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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 06-24-14 Regular MeetingMINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY REGULAR MEETING JUNE 24, 2014 The City Council of the City of Downey held a Regular Meeting at 6'41 p.m., June 24, 2014, in the Council Chamber of the Downey City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Avenue, Downey, California, _ Mayor Vasquez presiding. PRESENT: Council Members:' Fernando Vasquez Mayor Luis H. Marquez Mayor Pro Tern Roger C. Brossmer Mario A. Guerra Alex Saab ALSO PRESENT: Gilbert Livas, City Manager John Oskoui, Assistant City Manager Yvette M. Abich Garcia, City Attorney Adria M. Jimenez, CMC,_City Clerk Steven Garza, Police Captain Mark Gillaspie, Interim Fire Chief Mohammad Mostahkami, Public Works Director Arlene Salazar, Parks & Recreation Director Aldo Schindler, Community Development Director Anil Gandhy, Finance Director Gladys Chavez, Secretary The Invocation was delivered by Pastor Yader Parrales of Christian Fellowship Foursquare. The Flag Salute was led by Interim Fire Chief Gillaspie.; 01010 • Council Member Brossmer thanked Carol Kearns, co- founder of Make Music Downey, for a great event. He thanked staff and the Police Department for a great Tour de Downey event. He stated being pleased with the outcome of Measure B. He welcomed new Interim Fire Chief Gillaspie, and Calvary Church member Rodriguez who was in the audience. Mayor Pro Tern Marquez welcomed everyone in attendance. He thanked Carol Kearns, co- founder of Make Music Downey, for a great event. He thanked staff and the Police Department for a great Tour de Downey event. Council Member Saab recognized Downey Chamber of Commerce Board Member Wood, Public Works Commissioner Cotaya, Emergency Preparedness Commissioner Beard, and Planning Commissioner Kiefer, who were in the audience. He thanked Carol Kearns, co- founder of Make Music Downey fora great event. He thanked staff for a great Tour de Downey event and suggested next year the vendors be placed in a different location and the bike route include the southern portion of the City. He reported participating in the Rancho Los Amigos Wheelchair Basketball Tournament. He reported attending a ribbon cutting event for the Lakewood Boulevard Street Improvement Project and a Grand Opening event for Lock and Key Social Drinkery. He invited everyone to the Chamber of Commerce 111th Installation of Officers & Directors Luncheon, June 25. He stated the City will host the Special Olympics and is currently in the planning stages of the event. He invited everyone to the upcoming Twilight Summer Concerts event, July 2. He thanked staff for their support during budget preparation. City Council Minutes= June 24, 2014 1 Council Member Guerra- reported attending the Tip -A -Cop event that will support the Special Olympics. He reported participating in the Rancho Los Amigos Wheelchair Basketball Tournament and Make Music Downey /Tour de Downey event. He stated the Council will be introducing a balanced budget today and he thanked staff for their support. He stated the City will be moving forward with painting power boxes as an anti - graffiti measure. He welcomed Rick Rodriguez and Planning Commissioner Kiefer who were in the audience. He stated having recently returned from a trip to Sacramento in which local government control issues were discussed. Mayor Vasquez thanked Carol Kearns, co- founder of Make Music Downey for a great event. He thanked staff and the Police Department for great Tour de Downey event. He reported participating in the Rancho Los Amigos Wheelchair Basketball Tournament. He invited everyone to the Chamber of Commerce 111th Installation of Officers & Directors Luncheon, June 25. He stated he will serve on the USC Panel of Real Estate regarding development efforts. He thanked City Manager Livas for the Downtown area revitalization that is occurring to include the upcoming World Cup Viewing event. He invited everyone to the upcoming Twilight Summer Concerts event, July 2. He recognized Rick Rodriguez and Planning Commissioner Kiefer who were in the audience. He requested an update on preparations for the upcoming Fourth of July celebration. Police Captain Garza stated the City has adopted stiffer fines for those in possession of illegal fireworks. There will be public outreach efforts to include Press Releases, post cards, flyers and other reading material to educate residents. Stonewood Center will advertise the prohibition of illegal fireworks on the marquee and the Police Department will have extra patrol officers. Interim Fire Chief Gillaspie stated the Fire Department will take preventative measures to include a fifth fire engine. He stated staff has met with Calvary Chapel to discuss the firework show and with Safe and Sane firework booth vendors. Firework booths will include' literature explaining the prohibited use of illegal fireworks. PRESENTATIONS Mayor Vasquez presented a Certificate of Recognition to Natalia Loya, a finalist on La Voz Teen, the Spanish version of "The Voice." PUBLIC HEARING 1. PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 2014 -15 FISCAL YEAR: Finance. A. ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 14 =7495, RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY ADOPTING THE FISCAL YEAR 2014 -15 BUDGET, INCLUDING THE CITY'S UTILITIES FUND BUDGETS AND THE ANNUAL APPROPRIATIONS LIMIT. Mayor Vasquez opened the Public Hearing at7` :22 p.m. City Clerk Jimenez affirmed receipt of the Proof of Publication. It was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Brossmer and so ordered to receive and file. City Clerk Jimenez noted there was no correspondence received. City Manager Livas stated this item has been vetted extensively to include a workshop and a subcommittee meeting. He thanked the City Council for their direction. Director of Finance Ghandy stated the proposed Capital and Operating budget for Fiscal Year 14/15 was $159,937,346. He emphasized the City has a balanced operating budget to include no cuts in service delivery and an ending reserve of $29.4 million. He stated the City will be receiving more revenue from property tax, sales tax, utility user tax, franchise fees and ambulance billing with a total of $3.4 million. Expenditures will be $3.3 million dollars to include personnel expenses and employee retirement costs. He stated some of the Capital Improvement Projects included in the budget are park equipment upgrades, Council Chambers audio, Civic Center roof replacement, library HVAC replacement, golf course improvements, theater improvements and irrigation controllers. City Council Minutes -June 24, 2014 2 Council Member Saab stated with the adoption of this budget the quality of life of the residents will not be modified or reduced and the City has been able to take a fiscally conservative position. Council Member Guerra stated many great items have come from this budget to include street and capital improvement projects. He requested an update on the status of improvements to the Rio Hondo Event Center in specific partition curtains that would save the City money on air conditioning fees and also allow two events to run simultaneously without interruption and will generate more revenue for the City. City Manager Livas stated a line item could be added to the budget to include this request or the Council could provide direction and he would return with a proposal of fees for a partition curtain at the Rio Hondo Golf Event Center. Council Member Brossmer stated he would like to see more cost analysis data before moving forward with that special project. Council Member Guerra suggested staff return to Council the entire budget for the Rio Hondo Event Center in order to further review each line item. Mayor Vasquez stated the Council would also like to see figures on including WiFi in the Downtown. City Manager Livas stated staff will provide the Council follow -up information regarding Council Member Guerra's and Mayor Vasquez's requests. He reminded the Council that the budget is a living document that can be updated throughout the year. Council Member Brossmer stated as the budget picture becomes clearer and cost savings come into play, the City can allocate funds where necessary. He thanked staff for their hard work and recommendations during the budget process. - City Manager Livas stated there will be cost savings on various projects throughout the year and once the City identifies those savings, staff will return to Council for direction on what other projects can be funded. Council Member Guerra stated when staff returns to the Council he would like a detailed list of projects that can be funded. Mayor Vasquez invited the public to speak on this item. Having no one come forward, it was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Guerra to close public comment. Council Member Brossmer thanked staff and the budget subcommittee. It was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Guerra and unanimously carried to adopt the resolution. 2. CITY FEE RESOLUTION: Finance. �• • • •, • �; •! • • • • �• _: •- Nei Mayor Vasquez opened the Public Hearing at 7:46 p.m. City Clerk Jimenez affirmed receipt of the Proof of Publication. It was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Guerra and so ordered to receive and file. City Clerk Jimenez noted there was no correspondence received. Director of Finance Ghandy stated before Council tonight is the annual fee Resolution update. He stated the Finance Department, Parks & Recreation, theatre and the library will be increasing some City Council Minutes -June 24, 2014 3 fees. Council Member Saab asked why the City was going to increase theatre rates. Park & Recreation Director Salazar stated the theatre has been operating under the market when compared to similar theatres. The City has attempted to address this issue over the years in order to adjust fees accordingly. Council Member Saab asked if the new fees will offset a portion of the subsidy the City provides. He stated he is in favor of being below market rate because of the nature of the business. Council Member Guerra stated the City does need to recoup cost but not at the risk of revenue enhancement. Council Member Brossmer stated the increase in fees is not substantial enough that it would discourage potential customers and questions regarding the fees should have been covered during the budget subcommittee meeting. City Attorney Abich Garcia stated the Council can vote on the document excluding the theatre fees in question. That would keep the theatre fees stagnant until they are further discussed but allow for the remainder of the Resolution to be adopted. Council Member Guerra stated he was not aware the City allowed moon bouncers and jumpers but requested the fees not be raised in order to prevent hardship on families. Park & Recreation Director Salazar stated the moon bouncers and jumpers are allowed only with proof on insurance. The moon bouncers and jumpers cause extensive turf damage and even though the fee is increased, it still does not cover the costs of repairing the turf. Council Member Saab asked for clarification on the insurance requirements Park & Recreation Director Salazar stated as part of the picnic shelter permit process the families must provide an accord with $1,000,000 with the City as an added insured if they want to have a bouncer. The insurance is very affordable. City Attorney'Abich Garcia stated the City provides information on Specialty Program and Risk Transfer Alternatives (SPARTA) to provide insurance coverage for families and the information is included in the package they receive upon request of a picnic shelter permit. Council Member Guerra stated he did not want to place an added financial burden on families. Council Member Brossmer stated the Council can chose not to approve the rate increase. Mayor Vasquez invited the public to speak on this item. Having no one come forward, it moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Brossmer to close public comment. It was moved by Council Member Brossmer, seconded by Mayor Pro Tern Marquez and unanimously carried to adopt the Resolution as amended to exclude the increases to Section 14, Theatre Rental Rates, and retain the moon bouncer and jumper fee at $50. 3. LIGHTING AND LANDSCAPING DISTRICT, ASSESSMENT DISTRICT 121, FISCAL YEAR 2014/2015: Public Works. • r r City Council Minutes —June 24, 2014 4 B. ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 14- 7497, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY CONFIRMING LIGHTING AND LANDSCAPE ASSESSMENT DISTRICT 121 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2014 -2015. Mayor Vasquez opened the Public Hearing at 8:05 p.m. City Clerk Jimenez affirmed receipt of the Proof of Publication. It was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Guerra and so ordered to receive and file. City Clerk Jimenez noted there was no correspondence received. Public Works Director Mostahkami stated this item is an annual routine process the City goes through and does not include a rate increase. Deputy Director of Public Works Norris stated assessments are collected annually from property owners to partially fund operation and maintenance costs for street lighting, traffic signals and on- street landscaping. He stated all of the rates will remain unchanged. Council Member Saab requested clarification on why some lights are City owned and some are Edison owned. Deputy Director of Public Works Norris stated initially Southern California Edison owned all of the street lights in the City. Over time the City has purchased lights through various capital improvement projects in order to receive a better energy rate. The City currently owns 30% of City lights and less than 5% are LED lights. The goal is to eventually convert all City lights to LED lights. Public Works Director Mostahkami stated that Edison is not willing to change their lights to LED but are willing to allow the City to pay for the upgrade to LED lights. The price per lamp is roughly $600 $700. He reminded the Council that Edison is currently under mandate to come up with energy efficiency measures and it should not be at the City's expense. Mayor Vasquez invited the public speak on this item. Having no one come forward, it was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Brossmer to close public comment. It was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Brossmer and unanimously carried to adopt the Resolution. NON AGENDA PUBLIC COMMENT Roy Beard, Emergency Preparedness Committee member, thanked staff for Make Music Downey and Tour de Downey event. He stated the committee will have handouts at the Twilight Summer Concerts event regarding emergency preparedness. He suggested the Citizen Alert Notification System include a message regarding the topic of illegal fireworks in the City. Resident (no name provided), requested the City look into providing low - income housing. 7407 ► M ? l F a Al TICT n W '► It was moved by Council Member Brossmer, seconded by Council Member Saab, and unanimously carried, with Mayor Vasquez abstaining from Item No. 6 because the project is within 500 ft. of his residence, and Council Member Guerra abstaining from Item No. 10 due to a conflict of interest, to approve the remainder of the Consent Calendar. 4. APPROVED MINUTES: Adjourned and Regular Meetings of June 10, 2014: City Clerk. 5. 'WARRANTS ISSUED: Warrant Nos. 285488-285875; Wire Nos. 3186, 3189, 3191, 3193,3194, 3196, and Manual Wire Nos. 1272 in the total amount of $3,450,669.67: Finance. City Council Minutes —June 24, 2014 5 6. APPROVED THE PLANS AND SPECIFICATIONS AND AUTHORIZED SOLICITATION FORBIDS FOR '• FROM :•- TO LESTERFORD PROJECT • 01 Public Works. 7. APPROVED AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND SEAACA FOR THE TRANSITION OF ANIMAL LICENSING PROGRAM AND CANVASSING: Administration. i • i • LA - - • • 10. APPROVED A PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH RI INTERNATIONAL, INC., TO PROVIDE PUBLIC PARKING SECURITY SERVICES IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA: Community Development. • r r • i r• r IV, r • - - • • r r - • r - - • • - IM ADOPTED • • • : A RESOLUTION OF COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY ADOPTING FOR - - POSITIONS: Resources, ADMINISTRATIVE REPORTS: None. City Manager Livas thanked Finance Director Ghandy for his work on the budget and Parks & Recreation Director Salazar for her work on the Basketball Wheelchair Tournament. j r • City Council Minutes — June 24, 2014 6