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HomeMy WebLinkAbout5/2/2000 Minutes - Study SessionCITY OF DIAMOND BAR CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION DISCUSSION OF CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES MAY 2, 2000 1. CITY COUNCIL CALL TO ORDER: Mayor O'Connor called the study session to order at 5:27 p.m. in the South Coast Air Quality Management District Room CC -8, 21865 E. Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, California. 2. ROLL CALL: Council Members Chang, Herrera, Huff, Mayor Pro Tem Ansari and Mayor O'Connor. Also present were: Terrence L. Belanger, City Manager; Mike Jenkins, City Attorney; James DeStefano, Deputy City Manager; David Liu, Deputy Public Works Director; Bob Rose, Community Services Director; Linda Magnuson, Finance Director; Mike Nelson, Communications & Marketing Director; Lynda Burgess, City Clerk; Rose Manela, Assistant Civil Engineer; Teresa Arevalo, Senior Administrative Assistant; Deputy Perkins; Sgt. Flannery and Lt. Fosselman. 3. DISCUSSION OF CITY COUNCIL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. _ MPT/Ansari said that she would like to have a freeway hillside planting of wild flowers, which could be a joint effort between D.B. and CalTrans; a training program/grants for hillside maintenance; a General Plan update to accommodate the new NPDS's & TMDL.'s as required by the Clean Water Act; address garage sale signs being left up after the date of the sale; cleanup of freeway exits; a flyer or insert requesting feedback from residents regarding community cleanup and beautification; recognition of D.B. - signage for the City's ranch heritage; a memorial area to recognize veterans; 3x5 inch plaques on the streets honoring people who have passed away; encourage citizen participation for residential decoration lighting at Halloween and Christmas; recognize areas that foster neighborhood spirit; establish more Neighborhood Watch programs; revisit the use of the City's parks including pocket parks and establish more benches for seating and put up basketball hoops in pocket parks; establish a nursery at the end of Sycamore Canyon; investigate the establishment of a "pooch park" area; improve the area adjacent to Diamond Bar Boulevard overlooking Sycamore Canyon by constructing a parking area and seating benches; establish an outreach computer program to routinely contact shut ins and house bound residents with volunteers who will return calls and visit individuals; establish two student intern positions with the Parks and Recreation Commission; establish a teen center; look for joint uses with the school districts; revisit putting City Hall in the SCAQMD Building on a long-term contract. C/Chang said that he re -prioritized last year's list. He would like to see those goals completed within the next two years. He submitted his list to SCM/Whitehouse. MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 2 CITY COUNCIL STUDY C/Huff listed the following: Communication and customer service is an ongoing objective. He stated that there is a problem with correspondence that goes out to all City Council Members. He suggested that the Mayor should coordinate the response and refer it to the appropriate Council Member or staff member. CM/Belanger stated that the response time is 72 hours. Chuff asked for a report on the effectiveness of the current communications policy for the next study session. C/Huff asked about the status of computerized signal management for the City. DDPW/Liu stated that staff would be proposing an inner -connect master plan as a first step toward having a complete system. This is a project that has been identified for the upcoming CIP list. C/Huff suggested that the Council hold a brainstorming study session on devising a beautification master plan for the City. He is sill concerned about hillside slope maintenance and asked staff for recommendations for dealing with this issue. He would like the temporary sign ordinance to have more teeth. There are a lot of weekend violations. He asked for a periodic status report on code enforcement; look into the removal of the billboard sign over the SR 57; consider expanding the duties of the Volunteer Patrol; establish staff time to assist Council Members with their filing; pursue acquisition of land for public park use as a high priority; and concurred with the goal to establish a pooch park. C/Herrera said she would like to see a revised list with the goals that have been completed liminated and the new list of priorities to include the goals and objectives that have not yet been accomplished in their current order of priority. She is concerned that a list that is too long would stifle accomplishment of the current goals. D.B. has a lean staff of 35, which is less than other cities of comparable size and she believed that there should be fewer goals on which to concentrate in order to do a good job. M/O'Connor suggested that a CUP review process be established and that the 72 -hour recreation vehicle -parking ordinance be addressed. She had heard rumors that Walnut Valley Trailers may be closing and agreed with C/Huff about the removal of temporary signs. CM/Belanger pointed out that shopping centers and other private property owners are not subject to the ordinance. CA/Jenkins stated that the easiest way to remove signs from shopping MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 3 CITY COUNCIL STUDY centers is to get the permission of the property owner to go in and remove the signs. CM/Belanger suggested that with respect to the 72 hour parking rule, that vehicles of a certain weight could be prohibited from parking on City streets. A time violation is a very difficult enforcement issue. C/Chang said he thought that once the street sweeping signs are installed advising "no parking" on certain days that the problem would be solved. Martha Bruske liked the idea of sharing these goals and objectives with the public. She cautioned Council that an implementation and monitoring program is needed. Wilbur Smith said that there is no centerline on most streets and that parking is allowed on both sides of the streets, which makes it difficult for vehicles to travel safely on hilly and curved streets. M/O'Connor said that the Traffic & Transportation Commission has frequently discussed having a citywide street striping policy. M/O'Connor stated that staff would prepare an updated list of Goals and Objectives for Council Members' ranking. CM/Belanger stated that this afternoon, the City received a notice from CalTrans that they have released their draft initial study for the SR 57/60 interchange and they will be having a public meeting at the SCAQMD Headquarters Building on Thursday, June 1 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Staff will ask CalTrans for permission to televise the meeting. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to conduct, Mayor O'Connor adjourned the Study Session at 6:00 p.m. to Closed Session. ATTEST: Mayor LYNDA BURGESS, City Clerk MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF DIAMOND BAR MAY 2, 2000 STUDY SESSION: Mayor O'Connor called the Study Session to order at 5:27 p.m. in Room CC -8 of the South Coast Air Quality Management District Headquarters Building, 21865 E. Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, CA. CLOSED SESSION: Conference with Legal Counsel - Existing Litigation G. C. Section 54956.9(a) Beach Courchesne vs. City of D.B. ADJOURNMENT: 6:45 p.m. 2. CALL TO ORDER: Mayor O'Connor called the regular City Council meeting to order at 6:55 p.m. in the Auditorium of the South Coast Air Quality Management District, 21865 E. Copley Drive, Diamond Bar, California. CA/Jenkins announced that following discussion during Closed Session, the Council authorized staff to seek review of the Appellate Court decision regarding Beach-Courchesne vs. City of Diamond Bar to the State Supreme Court. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Council Member Ansari. INVOCATION: The Invocation was given by Ahmad H. Sakr, Ph.D, Islamic Education Center. ROLL CALL: Mayor O'Connor, Mayor Pro Tem Ansari and Council Members Chang, Herrera and Huff. Also present were: Terrence L. Belanger, City Manager; Mike Jenkins, City Attorney; James DeStefano, Deputy City Manager; David Liu, Deputy Public Works Director; Bob Rose, Community Services Director; Linda Magnuson, Finance Director; Mike Nelson, Communications & Marketing Director and Lynda Burgess, City Clerk. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: CM/Belanger requested consideration of adding the matter of the Tres Hermanos Conservation Authority Revised Joint Powers Agreement to the Agenda under 8.3, OLD BUSINESS. C/Huff moved, C/Herrera seconded, to add Agenda Item 8.2 under Old Business to wit: Tres Hermanos Conservation Authority Revised Joint Powers Agreement. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - Chang, Herrera, Huff, MPT/Ansari, M/O'Connor NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 2 CITY COUNCIL 3.A SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATES, PROCLAMATIONS: 3.A.1 Proclaimed May, 2000 as "Water Awareness Month." 3.A.2 Proclaimed May, 2000 as "Veteran Appreciation Month." 3.A.3 Proclaimed May, 2000 as "Fibromyalgia Awareness Month." 3.13 CITY MANAGER REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: CM/Belanger reported that, with respect to Census 2000, D. B. was given a target rate of 78% by the Census Bureau. To date, D.B. has achieved its target and it is expected that, before the Census is completed, the actual rate for the count in D.B. will exceed 80% due to a great deal of education, public information and outreach by the City and the school districts. Recently, the City experienced a tornado-like event known as a micro -burst, which damaged several dozen homes within the community and destroyed hundreds of trees and other public and private properties. The City Manager declared a State of Emergency and the Council will consider ratification of that emergency. The Declaration of Emergency was forwarded to the County, which has forwarded the document to the State with the hope that the State will declare a State of Emergency, thereby providing assistance through state and federal programs to residents who have a need to secure loans to repair their property. Today, a SBA representative toured the areas that were affected by the micro -burst with the City's Building & Safety and Emergency Preparedness staff members. With respect to the Lanterman Expansion Project, an advisory committee meeting to restructure Developmental Center services planned for May 11 and 12 in Sacramento was rescheduled for June 28 and 29. Council Member Herrera is a member of the committee and will attend the meeting in Sacramento. The City continues to await word on the document that was created as a result of the two-day March workshop in Sacramento that involved 40 individuals from state and local governments as well as constituent groups and community members. The City's special legal counsel feels that local jurisdictions will receive an answer on the document tomorrow and no later than Thursday. CM/Belanger further stated that on Thursday, June 1, 2000 in the SCAQMD Auditorium, the Department of Transportation will conduct a public hearing from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. during which they will review the draft initial study and environmental study related to the SR57/60 improvement project. The event will be televised live. MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 3 CITY COUNCIL Also recently, the City's Communications & Marketing staff attended the CAPIO (California Association of Public Information Officials) Conference. At that conference, 171 municipal websites representing cities throughout Southern California were evaluated. In the final analysis, the City's website was rated in the top five. This is a significant achievement for the City - for the investment and effort that has been made by the City in providing access to information through the use of technology. Four years ago, the City, in competition with 280 jurisdictions throughout America ranging in size from 35,000 to 150,000, received the SAAVY award, the top award for this category. 4. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Irene Kim, 24231 Softwind Dr., informed Council that Governor Gray Davis declared May "Drowning Prevention Month." Clyde Hennessee said he would like the City to retain the Diamond Ride Program (Item 6.10) but he believed the contract should be put out to bid because it is a lot of money for the City to spend. He referred to an article about diversity and spoke about the intent of Proposition 26. Craig Parks, 222 Gunsmoke Dr., asked Council to speak with the SCAQMD Executive Board and point out the value of the Child Care Center to the community and to impress upon the Board Members that the current proposal will realize a savings of in excess of $84,000 and be of no cost to the District. He thanked Council for their support and guidance on this matter. Martha Bruske stated "you can fight city hall." Through the efforts of the veterans, individuals are able to fight city halls. She has always been against redevelopment because she believed that it is a premeditated scam intended to pull the wool over the eyes of the citizenry when they voted for city incorporation. She said that it is obvious to her that while Council Members waited for redevelopment, it allowed the city to deteriorate. Council's typical response is to belittle the people who sponsored the lawsuit and that the seniors and others who are expecting services that Council Members wanted to give to them will not be available because redevelopment is not available. Council will increase taxes and tell people that the City will have to reduce services. The so-called study on redevelopment was an absolute farce, another heavy outlay of taxpayer money. And now the Council is going to take the matter to the Supreme Court. Council should be taking a reflective posture rather than a reactive posture. Council tried to do something that was illegal and it got caught. Blaming is not going to be constructive in this instance. Council Members took oaths to take care of this City and starting now, it should do so because the City may very well not have the big hunk of money it thought it would MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 4 CITY COUNCIL have. Council needs to gather information status on what's going on in the shopping centers and it needs to establish criteria to bring them back up to code and maintain them or to tear them down and never rebuild them as shopping centers. City Hall needs to be restructured to better represent the interest of the residents. She believed Council should establish oversight committees, being very careful that they do not represent "good old boy" committees. And while it is true that no man and no city is an island and that Council must participate in some regional issues, it needs to take corrective action now and needs to stay home and take care of the City. She hoped someone in the City would request a full financial accounting for all the litigation through which the Council has put the community. Dave Reynolds spoke about the solid waste proposal process. He suggested that an update be provided during subcommittee reports. He stated that his 161 -unit condominium complex just signed a contract with Waste Management to roll out a 64 -gallon recycling cart program. He believed that this is the first contract within the multi family sector in response to the City's Ordinance. He pointed out that outreach and education of the homeowners was a factor in obtaining a swift resolve to this matter and about a 70-80% set out rate and a heavy amount of participation by the residents. He congratulated the Sheriffs Department for their swift response to a major crime incident in his neighborhood involving armed suspects. He said he was told that the nearest air response location is Long Beach and he asked if the City could call on the Pomona Police Department's unit for response. Barbara Beach Courchesne commended CSD/Rose for his professionalism and assistance in setting up the Early Mental Health Initiative spring regional meeting in Sycamore Park. She looked forward to the Supreme Court's review of the redevelopment lawsuit. She hoped that the City's attorney has shared with the Council that it is rare for this court to hear a civil case. She urged that the City and the Redevelopment Agency spend no more money until this issue is resolved. Mary Matson, Community Advisory Committee, announced that 595-2264 is the committee's contact number to the Sheriffs Department. Callers should leave a message with the Sheriffs Department, the appropriate person will be notified and they will return telephone calls. The Advisory Committee meets with the Sheriff's Department monthly and provides liaison services between the City and Sheriff's Department. Robert Arceo, senior citizen, said the seniors are never going to get a senior center because the money is being spent foolishly. He complained that Council meetings are boring because there is no disagreement. MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 5 CITY COUNCIL Dr. Larry Rhodes said he spoke with a woman who used to volunteer at Lanterman Developmental Center. She mentioned that there is a meeting tomorrow morning at 8:00 a.m. entitled an "in-service" meeting. She also mentioned the EI Molina School, which houses 10-12 year olds with very severe behavioral problems. He asked that staff investigate this school. Her son currently resides in a group home, which she no longer visits because one of the occupants hit her in the chest on her last visit two years ago. He was not accepted at Lanterman because the State is trying to in-home as many people as it can. Dr. Ron Hockwalt, Superintendent of Schools, Walnut Unified School District, stated that for the past several years, the district has been working cooperatively with the D. B. City Council to discuss plans that would jointly benefit both the citizens of D.B. and the students in the Walnut Valley Unified School District. These plans included joint use of facilities, park development, senior housing and expanded sports fields, to name a few. Most of these discussions were predicated on redevelopment monies, so the WVUSD members are very saddened that the D.B. Redevelopment Plan was not upheld by the Court of Appeal. The district sincerely believes that it is in the best interest of the students and citizens in D.B. to have a redevelopment agency and the district supports the City Council in whatever action might be possible to legally reestablish the redevelopment agency. Carolyn Elfelt, 20 year D.B. resident and member of the WVUSD Board of Trustees, said she appreciated the job that the Council Members are doing and also supported redevelopment. It has been claimed that redevelopment agencies harm school districts and fire districts because it keeps the tax increment from the base year. She said she thought that legislation had been passed that requires a portion of that money, i.e. money for school districts and fire districts, to be automatically passed through. She did not believe that all of the money gets passed through, but the small amount that is kept is offset by the great benefit that can occur by having joint projects between the cities and school districts, projects which benefit all children in the communities. She asked for clarification of whether or not a redevelopment agency really harms school children. John Fyffe, 1436 Blenbury Dr., advised Council that pet owners are letting their pets roam City streets unleashed and dogs are barking all hours of the night, which causes him to lose sleep. He asked if D.B. has an Ordinance, which requires dog owners to pick up after their animals on City streets, sidewalks, parks and schoolyards. He asked the Council to agendize this matter for public discussion. MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 6 CITY COUNCIL Steve Tye appreciated the job performance of the Council Members and the time that they spend trying to make D.B. a better place. It has been said that bad things happen when good people do nothing and now we know that bad things happen when sad people are vindictive and pursue a personal agenda rather than work for the good of their community. In an article written by David Hermann for the Inland Valley portion of the Los Angeles Times, he talks about using the redevelopment agency to divert tax dollars from local schools and county services. As stated by Dr. Hockwalt and Ms. Elfelt, redevelopment does not cost local school districts, local law enforcement or fire districts a cent. The article also contains a quote by Frank Dursa, a 34 -year D.B. resident, which states that "this is something that the city has had coming to them for a long period of time." He was confused about who Mr. Dursa thinks the city is. All citizens are the city. And what this City should have coming to it is to utilize every legal available resource to make our city the best possible place to be. Spiro Agnew spoke of the "nattering nabobs of negativism", which he thought was a nice alliteration, but still a strange comment. Today, he understands to whom Mr. Agnew was referring. He encouraged Council to not let a gang of 12 overrule the best interests of D.B. and to pursue this matter to a successful end for the benefit of the entire community. Sue Sisk thanked C/Herrera and MPT/Ansari for sending letters to state legislators requesting a resolution in the Lanterman Expansion Project matter. She said that she too, is very upset about the recent decision regarding redevelopment and what it will do to the community, the civic center and expenditures to date. She believed that redevelopment helps the children of the community and she was concerned about the loss of projects that might have been funded with redevelopment monies. She asked that Council hold a public meeting to discuss several matters that have been in the press recently such as redevelopment, Lanterman, Tres Hermanos and the Boy Scout Reservation, solid waste, the Alameda Corridor, etc. M/O'Connor asked that the matter of "Drowning Prevention Month" be agendized for the May 16 City Council meeting. M/O'Connor responded to Clyde Hennessee that it is not true that the Chinese Assn. paid for Council Members to travel to China. Council Members paid their own way. M/O'Connor stated, in response to Dave Reynolds, that the City will be interviewing solid waste providers on Friday and hope to have the new contract implemented by July 1, 2000. CM/Belanger responded to Robert Arceo that whether the members of the senior groups are citizens of D.B. is of no relevance to the City. The groups MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 7 CITY COUNCIL are private and make their own rules with respect to membership. Each of the groups get similar funding in that the cost of insurance for group functions at Heritage Park is covered by CDBG. The City funds a full time senior coordinator who provides services to all seniors within the City of D.B. CM/Belanger responded to Carolyn Elfelt that under redevelopment law, there is a statutory pass-through that requires that a percentage of any tax increment collected be passed through to taxing agencies. Overall, the amount of monies passed through to the taxing agencies of the increment collected over the 45 year period is about 35%. It should be noted that the percentage of assessed valuation that is represented by the Diamond Bar Economic Revitalization is 10% of the total property tax collected within the City. 90% of the property in the City is not located within the Redevelopment Project Area. The City is a net donor to the L.A. County Fire District, that is, the service that the department provides in D.B. does not cost as much as it collects in D.B. including the Project Area. CM/Belanger responded to John Fyffe that the City has a leash law and an Ordinance that requires the pick up and proper disposal of effluent. Staff will research the matter with respect to private property. If there is an ordinance that can be adopted, staff will bring the matter to Council for consideration. In response to Sue Sisk, M/O'Connor stated that Council Members attempt to keep residents advised about matters of public concern and Council attendance at various meetings during subcommittee reports and Council comments at the end of the meeting. She liked the idea of a public meeting to discuss matters of mutual concern. CM/Belanger responded to Barbara Beach-Courchesne that all monies that have been advanced to the Redevelopment Agency for redevelopment activities, which include the development agreements between the City and Allstate Insurance and Travelers Insurance, roadway improvements, median construction, traffic signals and such matters, have been advanced from the City's General Fund and other funds. If the Redevelopment Project Area is ultimately found to be invalid, the Redevelopment Agency would not be able to repay those monies but those monies that have already been advanced from then already existing reserves would not have an impact on the community. The community would not have a burden placed upon it to replace those monies. Council would not have authorized those expenditures if that had been the case. Those advances were made after careful thought in relationship to their affordability. Tonight's agenda contains a report that indicates for the month ending on March 31, the General Fund of the City has $13,700,000. A total of all funds of the City equal $25,000,000 in cash reserves currently on deposit in the Local Agency Investment Fund through the State. The City is not broke and there is no MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 8 CITY COUNCIL threat of the City broke. The obligation that the Redevelopment Agency has visa -vis the City are for monies that have already been spent. At the current time, there are no demands on the General Funds of the City. CM/Belanger responded to MPT/Ansari that the City will realize 2500 jobs in the three facilities that were supported by the development agreements in the Gateway Corporate Center. As a result of the investment on those three properties, three other properties that were not supported by redevelopment but were a direct result of activities with the other three properties have also been constructed and a fourth has been purchased. For all intents and purposes, the Gateway Corporate Center lay fallow for 10 years. It was prepared for development and a prime location was not getting any development. Until the City had and utilized the redevelopment tool, no investment took place. As soon as redevelopment was available and the City utilized the tool, the Gateway Corporate Center almost literally developed to capacity. There are only two parcels left. Prior to redevelopment, businesses did not invest here because D.B. could not provide any incentives for them to locate here. When all is said and done, there will be in excess of 4,000 jobs that come to the City that, over time, will support the D.B. business community. 5. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE EVENTS: 5.1 PLANNING COMMISSION - May 9, 2000 - 7:00 p.m., SCAQMD Auditorium, 21865 E. Copley Dr. 5.2 TRAFFIC & TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING - 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m./JOINT PARKS & RECREATIONITRAFFIC & TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MEETING RE: TRAILS MASTER PLAN - Thursday, May 11, 2000 - 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., SCAQMD Room CC -8, 21865 E. Copley Dr. 5.3 DIAMOND BAR SERVICE CENTER GRAND OPENING - May 16, 2000 - 9:00 a.m., The Village Center, 23449 Golden Springs Dr. 5.4 CITY COUNCIL MEETING - May 16, 2000 - 6:30 p.m., SCAQMD Auditorium, 21865 E. Copley Dr. 5.5 CITY ON-LINE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE MEETING - May 17, 2000 - 6:00 p.m., Room CC -2, SCAQMD Headquarters Building, 21865 E. Copley Dr. 5.6 PLANNING COMMISSION - May 23, 2000 - 7:00 p.m., SCAQMD Auditorium, 21865 E. Copley Dr. MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 9 CITY COUNCIL 5.7 PARKS AND RECREATION COMMISSION - May 25, 2000 - 7:00 p.m., SCAQMD Hearing Board Room, 21865 E. Copley Dr. 5.8 MEMORIAL DAY HOLIDAY - City Offices will be closed Monday, May 29, 2000 in observance of Memorial Day. City Offices will reopen Tuesday, May 30, 2000. 6. CONSENT CALENDAR: C/Huff moved, MPT/Ansari seconded, to approve the Consent Calendar with the exception of Item No. 6.10. Motion carried by the following Roll vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - Chang, Herrera, Huff, MPT/Ansari, M/O'Connor NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None 6.1 APPROVED MINUTES - Regular Meeting of April 18, 2000 - As submitted. 6.2 RECEIVED & FILED PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES: 6.2.1 Regular Meeting of March 14, 2000, 6.2.2 Regular Meeting of March 28, 2000. 6.3 APPROVED VOUCHER REGISTER - dated April 17, 2000 in the amount of $826,119.47 with M/O'Connor abstaining from approval of the following items due to a potential conflict of interest relating to the Lanterman Forensic Expansion Project: P.O. A9876 for $232.74; P.O. 9260 for $80; P.O. 9885 for $21,463.81: Sue Sisk for $30; P.O. 8883 for $11.97; Wells Fargo Bank for $413.55 and P.O. 8882 for $175 for a total of $22,407.07. 6.4 REVIEWED & APPROVED TREASURER'S REPORT - for March, 2000. 6.5 EXONERATED CASH DEPOSIT IN LIEU OF LANDSCAPE BOND (FAITHFUL PERFORMANCE, LABOR & MATERIAL) FOR 2739 STEEPLECHASE LANE IN DIAMOND BAR - of Assignment as Security in the amount of $14,535 posted with the City on May 25, 1999 and directed that the City Clerk notify the Principal and Surety of this action. 6.5 APPROVED BUDGET ADJUSTMENT FOR PRINTING OF COMMUNITY RECREATION GUIDE - authorized allocation of additional funds in the amount of $19,000 from the General Fund for MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 10 CITY COUNCIL publication of the spring and summer issues of the Community Recreation Guide. 6.7 EXONERATED CASH DEPOSIT IN LIEU OF GRADING BOND (FAITHFUL PERFORMANCE, LABOR & MATERIAL) FOR 2536 STEEPLECHASE LANE IN DIAMOND BAR (LOT 15 OF TRACT NO. 20578 - in the amount of $5,986.80 posted with the City on December 19, 1996, and directed that the City Clerk notify the Owners and Surety of this action. 6.8 ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 2000-26: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DIAMOND BAR APPROVING PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE BREA CANYON ROAD (BETWEEN GOLDEN SPRINGS DRIVE AND PATHFINDER ROAD) STREET REHABILITATION PROJECT IN SAID CITY AND AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE CITY CLERK TO ADVERTISE TO RECEIVE BIDS. 6.9 ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 2000-27: A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DIAMOND BAR PROCLAIMING THE EXISTENCE AND CONTINUATION OF A LOCAL EMERGENCY. MATTERS WITHDRAWN FROM CONSENT CALENDAR: 6.10 APPROVED CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH DIVERSIFIED PARATRANSIT, INC. FOR DIAMOND RIDE (DIAL -A -CAB) SERVICES - In April 1995, the City established the Diamond Ride (Dial -A -Cab) service to provide a reliable, useable transportation system for elderly (60 years of. age and older) and physically challenged residents. The system operates 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, within a designated geographic boundary and designated facilities. After an RFP process, Council awarded the current contract to Diversified Paratransit, Inc. on March 2, 1999 for one year, with a provision for annual extension(s) by mutual agreement. On March 15, 2000, Diversified Paratransit requested an extension to the contract with a re -negotiation in one year. Though the cost of gasoline, insurance, and wages increased this year, Diversified has agreed to maintain the fare schedule as established April 1, 1999. Service levels provided by Diversified have met all City requirements and have been above satisfactory based upon a recent audit of the system. DDPW/Liu explained that last year, Diversified was the only responder to the RFP for the current Dial -a -Ride service. MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 11 CITY COUNCIL Informational flyers regarding the service are available at City Hall and other off-site locations. Senior groups will be visited by staff members to make certain that they are aware of the service. MPT/Ansari moved, WO'Connor seconded, to approve (a) FY 99-00 contract amount with Diversified Paratransit, Inc. from $276,000 to $298,000; and (b) a Contract Amendment with Diversified Paratransit, Inc. for FY 00-01 and authorize the Mayor to sign the amendment. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - Chang, Herrera, Huff,MPT/Ansari, M/O'Connor NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None 7. PUBLIC HEARINGS: None 8. OLD BUSINESS: 8.1 CIVIC/COMMUNITY CENTER RECOMMENDATIONS: SITE, PHASING AND FINANCING - Following review of the project scope, facilities size, site, budget and financing, the Civic/Community Center Task Force recommended four possible sites for this project. Three facilities are recommended: A community/senior center, a library and a city hall. Estimated design, site preparation and construction costs total $15.59 million and include architect/engineer, furniture/ fixtures/equipment, construction management and contingency. Henry Woo said that as a local Architect who has worked in this area for 13 years, he strongly supported this project which is not to be taken lightly. Many cities in L.A. and Orange Counties are selecting local architects. He was surprised that the design fees are so high. Generally, new facility designs are between 8-10°x. Although this large project would preclude his firm from participating, he was very interested in contributing to the design discussion. Clyde Hennessee supported Mr. Woo's involvement because he is a local architect and he is concerned that because D.B. has a reputation for having big money, that firms will try to take advantage of this perception by charging greater fees. He would prefer not to pay for this project by the use of bonds. MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 12 CITY COUNCIL Allen Wilson disagreed with the recommended action. He believed the project should include the civictcommunity center and library in the first phase and city hall in the second phase. He had concerns about a joint library with L.A. County because he wanted to make certain that D.B.'s library reflects the community's values. He believes D.B. needs to have a representative on the L.A. County Library Commission. C/Huff asked Mr. Woo to comment on the following: There has been concern expressed about continuity of the project. If a site plan and renderings are done for three buildings but construction drawings are done for just one building, is there a problem with continuity for buildings two and three. Mr. Woo stated that, in order to maintain continuity and general visual aesthetics, it would be advisable to have an overall view of the complex in order to get a sense of what the finished product would look like. However, working drawings — are not necessary for all phases because building codes will be changed within the next three years. If the entire project is not constructed within the next three years, a redesign is almost guaranteed.. Following discussion, C/Huff moved, WO'Connor seconded, to designate Summitridge Park as the location for Community/Civic Center complex, proceed with architectural drawings for the community/senior center in the amount of $4.5 million; develop a funding mechanism for second phase; pursue an agreement with L.A. County or look into building our own library; look into funding without Redevelopment. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - Chang, Herrera, Huff, MPT/Ansari, WO'Connor NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None 8.2 APPROVAL OF REVISED TRES HERMANOS CONSERVATION AUTHORITY JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT - CM/Belanger reviewed the changes to be made to this agreement. Discussion of this matter was continued to after the Redevelopment Agency meeting to give the City Attorney an opportunity to review the document. 9. NEW BUSINESS: None MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 13 CITY COUNCIL RECESS TO REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY: M/O'Connor recessed the City Council Meeting to the Redevelopment Agency at 9:43 p.m. RECONVENE CITY COUNCIL MEETING: M/O'Connor reconvened the City Council Meeting at 9:49 p.m. 8. OLD BUSINESS, Cont. 8.2 APPROVAL OF REVISED TRES HERMANOS CONSERVATION AUTHORITY JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT - CA/Jenkins responded to M/O'Connor that he reviewed the document and that most of the changes are innocuous. He stated that with respect to the provision that allows any of the parties to veto, it provides the ability for any one of the cities to obstruct the action of the other two cities, which works in the obstructor's favor and against the obstructee. Regarding the additional language proposed for Page 2, Article I, Paragraph 1. a) and b), the original agreement was written in a very generic manner. The new language is specific in paragraph a) as inserted by the City of Industry. He made no judgement but noted the substantive difference from the first document, which had no such policy declaration. C/Herrera pointed out that these changes were important to the City of Industry. Currently, the three cities are united in their pursuit of what happens in Tres Hermanos and timing is everything. C/Herrera moved, C/Huff seconded, to approve the Revised Tres Hermanos Conservation Authority Joint Powers Agreement. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - Chang, Herrera, Huff, MPT/Ansari, M/O'Connor NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None 10. COUNCIL SUB -COMMITTEE REPORTS AND MEMBER COMMENTS: C/Herrera stated that THCA has expressed interest in purchasing a right-of-way for a roadway within the Boy Scout Reservation property. D.B. experiences regional traffic and a regional solution for this problem is being pursued. On April 18, she wrote a letter to Clifford Allenby urging him to expedite the agreement with the March 15 and 16 Lanterman document. His answer back was dated April 20 and he reiterated that the Department of MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 14 CITY COUNCIL Developmental Services is committed to reaching a resolution on the proposed agreement with the community. He said that he met with the Department of Finance and the Attorney General's office on April 19 and he anticipated closure on the issues in question within a very short period. Once an agreement is finalized, he would be pleased to make a presentation to the community at a town hall meeting. She sent another letter to Mr. Allenby on Friday, April 28 asking him to postpone placing the Lanterman Expansion Project on the May 12 meeting and to instead schedule the matter for June. As previously stated by CM/Belanger, the restructuring committee meeting that she was scheduled to attend on May 11 and 12 has been rescheduled for June 28 and 29. C/Chang believed that the results of the Redevelopment Agency lawsuit will cause a severe negative impact to the community. A few residents have caused a great deal of damage to the City and its residents. The Redevelopment Agency was approved by the State of California. Redevelopment is extremely important to a city like D.B., which does not have a large commercial area and resulting tax base to support the City. The City's budget has been cut by close to $1,000,000 as a result of a revised population count and about $350,000 due to loss of vehicle license fees. The Redevelopment Agency is an excellent tool to help revitalize the City. Over the course of 45 years, D.B. could realize about $5.5 million each year, which is half of the City's current annual budget. Most of the adjacent cities have redevelopment. If D.B. does not have redevelopment, it will not be able to compete with these adjacent cities. Redevelopment does not take money from the pockets of the taxpayers. He reiterated the fact that redevelopment was the reason that D. B. was able to attract Allstate and Travelers Insurance and bring 2500 new jobs to the City. With respect to Council's trip to China, every person including the Council Members paid their own way in spite of the fad that there was an outside offer to pay for the trip. No taxpayer monies were spent on the trip. C/Huff believed that the highest compliment to the Council is being told that the meetings are boring. Much has been said about redevelopment. The outcome of the lawsuit hinged on blight. One of tonight's speakers commented that people don't want to hear that blight exists in D.B. Whether or not people want to hear it, D.B. does have blight. He asked where the people who celebrated a victory tonight were when they lost the first round of court decisions. The Walnut City Council requested a town hall meeting to have a presentation by the Alameda Corridor East, which was ultimately canceled. The D.B. City Council had such a presentation, which was MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 15 CITY COUNCIL televised. Anyone who is interested in the project can find more information on the Internet and key on www.theacearoiect.ora. This website also provides a list of public meetings being held in the Corridor cities. He explained the two-part project and invited individuals to call him with their questions or to check the website for answers. Regarding the Community/Civic Center project, he acknowledged that there are a number of senior citizens and other residents who are frustrated about how long the process is taking. He was pleased that Council took the next step in the process, which he believed underscores the Council's commitment to the community's desire to see this process move forward. He is excited about the fact that D.B.'s website was one of the top five websites in Southern California's municipal websites, which is a real credit to staff. Council's goal to put communications with residents is one of its highest priorities. There is an effort to bring back the popular town forum bulletin board. He recommended that residents take time to look at the City's website by logging on at www.citvofdiamondbar.com, which features a community calendar. In his capacity as a Board Member of Foothill Transit, he has come to know the president of the organization, who also serves as Monrovia's Mayor, Bob Bartlett. Even though he does not know all of the details, he knows that the press is not always accurate and what he reads is inconsistent with the character of the Bob Bartlett he knows. MPT/Ansari spoke about waste and water issues. Although Waste Management went through a brief strike, none of the City's services were affected. This Council has actively pursued legislation (AB939) which would have made it easier for cities to reach the mandatory 50% conversion rate. With the addition of green waste, D. B. will most likely reach its 50% goal. However, some of the adjacent cities will have difficulty reaching the mandatory rate. AB939 did not get through committee. As a result, the bill has been tabled and efforts continue to improve the legislation. She explained the intent of the proposed legislation. She serves as a Director of the San Gabriel Economic Partnership Committee and as a Director of the Inland Valley Economic Partnership. The Inland Valley Economic Partnership, in joint effort with the City of D. B. and the D. B. Chamber of Commerce, is sponsoring a Brokers Caravan on May 17. Real Estate Brokers will be shuffled to the community's shopping centers in an effort to get them to focus their attention on attracting businesses to D.B. Council has been very involved in marketing to the business community. She explained the synergy between sister communities. With respect to redevelopment and the recent lawsuit decision, she wondered whether the judges understood the MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 16 CITY COUNCIL redevelopment law as applied to the consideration of "blight" as was rewritten in 1994. It is important to win the lawsuit and continue bringing in businesses such as Allstate Insurance, Travelers Insurance and Trammel Crow. She attended the Friends of the Library Wine Soiree, the Diamond Bar Women's Club meeting, and greeted a Korean delegation last week. She will complete the Southern California Leadership Course in June. Last week, she learned that she had been appointed to the Bio -Diversity Council and she will be representing six counties in Southern California as a member of SCAG. This is the highest position that can be held by an elected official. On May 7, the Lions Club will sponsor "Drums for Sight" at DBHS. Tickets are $10. She attended the Cathay Bank's Grand Opening on Saturday. M/O'Connor stated that on April 19, she and MPT/Ansari attended funeral services for former Chino Hills Mayor Michael Wickman. That evening, she and MPT/Ansari attended the Contract Cities dinner in recognition of outgoing President Joe Vasquez. On April 20, the D.B. Community Foundation met. The Foundation is gearing up to assist with funding of the community/civic center and library. Seven of the _ 11 Board Members attended a grant writing seminar sponsored by the Walnut Valley School District, which provided valuable clues to fund raising. On April 22, the Lions Club and the City sponsored the annual Easter Egg Hunt. It was a pleasure to see hundreds of children at Summitridge Park. It took the children (pre-school through e grade) 75 seconds to find 5,000 eggs. On April 26, she attended the Foothill Transit Cluster meeting. She will be attending the regular meeting of Foothill Transit next week. That day she also attended the Castle Rods Elementary School Career Day. The Council put out an RFP for Solid Waste. Nine providers picked up the packet and four providers responded to the RFP. Three of the four providers are currently permitted in D.B.: Waste Management, Athens and Valley Vista. The fourth provider is Universal Waste Services from Pomona. The subcommittee (C/Huff, WO'Connor and four staff members) have each reviewed the four responses for services only. The bids have not yet been opened. The Council's objective is to get the best service. The four companies will be interviewed on Friday, May 5. Each company will be given 15 minutes to make its presentation, after which an interview will be conducted. Bids will be opened at a later date. The subcommittee is slated to make its report to Council on June 20. A public outreach effort will begin prior to the program commencing on October 26. Also on May 5, she attended the sanitation meeting. SPADRA Landfill has closed. Most of the landfill is now being transported to Puente Hills. On April 27, the Finance Committee reviewed the Warrant Register. She said she took offense to an earlier comment that the Council is spending the City's money MAY 2, 2000 PAGE 17 CITY COUNCIL foolishly. She has an accounting background and she guaranteed the community that she does not spend money foolishly. On April 28, she attended the Walnut Valley VIP Tour. Business people were invited to tour the schools. She toured Maple Hill Elementary School, Chaparral Middle School and Diamond Bar High School. D.B. is fortunate to have such high quality school districts, which provide educational advantages to the community's young people. On April 29, she represented the City at Cathay Bank's Grand Opening. On April 30, she attended the Law Enforcement Appreciation Day sponsored by Lighthouse Baptist Church in the City of Laverne. She highly recommended that anyone who has not had the opportunity to attend the Friends of the Library Wine Soiree, calendar the event for next year and plan to attend. It is a wonderful fund raising activity for the D.B. Library. The event this year was very well attended. Today the Pomona Unified School District recognized 30 businesses and 18 volunteers that have donated to individual schools. She encouraged the 22% remaining residents who have not yet completed the Census 2000 form to respond to the Census takers, who will be visiting their homes. She wished everyone a happy Cinco de Mayo and a happy Mothers' Day to all mothers. For those residents who would like to know the names of the individuals who brought the lawsuit against the Redevelopment Agency, the names are public record and available through the City. She lost two friends to cancer in the past two weeks - Joann Chen who leaves a 10 -year-old daughter, a 5 -year-old son and husband, and Sharon Shepherd, who leaves husband Tom, son Brian and daughter Donna. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to conduct, WO'Connor adjourned the meeting at 10:47 p.m. in memory of Joann Chen and Sharon Shepherd. ATTEST: Mayor LYNDA BURGESS, City Clerk