2019 the former library site owned by the county was converted to house the east county's administration for the Fire Department which means that Diamond Bar has a permanent location for fire department personnel including plan checkers and others who can provide service to the public. In 2019 the Fire Department responded to 59 fire incidents and over 2500 rescue/emergency medical responses. The LA County Sheriffs Department works with the City to determine the annual needs of the community related to crime statistics. Diamond Bar has 17 deputies scheduled in three shifts of 3 to 8 deputies throughout the day with employment based on need. The City also has a robust Volunteers on Patrol program that includes 25 Diamond Bar volunteers who provided almost 9,000 hours of service in 2019 which was valued by the Sheriff's Department at $225,000. Overall, 2019 was the second consecutive year of declining crime rates of about 11 percent over the past two years. There was a bit of a spike in the violent crime category in 2019, the majority of which were domestic abuse crimes (24 incidents/121 percent spike); however, property crimes have fallen by 3.3 percent with residential burglaries declining by over 37 percent from 2018 levels. ACM/McLean provided a chart with a database going back to 1990, the first full year of statistics in Diamond Bar, which shows that Part 1 crimes have declined and are much lower than they were early in the City's history. The City has a very robust crime prevention strategy program. The Council offers supplementary budgetary resources for a number of items including special and undercover operations, suppression patrol, the STAR program, and additional public engagement. The City has had a very successful run with the program known as "Let's Talk Public Safety" which is meant to encourage community partnerships and education. APRIL 7, 2020 PAGE 8 CITY COUNCIL Diamond Bar partners with deputies and members of the Fire Department to produce public meetings, Neighborhood and Business Watch, Coffee with a Cop, engagement with school officials and clergy at local faith - based facilities in town. Safety Speaks is a blog on the City's website that provides information and tips for residents and business owners as well as, various other information including videos and other print materials housed online. The City has continued to offer the Reports for Reward program which offers up to a $500 reward for information that leads to the arrest of the property crime suspect (3 in 2019 and early 2020) and promotes individuals to "if they see something, say something". Diamond Bar is unique with respect to traffic. The City is at the corner of four of the largest populated counties in the nation — Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino. The SR57/60 Confluence has upwards of 400,000 vehicles proceeding through the City each day which leads to a lot of cut -through traffic on Diamond Bar streets. Staff has worked closely with Captain Reyes and Lieutenant Tousey to make sure that the deputies on patrol in Diamond Bar focus on traffic. Diamond Bar has a dedicated traffic car plus members of the special assignment team that focus on traffic enforcement on arterials and in school zones. In 2019 significantly more drivers were cited for moving violations that resulted in an over 12 percent drop in total collisions in 2019 versus 2018. In summary, Diamond Bar is a safe community. This does not mean that Diamond Bar has no crime. This is a low crime community that has challenges. Messages continue to go out to the community to residents and business owners that "if they see something, say something" and Diamond Bar has had great success with residents calling in when they notice something that doesn't seem right, which has led to arrests of suspects. Public Safety is a partnership that continues to be stressed and the City encourages everyone to remain vigilant to make sure their neighborhoods are safe and to report anything that is out of place. For 2019 through February 2020 prior to the COVID-19 shutdown, the City is down 16 percent in overall crimes and ACM/McLean said he expects there will be even less crime during the stay at home orders. C/Low thanked staff for the excellent report and thanked the Sheriff's and Fire Departments for the excellent work they do every day. She challenged the law enforcement agency to concentrate on the business burglary numbers. It is wonderful to hear that residential burglaries have decreased significantly, but it is a little frightening that commercial burglaries have gone up 10 percent (12 incidents). C/Low moved, MPT/Lyons seconded, to Receive and File the 2019 Public Safety Report. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: Chou, Low, Mahlke, MPT/Lyons, APRIL 7, 2020 PAGE 9 CITY COUNCIL M/Tye NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS: None 6. COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS AND MEETING ATTENDANCE REPORTS/COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS: C/Chou participated in a League of Cities Policy Committee conference with other Council Members and Mayors throughout the State of California. The Committee is tracking bills including Senator Rubio's AB 2122 which would authorize city attorneys to impose civil penalties against unlicensed commercial cannabis operators of up to $30,000 per violation. As a result of COVID-19 people are getting a lot of information from the County and State. County Supervisor Janice Hahn has authorized a $30,000 grant to Diamond Bar Evergreen Club as well as, Industry's Meals on Wheels, both of which help and support the seniors in this City. For any senior residents who are experiencing food insecurity and need food they should contact either entity for additional support. The time is coming that the City will approve its fiscal budget for 2021- 22 and he noticed City contracts that have been ongoing for several years. Specifically, there was a contract with a consulting firm signed in 1997 for $3,000 per month. He asked that the Mayor agendize review of the contract with Gonzales & Co at the next meeting and requested a report from staff. C/Low thanked staff for this very special meeting using technology to further the Council's goals of government transparency and good governance. She is excited that this is possible through the internet because it allows for social distancing. She hopes staff is doing well working from home and taking care of business and thanks them for all they are doing. Over the past two weeks she, too, has been working from home. It is a new experience for her and as she walks around the neighborhood she sees that her neighbors are walking and getting their exercise. She encouraged everyone to remember that we are all in this together. These are trying times and we need to keep doing what is necessary by following the guidelines of the health professionals. No one is immune. It is very important that everyone stay vigilant. She encouraged everyone to continue being kind to their neighbors and reaching out to help when they can. To those who tested positive she sends her best wishes and asks everyone to send their best wishes as well. Although the big concern is the Corona Virus, there are many in the community suffering regular diseases and she hopes best wishes will be extended to those individuals as well. Celebrate every day and find special joys in your lives. She wished the Jewish community a Happy Passover and to Christian friends, a Happy Easter. Everyone stay strong, stay safe and stay healthy. Together, we will get through this. C/Mahlke said that what is happening in communities is weighing heavily on her and her colleagues have the same concerns. She congratulated ACM/McLean on a great job this evening and the content of his reports was optimistic information that provided a really positive momentum to remind everyone that if we only get our news from one place it does not always feel this safe, but it APRIL 7, 2020 PAGE 10 CITY COUNCIL shows that this City is moving in a positive direction and that Diamond Bar is a place everyone is proud to live in. She is especially proud of the residents who have been staying in. When they are out they wear masks and share food and supplies which mimics what the Strategic Plan speaks to, which is the sense of community and livability. She is very grateful to the City leaders, management and staff who have done a really great job keeping everyone educated and informed. The City is running incredibly smoothly making this transition of working from home which, while it looks easy, is not. This plays into the Strategic Plan of service and professionalism and setting this meeting up and likely many to follow as well, confirms the notion of transparency and accountability, which is another reason she is proud and happy to be a resident and representative of Diamond Bar. During this terribly uncertain and scary time, please continue to reach out to people who are important to you, stay as healthy as possible and do something every day that makes you happy. In the middle of so much uncertainty, continuing to find joy and happiness as C/Low said, is incredibly important. MPT/Lyons extended her appreciation to City staff who are handling the pandemic with urgency and grace. Everyone really appreciates their efforts. Her appreciation includes the Parks and Recreation Department who have done some activities to lift spirits including the Zumbini and Yoga classes at home, a chalk coloring contest, and more. Anyone who wishes to find information about those classes can look on the City's website under Special Events. It seems like a lifetime ago that we had the Miss Diamond Bar 2020 Fellowship Pageant on March 8t" and at that time the City recognized the outgoing court for all of their hard work over the past year. She asked that Miss Diamond Bar 2019, Bella Lamb and her court, be recognized for all of their participation in City events, grand openings, library events, etc. They generally made Diamond Bar a better place to live and we are grateful and thank them for their hundreds of hours of service to the community. At that same event, a new court was crowned which will be led by Miss Diamond Bar Julia Ruelas and once things get back to normal, we can expect to see those hard working ladies everywhere. She asked that tonight's meeting be adjourned in memory of two long time Diamond Bar residents, David Petry who was an all-round good guy, a humble church member, a woodworker who built the cabinetry in his Diamond Bar home, beloved husband of Louise, father and grandfather; and, Martin Lindemulder, a solid Diamond Bar citizen, active in Little League who coached, active in Boy Scouts, and a great neighbor who will be missed by his children and grandchildren and especially, his wife Sue. Neither gentleman died of COVID- 19. The death of a loved one is always difficult, but to be in the middle of a pandemic one is not allowed to celebrate the lives lost or grieve with friends and relatives in person. As one of the widows told MPT/Lyons yesterday, she would really like some hugs. So, anyone who knows either of these individuals, please reach out to express your condolences. Happy Passover and a Blessed Easter. M/Tye said that everyone has to do what they can do. We are in this together. The LA County Sheriff's Department reported an increase in scams and hacking attempts and the Sheriffs Department is asking everyone to be diligent. Chief APRIL 7, 2020 PAGE 11 CITY COUNCIL Information Officer, William (Bill) Kehoe said that malicious actors can pray upon those who are distracted by the COVID-19 pandemic and use it to their advantage. The public needs to be mindful and careful more so than ever, and avoid websites, phishing emails and scams that engage people to false information about the health crisis. They are going to use that to steal personal user information and data, and by clicking on fraudulent web links, hackers can deliver malware and gain access to passwords, browsing information, credit card numbers and other personal information, especially during tax time. So please, please, please be careful. If you do not recognize the name, delete it and whatever you do, do not click on something you do not recognize. Much better to be safe than sorry than to try and put all of the pieces back together. M/Tye hopes everyone will heed this warning. Let's hope that the next City Council meeting is in person. Perhaps it will be in May. Great effort by staff on tonight's meeting. Thank you to everyone for everything that they did to put this meeting together, the reports, CC/Santana for coordinating this and making sure the Council and community could be heard. Everyone continue to do their part and we will get through this working together. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to conduct, M/Tye adjourned the Regular City Council Meeting at 7:46 p.m. in memory of Diamond Bar resident Martin Lindemulder and David Petry. Respectfully submitted: Kristina Santana, City Clerk The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this 21St day of April, 2020. Steve Tye, Mayor