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HomeMy WebLinkAbout03/2/2004 Minutes - Regular MeetingCITY OF DIAMOND BAR CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION MARCH 2, 2004 STUDY SESSION: Mayor Zirbes called the Study Session to order at 5:45 p.m. in Room CC -8 of The Government Center/South Coast Air Quality Management District, 21865 Copley Dr., Diamond Bar, CA. Present: Council Members Chang, Huff, O'Connor, Mayor Pro Tem Herrera and Mayor Zirbes. Also present: Linda Lowry, City Manager; Mike Jenkins, City Attorney; James DeStefano, Deputy City Manager; David Liu, Public Works Director; Bob Rose, Community Services Director; Linda Magnuson, Finance Director; Lynda Burgess, City Clerk; Nancy Whitehouse, Executive Assistant; April Blakey, Public Information Manager; Marsha Roa, Communications & Marketing Coordinator; Sara West, Recreation Supervisor; Fred Alamolholda, Senior Engineer and Sharon Gomez, Senior Management Analyst. Revision of Diamond Bar Center Policies: CSD/Rose distributed updated versions of the staff report and Facility Use Policy and stated that the revision includes new information regarding the use of incense, a correction from $155 per hour to $165 per hour for weekdays listed in Group E and a clearer example of the suggested changes: He pointed out that the staff report contains names for each of the rooms in the D.B. Center selected by staff, i.e., the Grand View Ballroom; the Sycamore Room (patio room), Birch Room (computer room), the Pine Room (senior room) and the Oak Room (the room with hardwood floors). Following discussion regarding the capacity of the Grand View Room, CSD/Rose agreed to correct the policy to indicate that the capacity is 487 persons; with a 1000 sq. ft. dance floor, the capacity would be reduced to 420 and with a 500 sq. ft. dance floor, the capacity would be 454 persons. CSD/Rose further stated that, originally, no provision for rental of the facility had been made for use of the ballroom on New Year's Eve. He suggested that New Year's Eve be added utilizing the same rates as charged on weekends and requiring a minimum use of two-thirds of the banquet room. He explained that staff will recommend changing the weekend portion of the policy to also require two-thirds minimum capacity on weekends to give the City an opportunity to earn the most amount of revenue to support the facility. Further, he said that staff would be recommending that smaller uses of the ballroom would be scheduled on weeknights. March 2, 2004 PAGE 2 CC STUDY SESSION In response to C/O'Connor's question regarding splitting use of the ballroom for different event, CSD/Rose explained that staff has not yet booked the room in that manner because no one is sure yet how well the moveable walls will block noise. He reported that, to date, staff has booked 49 paid rentals with a revenue projection of approximately $96,000. In response to MPT/Herrera, CSD/ Rose explained that senior groups would be required to pay weekend rates for New Year's Eve unless the City wishes to co-sponsor the event. The seniors would also have free access to the senior room and free access to Heritage Park Community Center for their events. He further stated that bookings are on a first-come, first-served basis. Regarding conflicting noise between the senior room and the ballroom, CSD/Rose stated that staff is not. anticipating a conflict unless doors are left open, etc. Regarding usage of the rooms for Thanksgiving and Christmas, CSD/Rose reported that staff recommended that the Center be closed on those days. If it turns out that there are staff members willing to work on those days, then staff would consider renting out the rooms at the weekend rate. CSD/Rose addressed the recommended revision to No. 4 on the staff report by stating that weekend use of the banquet room would require a minimum of a six -hour rental period with a minimum two- thirds occupancy. Setup and takedown times are included in the 6 hour minimum. Regarding item No. 5 on the staff report, CSD/Rose stated that this option was added after several senior groups questioned whether they could use the banquet room free of charge when it has not been booked by another party. C/O'Connor asked why provision No. 5 would not be extended to other non-profit groups. CSD/Rose explained that the estimated discounted rate represents a large subsidy by the City and won't cover the costs of the event. He stated that staff felt that if the banquet room were made available to the seniors on occasion at a reduced cost, perhaps requests for the City to provide them their own facility would be minimized. Discussion ensued regarding the costs of the subsidy and revenue sources for such expenses. March 2, 2004 PAGE 3 CC STUDY SESSION CSD/Rose explained that setup, take down and staffing for 100 people would require one staff person, while setup, take down and staffing for 300-400 people would require 3 staff members. C/O'Connor suggested that provision No. 5 be amended to reflect that the $20/per hour charge is only for events up to 100 persons and that the fee would increase to $40/per hour for events over 101 persons. MPT/Herrera suggested that provision No. 5 be changed to reduce the 21 -day requirement to 7 days. C/Huff suggested that provision No. 5 be considered again after the Center had been operational for a while. He said that staff may want to consider limiting the number of times the groups can hold a subsidized event. Following further discussion, MPT/Herrera pointed out that setup and take down is included in the cost estimate and minimum event time. ' In response to C/Huff regarding setting aside funds for future maintenance and repairs, CM/Lowry responded that staff has considered separating the banquet center from the community center and creating an enterprise fund to provide isolation of the costs and carry its own fund balance. Council agreed with the concept presented by CM/Lowry for establishment of an enterprise fund. Jeff Koontz, Executive Director, D.B. Chamber of Commerce asked for a clarification regarding the setup time and teardown time for rental of the Center. RS/West responded that rooms will be set up to the specifications of the renter before the reservation begins. Further, she explained that during the cleanup hour after an event, renters will leave the room as they found it and staff will remove the tables, chairs, dance floor, etc. after the renter has left. Renters do not pay for setup and take down times by Center staff. RS/West indicated that the $20 proposed hourly rate also does not cover extra staff needed for set up and take down when there are back-to-back events. ' C/O'Connor suggested raising the rate to $50/hour to cover staff set up and take down times. March 2, 2004 PAGE 4 CC STUDY SESSION CSD/Rose offered that the City could charge renters for the exact time for staff setup and take down. Following further discussion regarding setup and take down fees, the Council agreed to continue the decision until a later date after staff has had an opportunity to factor in the staff time needed so that a reasonable charge can be established that will not result in the City subsidizing these types of events. 'Community Services staff will provide a report via the City Manager's Weekly after further review of the issue. C/Huff asked why some of the rooms were named Pine and Birch rather than using the names of trees that are indigenous to the area such as Walnut and Pepper and suggested that the names be changed. In addition, he mentioned that changing the name of the facility to the "Grand Center at Summit►idge Park" seems more elegant for marketing purposes and that Council discussion could still take place on that issue. CSD/Rose responded that staff has found that using the name "Diamond Bar Center" was a stroke of genius from a marketing standpoint. He said that if the title of the building included the word "community", the public would think of it as being similar to a YMCA building. In response to C/O'Connor, CSD/Rose explained that the L.A. Fire Department is indeed requiring a permit for tea lights despite the information given to Council and staff earlier. He further stated that the Fire Department requires all users to get a free permit for the use of tea lights at their facilities. M/Zirbes said he understood that as long as the City used tea lights already approved by the County, that would be enough. MPT/Herrera indicated that she was under the impression that the City was going to maintain a supply and furnish the approved tea lights. CSD/Rose explained that staff has learned that each potential renter has his or her own color scheme in mind so it was decided that the renter should get them through a caterer and obtain separate approval. M/Zirbes requested that staff obtain a copy of the actual regulation from the Fire Department so that the City Attorney could review it to determine the exact requirements. March 2, 2004 PAGE 5 CC STUDY SESSION CSD/Rose reported that there were two other changes recommended by staff in the Facility Use Policy: addition of a requirement for a $100 cleaning deposit from non-profit groups and inclusion of a provision for the City to contract with a private security firm for certain events for which the user would pay directly. He said that the Sheriff's Department will make recommendations to the City when, in their opinion, security is needed. Regarding the issue of using incense in the Center, CSD/Rose stated that staff visited the Westin Hotel in Costa Mesa to pick up a copy of their written policy regarding incense but all the policy said was "all decorations incorporating candles must meet with the approval of both the catering department and the Costa Mesa Fire Department." He said that the Westin allows Incense and described the presentation of the incense as being placed on a hot brick type of thing that allows the incense to burn. In addition, he stated that the catering sales manager indicated that at weddings where incense is used, the groom traditionally arrives either on a horse or an elephant. He reported that staff has not identified any city facilities that allow incense to be used inside. ' C/Huff stated that he was aware that a significant portion of the community would wish to use incense or smoke or something for their wedding ceremonies and they would like to use the D.B. Center: He felt it was important for the City to figure out exactly what should be allowed. Following further discussion, CSD/Rose stated that staff would research the matter further and include that information in a report in the City Manager's Weekly Report. With regard to room rental fees, CSD/Rose explained that the City is currently charging $675 for a 6 -hour minimum weekend use in the banquet room by non-profit organizations. After comparing square footage, room capacity and amenities with other community centers in the area, he stated that staff was recommending that the hourly rate of $112.50 be increased to $150 with a six -hour minimum for the banquet room. CSD/Rose further stated that the banquet room has already been reserved for nearly every Saturday through the end of the year. M/Zirbes stated that he supported the proposed fee increase and that the Council can re -visit the fee schedule in six months or so to determine whether the rates are still applicable. March 2, 2004 PAGE 6 CC STUDY SESSION C/Chang expressed concern that the private sector would be expected to pay $300 an hour for the banquet room on weekends while non-profit organizations would only be paying $150 an hour. In response to M/Zirbes, CSD/Rose explained that the current rate for the private sector is $165 per hour plus $50 per hour for the kitchen. The new rate of $300 would include use of the kitchen. Council concurred to direct staff to provide an analysis of the proposed rates when preparing the report to be included in a future City Manager's Weekly report. 2. Budget and Goals Review FD/Magnuson reported that the estimated current budget numbers reflected on the staff report were created by using original budget numbers from last July and entering adjustments approved by the Council She stated that the yearend projection for revenues in the General Fund only will be approximately $14,037,000 and, based on the current appropriation amount of $13,861,800, the City will have a yearend with projected excess revenues over appropriations of approximately $275,300. She further stated that Fund Balance Reserves at the beginning of the year totaled $22,270,487 and staff had originally estimated that approximately $1,824,000 in General Fund Reserves would be used for CIP projects. She explained that staff is reviewing the CIP project list and considering delaying some of them and at the current time, Fund Balance Reserves is estimated to be approximately $20,721,650 at yearend which is about $100,000 less than the original projection at the beginning of the fiscal year. She reported that the City has begun receiving the full, normal amount of motor vehicle in lieu taxes so it is estimated that the City may only lose approximately $300,000. Jeff Koontz commended the Council and staff on the progress made in constructing the Diamond Bar Center and on the phenomenal marketing that has already taken place. ADJOURNMENT: With no further business to conduct, M/Zirbes adjourned the Study Session to the regular m ting at 6:3 _p.m. jldt�L$ow��,fty The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this 6th day of April 2004. B S, Mayor MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY OF DIAMOND BAR MARCH 2, 2004 CLOSED SESSION: None. STUDY SESSION: Mayor Zirbes called the Study Session to order at 5:45 p.m. in Room CC -8 of The Government Center/South Coast Air Quality Management District, 21865 Copley Dr., Diamond Bar, CA. Present: Council Members Chang, Huff, O'Connor, Mayor Pro Tem Herrera and Mayor Zirbes Also present: Linda Lowry, City Manager; Mike Jenkins, City Attorney; James DeStefano, Deputy City Manager; David Liu, Public Works Director; bob Rose, Community Services Director; Linda Magnuson, Finance Director; Lynda Burgess, City Clerk; Nancy Whitehouse, Executive Assistant; April Blakey, Public Information Manager; Marsha Roa, Communications & Marketing Coordinator; Sara West, Recreation Supervisor; Fred Alamolholda, Senior Engineer and Sharon Gomez, Management Analyst ► Revision of Diamond Bar Center Policies ► Budget and Goals Review ► Public Comments on Study Session Items MlZirbes recessed the Study Session at 6:45 p.m. CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Zirbes called the regular City Council meeting to order at 6:55 p.m. in the Auditorium of the Government Center/SCAQMD, 21865 Copley Dr., Diamond Bar, CA. MlZirbes announced that, during the Study Session, Council and staff reviewed the midyear budget and received a report from finance staff that the revenue and expenditure projections set 8 months ago were holding true in spite of the State's budget crises. He further reported that the opening of the D.B. Center was on target for opening on March 20th. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: The Pledge of Allegiance was lead by C/Huff. INVOCATION: The invocation was given by Pastor Ryan Stephens, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. ROLL CALL: Council Members Chang, Huff, O'Connor, Mayor Pro Tem Herrera, Mayor Zirbes. Also present: Linda Lowry, City Manager; Mike Jenkins, City Attorney; James DeStefano, Deputy City. Manager; David Liu, Public Works Director; Bob Rose, Community Services Director; Linda Magnuson, Finance Director and Lynda Burgess, City Clerk. MARCH 2, 2004 PAGE 2 CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL OF AGENDA: As presented. 1. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS, CERTIFICATES, PROCLAMATIONS: 1.1 Presented City Tiles to Andy Lui, outgoing Parks and Recreation Commission; Vinod Kashyap, Traffic and Transportation Commission; and Osman Wei and Steve Nelson, Planning Commission. A tile will be sent to outgoing Parks and Recreation Commissioner Teff Hull, who was not in attendance. 1.2 Presented Certificates of Appreciation to Debby O'Connor,, Elena Mafla and Scott McGookin, outgoing Diamond Bar Community Foundation Members. A Certificate will be sent to outgoing Foundation Member Jeff Hull, who was not in attendance. 1.3 Proclaimed March 2004 as American Cross Month — Certificate received by Jeanette Bullock, E.D., American Red Cross and Rhonda Aihari, volunteer nurse. BUSINESS OF MONTH: 1.4 Presented City Tile to Eddie Tsui of Shanghai Palace and displayed Business of the Month video. 2. CITY MANAGER REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: CM/Lowry added to the Mayor's comments regarding the City's current budget position by stating that, unlike some neighboring cities, staff has not asked for budget adjustment approvals to remain in the black. She commended present and former Council Members for their commitment and policies providing for over $20 million in reserves today. 3. PUBLIC COMMENTS: Jeff Koontz, Executive Director, Chamber of Commerce, announced that the Chamber will host a meeting with the California State Legislative Analyst to talk about the State's budget on March 12 at the D.B. Golf Course from 11:00 a.m. to 1:p.m. The cost of the event will be $25 and will be in an "open mike" format. He further stated that Assemblyman Bob Pacheco will be making a presentation before the State budget discussion. 4. RESPONSE TO PUBLIC COMMENTS: None Offered. 5. SCHEDULE OF FUTURE EVENTS: AS LISTED ON THE PREPARED AENDA. 6. CONSENT CALENDAR: Moved by MPT/Herrera, seconded by C/Huff to approve the Consent Calendar as presented. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: MARCH 2, 2004 PAGE 3 CITY COUNCIL AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - Chang, Huff, O'Connor, MPT/Herrera, M/Zirbes NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None 6.1 APPROVED MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING OF FEBRUARY 3,2004 — As ,2004— As submitted. 6.2 RECEIVED AND FILED TRAFFIC AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MINUTES — January 8, 2004. 6.3 APPROVED WARRANT REGISTERS — dated February 19, 2004 and February 26, 2004 in an amount totaling $1,142,454.58. 6.4 APPROVED TREASURER'S STATEMENT — month of January, 2004. 6.5 REJECTED CLAIMS FOR DAMAGES: 6.5.1 Filed by Adan Tellez, January 30, 2004. 6.5.2 Filed by Denyse Shearer, February 6, 2004 6.6 APPROVED AMENDMENTS TO THE HOME IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM PERTAINING TO 1.) FUNDING FOR LANDSCAPING IMPROVEMENTS LOCATED ON SIDE OR REAR YARD AREAS ADJACENT TO PUBLIC RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND 2) FUNDING FOR PREVIOUSLY UNFORESEEN HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERNS. 6.7 APPROVED AMENDMENT NO. 2 TO CONTRACT WITH TRUGREEN LANDCARE TO INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF ADDITIONAL WORK FOR THE CITYWIDE LANDSCAPE MAINTENANCE CONTRACT BY $106,000 FOR A TOTAL 2003/04 FISCAL YEAR AUTHORIZATION OF $156,000. 7. PUBLIC HEARINGS: None 8. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION: 8.1 COMMUNITY FOUNDATION MEMBERSHIP 8.1.1 ACCEPT RESIGNATION TENDERED BY BOARD MEMBER CHERY COOPER. 8.1.2 REAPPOINT GURBAX "RAI" MARWAH TO THE DIAMOND BAR COMMUNITY FOUNDATION. CIO Connor thanked Cheryl Cooper for her input and service to the Foundation Board. She expressed her pleasure at seeing that Rai Marwah is willing to serve on the Board for another two-year term. She then announced that several openings still remain and encouraged interested MARCH 2, 2004 PAGE 4 CITY COUNCIL persons to seek appointment to the Foundation. She further announced that approximately 500 more residential street signs are available and encouraged interested persons to contact the Foundation to purchase. C/O'Connor moved, seconded by C/Huff to accept the resignation tendered by Chery Cooper and reappoint Mr. Rai Marwah to the Foundation Board for a two-year term. Motion carried by the following Roll Call vote: AYES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - Chang, Huff, O'Connor, MPT/Herrera, M/Zirbes NOES: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None ABSENT: COUNCIL MEMBERS - None 9. COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE REPORTS/COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS:. C/Chang encouraged everyone to vote. He reported on the performance by students and teachers of D.B.H.S. in "Damn Yankees" and encouraged the public to attend productions on March 4, March 5 and March 6 at the D.B.H.S. Theater at 7 p.m. C/O'Connor reported on a recent meeting with the L.A. County Local Gov't. Comm. regarding 911 calls. She then encouraged parents to complete and return surveys sent out regarding the City's Youth Master Plan. C/Huff spoke about measures on the ballot. He thanked everyone for their assistance and support on his campaign for State Assembly. MPT/Herrera thanked all outgoing Commissioners and Foundation members for their hard work and service to the community. 10. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to conduct, M/Zirbes adjourned the meeting at 7:40 p.m. LYNDA BURGESS, CITY CLERK The foregoing minutes are hereby approved this 16th day of March , 2004. tOB-71-RBES, MAYOR