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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMinutes 02-27-18 Regular MeetingMINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 27, 2018 The City Council of the City of Downey held a Regular City Council Meeting on February 27, 2018, at 6:34 p.m., in the Council Chamber of the Downey City Hall, 11111 Brookshire Avenue, Downey, California, Mayor Ashton presiding. PRESENT: Council Members: Sean Ashton Rick Rodriguez Blanca Pacheco Alex Saab Fernando Vasquez Mayor Mayor Pro Tem Council Member Council Member Council Member ALSO PRESENT: Gilbert Livas, City Manager Yvette M. Abich Garcia, City Attorney John Oskoui, Assistant City Manager Shannon DeLong, Assistant to the City Manager Carl Charles, Chief of Police Mark Gillaspie, Fire Chief Mohammad Mostahkami, Public Works Director Pamela Passow, Parks & Recreation Director Anil Gandhy, Finance Director Alicia Duarte, CMC, City Clerk The Invocation was delivered by Father John Higgins, St. Raymond's Catholic Church. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Girl Scout Troop 2543. COUNCIL- _ •UNCEMENTS; REQUESTS FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, CONFERENCE/MEETINGREPORTS Council Member Saab welcomed the audience to the meeting. He acknowledged Mrs. Saab, Jennifer DeKay, Martha Sodetani, Donald La Plante, Dr. Garcia and Michael Calvert in the audience. He reported participating in Read Across America week at the local elementary schools. He thanked TLC for organizing the 5K walk/run fundraiser. He commented in regards to Senator Mendoza's resignation. He assured the audience business will continue as usual in Downey. He requested staff review zoning designations for martial arts studios and fitness gyms. He asked staff to examine the traffic light at the southwest corner of Firestone Blvd. and Old River School Road. He requested staff research the possibility of an electronic billboard sign in the area of Dennis the Menace Park and the 1-5 freeway. Council Member Pacheco welcomed the audience to the meeting. She acknowledged her parents in the audience. She reported participating in the TLC 5K walk/run and the Downey Ponytail Softball League opening day. She participated in Read Across America week at the local elementary schools. She announced upcoming events: Chamber of Commerce Annual Anniversary Luncheon; Chamber of Commerce Let's Do Lunch event at Rock & Brews; and, the annual G.O.O.D. Luncheon at the Rio Hondo Golf Club. City Council Minutes Regular Meeting — February 27, 2018 1 Council Member Vasquez welcomed the audience to the meeting. He reported attending the 1-5 freeway COG meeting and commented regarding alternative funding options to continue freeway construction between Downey and East Los Angeles. He mentioned voicing his opposition for a proposed supplemental tax to continue funding freeway construction. He mentioned participating in the Read Across America weekatthe local elementary schools. He congratulated and thanked Dr. Garcia and the Scrwui Board eveernoers for their worn with the students and acknowledged their good behavior. He mentioned his participation as a guest speaker at a health conference and an economic development event as well as at a small business seminar. He requested staff examine the street light at the southwest corner of Florence Ave. and LesterFord Ave. Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez welcomed the audience to the meeting. He reported attending the ribbon cutting for Cocina de Cinco and the military career service day. He attended the TLC 5K- run/walk fundraiser and the Ponytail League Softball opening day. He participated in the Read Across America week at the local elementary schools. He met with Dr. Zegarra at Columbus High School and mentioned students at the high school scored high in military tests. He met with representatives of Studio Movie Grill and said themovietheatre will soon offer VIP service. He commented regarding improvements at Furman Park possible with Measure S funding. Mayor Ashton reported attending the Keep Downey Beautiful Clean Up and the Downey Police Department Citizens' Academy. He mentioned representatives from Downey Sister City Fresnillo, Zacatecas visited Fire Station 1 last weekend to meet with Downey Fire personnel and receive training on how to operate the fire truckdonationto Fresnillo. He reported participating in the 5K run/walk and thanked the TLC Board and DUSD for their involvement._ He announced upcoming events: Westside Little League opening day, the ARC Walk at Stonewood Mall; Keep Downey Beautiful Clean -Up; Brunch with the Bunny; and, Mayor's State of City Address hosted by the Chamber of Commerce. • 1 Mayor Ashton presented the Mayor's Downey DNA Award to Beth Gendreau. 2. Mayor Ashton presented the Mayor's Hero of the Meeting Award to Roberto Recillas; 3. Mayor Ashton presented Certificates of Recognition to the Downey Rose Float Association for winning the Queen Trophy at the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Parade. 4. Mayor Aston presented a Certificate of Appointment to Donald LaPlante to the Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee, District 2. 5. Council Member Vasquez presented a Certificate of Appointment to Claudia Marroquin-Frometa Independent Citizens' Oversight Committee, District 4. PUBLIC HEARING: 1. ADOPTED THE CITY'S 2015 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT PLAN: Public Works. ADOPTED RESOLUTION N• 18-77801 A RESOLUTIONOF • OF CITY OF DOWNEY ADOPTING THE CITY OF DOWNEY'S 2015 URBAN WATER MANAGEMENT ►< Mayor Ashton opened the Public Hearing at 7:36 p.m. City Clerk Duarte affirmed receipt of the Proof of Publication. It was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Vasquez and so ordered by the Mayor to receive and file. City Clerk Duarte noted no correspondence was received. City Council Minutes Regular Meeting — February 27, 2018 2 The staff report was provided by Mohammed Mostahkami, Public Works Director. The Urban Water Management Planning Act of the California Water Code requires all urban water_ suppliers providing water for municipal purposes to more than 3,000 customers, or supplying more than 3,000 acre -ft. of water annually, to file an Urban Water Management Plan (UWMP) with the California Department of Water Resources every five years. The UWMP must be in compliance with the Act, the Water Conservation Bill of 2009, and the Department of Water Resources requirements while serving as a basis for the City to continue meeting its demands of its current and future customers. The Plan includes population and housing trends, a description and evaluation of current and projected potable and recycled water supplies and demands, water conservation activities, an analysis of water supply reliability, and planning for potential water shortages. The Act requires that a public hearing be conducted to gather public input to the UWMP prior to its adoption. Mayor Ashton opened public comment at 7:37 p.m. Having no one come forward, Mayor Ashton closed public comment at 7:37 p.m. It was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Vasquez and carried unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 18-7780, adopting the City of Downey's 2015 Urban Water Management Plan. Mayor Ashton opened non agenda public comment. Having no one come forward, Mayor Ashton closed public comment. Mayor Ashton announced a correction to Item No. 16 of the Consent Calendar. The recommendation is to ratify the donation of one foursome of golf at the Rio Hondo Golf Course in support of the Little Lake Educational Advancement Foundation (LLEAF) Invitational Golf Tournament. Mayor Ashton asked if there was anyone present who would like to comment on Consent Calendar items. Having no one come forward, Mayor Ashton closed public comment. It was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Vasquez and carried unanimously to approve the remainder of the Consent Calendar with Council Member Saab pulling Item Nos. 5 and 9; and, Mayor Ashton pulling Item No. 13. 2. APPROVED MINUTES: Special Meeting of February 13, 2018: City Clerk. 3. WARRANTS ISSUED: Warrant Nos. 321312 — 321 681; Payroll Wire Nos. 30003713 & 30003719 30003722; and, Manual Wire Nos. 1662— 1671, in the total amount of $2,356,560.77: Finance. 4. ACCEPTED THE FURMAN PARK AND APOLLOWALKING/JOGGING CONTRACTIMPROVEMENT PROJECT AS COMPLETE; APPROVED THE FINAL CONSTRUCTION • OF :r, AND, AUTHORIZED THE PUBLIC WORKSDIRECTOR TO FILE THE NOTICE OF COMPLETION (CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT NOS. 15-02B ;r 0 Public. 6. ALLOCATED $30 500 FROM THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE PURCHASE OF HAND-HELD CITATION ISSUANCE DEVICES USED FOR CITY-WIDE PARKING ENFORCEMENT: Police. City Council Minutes Regular Meeting — February 27, 2018 3 Council Member Saab commented on the importance of upgrading the radio communication equipment for the Police Department and said this is a result of Measure S funding. He asked Police Chief Charles if the equipment met the requirements of the department. Chief Charles said the equipment met their needs and thanked the City Council and the community. Mayor Ashton asked if there was anyone present who would like to comment on this item. Ignacio Gonzalez, resident, commented regarding sole source policies and procedures. Assistant City Manager Oskoui stated he worked with the Police Department to find a vendor that could supply the service and equipment which met their needs. Only one vendor was identified that could provide the needed equipment and services. City Manager Livas stated there is a bidding process in place and staff is cautious when selecting a sole source vendor. He confirmed there are checks and balances in place. Having no one else come forward, Mayor Ashton closed public comment. Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez commented regarding the radio communication issues the Police Department was experiencing. It was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Vasquez and approved unanimously to appropriate $1,200,00 from Measure S to purchase and upgrade radio communication equipment for the Police Department and Code enforcement division and authorized procurement of the necessary equipment through an informal, sole source bid process. 9. APPROVED THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AGREEMENT WITH MOORE, IACOFONO AND GOLTSAN, INC. (MIG) FOR THE SAN GABRIEL RIVER AND WILDERNESS PARK RESTORATION PROJECT ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING DESIGN SERVICES; AUTHORIZED THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE AGREEMENT; AND, AUTHORIZED THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTEANYAMENDMENTS TO THE AGREEMENT: Public Works. Council Member Saab asked when the project will be completed and if the lake of Wilderness Park would be fenced during construction. Director Mostahkami said the design phase would be completed by September 2018 and the construction phase would be completed by -September 2019. He said the lake would be fenced for construction. Mayor Ashton asked if there was anyone present who would like to comment on this item. Having no one come forward, Mayor Ashton closed public comment. It was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Council Member Vasquez to approve the Professional Services Agreement with MOORE, IACOFONO and GOLTSMAN, INC. (MIG) for the San Gabriel River and Wilderness Park Restoration Project Architectural and Engineering Design Services; authorize the Mayor to execute the Agreement; and, authorize the City Manager to execute any amendments to the Agreement. 13. ADOPTED RESOLUTION NO. 18-7784, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF DOWNEY ESTABLISHING COMPENSATION FOR THE POSITION OF FIRE CHIEF: Human Resources. City Council Minutes Regular Meeting — February 27, 2018 5 The staff report for Item No. 13 was provided by Irma Youssefieh, Human Resources Director. City management representatives recently completed labor negotiations for successor Memoranda of Understanding covering wages, benefits and other mandatory subjects of bargaining with the Downey Fire Management Association. Per City Council Resolution No. 5290, the Management Performance Compensation Plan, provides that cost -of -living increases granted to management employees will be no less than nat granted to the rank and file employees in their respective departments. Senate Bill 1436 signed by Governor Brown, mandatesthateffective January 1, 2017, local agencies report out certain information before changing the compensation or benefits of their "executives". Under this law, legislative bodies for agencies must orally report a summary of _a recommendation for changes in salaries or benefits before voting for the changes. The votes must be taken in the open session portions of the meetings. The negotiated MOU with the DFMA provides for three across-the-board range adjustments during the term of the agreement (January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2019) as follows: a 2% increase in year one; a 2% increase in year two; and, a 3% increase in year three. The current monthly salary range for the position of Fire Chief is $13,725.97 to $16,745.67. The new monthly salary ranges proposed for the position of Fire Chief to correspond with the range increases provided to the DFMA are as follows: $14,274.99 to $17,415.49, effective the pay period that included February 27, 2018 and $14,703.24 to $17,937.95, effective the pay period that includes January 1, 2019. All other benefits payable to the position of Fire Chief are in accordance with Resolution No. 16- 7633. Mayor Ashton asked if this item would need to return to Council every year during the next three years to approve the salary increase. Director Youssefieh stated the resolution included the salary increase for the next three years. Mayor Ashton opened this item for public comment. Having no one come forward, Mayor Ashton closed public comment. It was moved by Council Member Saab, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez and approved unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 18-7784, establishing compensation for the position of Fire Chief. City Manager Livas-announced the City received the Government Finance Officers Association Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for Fiscal Year 2017-2018. He said this is a great achievement for the City of Downey and it reflects the commitment of the City Council and City staff and the principals of government budgeting. He thanked the City Council, the Budget Subcommittee, Anil Gandhy, Finance Director, James Fructuoso, Assistant Finance Director, Shannon DeLong, Assistant to the City Manager, Juddy Montenegro, Management Analyst,- and Maria Rivas Administrative Aide Maria Rivas and the department for their role in producing the quality product. Council Member Saab thanked City Manager Livas, Assistant City Manager Oskoui and Director of Finance Gandhy for their good work, ethics and transparency. Council Member Saab requested a Rio Hondo Golf Club Subcommittee meeting. Council Member Vasquez requested a Lakewood Blvd. Subcommittee meeting:, Mayor Pro Tem Rodriguez requested a Downtown Subcommittee meeting,: Mayor Ashton congratulated Finance Director Gandhy for receiving the award from GFOA. City Council Minutes Regular Meeting — February 27, 2018 6 . r • Mayor Ashton adjourned the regular City Council meeting at 7:59 p.m. in memory of the tragedy in Parkland, Florida. . I � Y� �. City Clerk City Council Minutes Regular Meeting — February 27, 2018 SEAN ASHTON Mayor 7