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01/25/2011CITY OF GRAND TERRACE CITY COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR MEETING - JANUARY 25, 2011 A regular meeting ofthe City Council of the City of Grand Terrace was called to order in the Council Chambers, Grand Terrace Civic Center, 22795 Barton Road, Grand Terrace, California, on January 25, 2011 at 4:30 p.m. PRESENT: Walt Stanckiewitz, Mayor Lee Ann Garcia, Mayor Pro Tern Darcy McNaboe, Councilmember Bernardo Sandoval, Councilmember Gene Hays, Councilmember Betsy M. Adams, City Manager Brenda Mesa, City Clerk Bernard Simon, Finance Director Joyce Powers, Community & Economic Development Director Richard Shields, Building & Safety Director John Harper, City Attorney Sgt. Carlos Espinoza, San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Rick McClintock, San Bernardino County Fire Department ABSENT: None The City Council meeting was opened with Invocation by Mayor Pro Tern Lee Ann Garcia, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilman Gene Hays. JOINT CRAICITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP A Joint CRA/City Council Workshop was held to discuss the following items: 1. FY 2009-10 Audit and Restated Fund Balance in FY 2011-12 2. Potential Fiscal Impacts of Governor's Proposed 2011-12 Budget Mayor Stanckiewitz adjourned the CRA/City Council Workshop at 5:52 p.m. ITEMS TO DELETE - None SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2A. Recognition of Winter Storm Emergency Response Workers Council Minutes 01/25/2011 Page 2 Mayor Stanckiewitz indicated that this special presentation will be moved to the next City Council Meeting. 2B. Introduce New Detective, Traffic Deputy and Deputy Mayor Stanckiewitz indicated that this special presentation will be moved to the next City Council Meeting. CONSENT CALENDAR Debra Hurst, 22950 Orangewood Court, questioned voucher numbers #66276, #66279, #66289 why are we paying these. At the last Council Meeting she questioned four checks. She received an answer for one of the checks but not the other three. She referred to another check that she questioned a few months ago regarding a seminar that was attended by Bea Cortes that she never received an answer on. CC-2011-09 MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM GARCIA, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER SANDOVAL, CARRIED 4-0-0-1 (COUNCILMEMBER HAYS ABSTAINED), to approve the following Consent Calendar Items: 3A. Check Register No. Dated 01-25-2011 3B. Waive Full Reading of Ordinances on Agenda 3C. Approval of Minutes of 01-11-2011 3D. Emergency Operations Committee Minutes of 12/07/2010 3E. Historical and Cultural Activities Committee Minutes of 12/0612010 3F. Treasurer's Report for Quarter Ending September 30, 2010 3G. Treasurer's Report for Quarter Ending December 31, 2010 3H. Town Square Project Update PUBLIC COMMENT Tom Roberts, 22111 Newport Avenue #148, congratulated Councilman Hays on his appointment. He stated that over the past three months he has come before the Council to challenge them to become and remain more transparent. He has not seen any action on making the actions in the Council Chambers open and available to the public. It has been indicated that there are technologies available to make this type of interaction with the residents possible. He asked what is being done to research and put in place a way for residents to be able to receive the information discussed and voted on in chambers and when might they expect a response to the need for transparency. He stated that he will be in to Iook at the plans for Stater Bros. in the morning. He feels that staff is not bound to the Council's decisions. He feels that it could be due to a lack on communication between Council and Staff. He feels that the residents have a right to know what is going on and the Council Minutes 0 1/25/201l Page 3 Council as their representatives have the obligation to let them know. Charles Hornsby, 22656 Brentwood, feels that if the previous Council had addressed the issue of the Town Square Project properly the current Council wouldn't be in this position now. From the very start of this project everyone had to know that there would be a tremendous crowding problem and no one did anything about it. The reason nothing was done was because the Council didn't have any guts. They could have stood up to Stater Bros. Somehow this town has survived on the Stater Bros. that we have for 30 years. Everyone has wanted a nicer store but it didn't have to be this big. COUNCIL REPORTS Mayor Pro Tem Lee Ann Garcia, announced that SCAG has a $2,000.00 scholarship available for students that are wanting to go into the planning field. She also announced that Senator Dutton's Office is looking for someone for an internship. She indicated that she will give the information to the City Clerk's Office. She appreciates all of the comments that have been made at the meeting. She is looking forward to future communications with the residents. CounciImember Bernardo Sandoval, stated that technology and transparency are both dear to his heart. He stated that there is a technology called Granicus that would be wonderful for the City. It would allow the City to place the Agenda on-line and would not require any infrastructure improvements in terms of technology internally. You would click on the link on the Agenda and it would go to that specific video for that specific item that is being discussed, unfortunately, the cost for implementation is probably around $50,000.00 with an annual cost of $40,000.00. The current budget crisis will determine what we can and can not do. As soon as he has a full understanding of the budget situation he will bring it up. The RDA is a significant issue for Grand Terrace. He felt that the Governor was never serious about removing RDA because of the catastrophic consequences that it would have across the State. He attended the League of California Cities Conference where he had the opportunity to hear Jerry Brown speak. He is committed to eliminating RDA from municipalities and this will have grave consequences for Grand Terrace. He feels that it is very important that the City get proactive and contact whoever we can at the State level and work with other cities to make sure that this doesn't happen. He looks forward to weaning the City off of RDA, however, to do it this way is wrong. Councilmember Darcy McNaboe, reported that the Grand Terrace Lion's Club held their sight clinic on January 8, 2011. They teamed up with a group called Friends in Sight who travel to different cities with an optometrist and their equipment so they can do examinations for free. They can end up leaving with a pair of glasses that will help them to read or see depending on what their issues are. On January 8`h they treated 274 members of the Grand Terrace community. They plan on doing this program again in late July or early August. She Council Minutes 01/25/2011 Page 4 feels that this is a huge benefit to those in the community that don't have the opportunity to go to an eye doctor. She reported that she also attended the League of California Cities Conference from January 19-21, 2011. It is a conference for new Councilmembers and Mayors. It gave them an opportunity to learn about their responsibilities as council members, their legal powers and obligations, their role in land use and planning, communications with new media, financial responsibilities and city revenues and they ended the three day session with the ethics training. The Governor not only showed up for lunch for this conference but he also attended the reception that was held and she had an opportunity to introduce herself and talk to him for a few minutes. It was pretty clear to her that he is looking for every way he can to be through with Redevelopment Agencies. He does not believe that they are good for the State. Although she feels that he is hearing from a lot of cities that the health of the State is really going to depend on its cities and if he does away with redevelopment agencies he will be affecting the health of each of the cities and counties in the State. There are sessions before the senate and the assembly beginning next week and she believes that we are scheduled to have members attend and give testimony on how doing away with the RDA will affect cities and counties. Councilmember Gene Hays, stated that he is aware of Governor Brown's proposal and his desire to de -establish the RDA. He feels that as a City we should take the attitude that let's assume that it is going to happen and then begin to look at alternative sources of finances. One thing that Federal Legislatures are doing now is looking into the different grants that are available. He feels that the City should look into grants. He feels that residents should open their eyes and look at some of the things that they feel can be improved and or addressed through grant money. Mayor Walt Stanckiewitz, reported that a workshop was held regarding a park grant that was awarded to the City through the State. He feels that it was a very good workshop that covered pros and cons from both sides. It was kept very informal. The residents of the area saved their park. The City was at a point where we thought we weren't going to be able to do it but the residents stepped up and said that they will do whatever they need to do to make the park happen. He referred to an article in the San Bernardino Sun that indicated that residents of the City of San Bernardino has more poor people than Grand Terrace and more needs for parks than Grand Terrace and they didn't understand why Grand Terrace, Ontario and Calimesa received the grants for parks and they didn't. It is a testament to staff who took the requirements of the grant application and wrote the request for the park to meet the specifics of the grant application. He feels that staff did a great job and congratulated them for their hard work. PUBLIC HEARINGS - None UNFINISHED BUSINESS - None Council Minutes 011292011 Page 5 NEW BUSINESS 8A. Attendance of Majority of City Council Members at a Meeting of Another Public Agency It was the consensus of the Council to direct staff to prepare a letter to the Colton Joint Unified School District indicating that there is no violation of the Brown Act for the City Council Members to attend meetings of other public agencies and provide individual public comments as long as the individual City Council Members do not discuss City business among themselves. The same would be true for the School Board Members. They would also like the letter to indicate that the Council appreciates the support and attendance of the School Board at the Council Meetings and encourage them to continue this practice and the Council will continue to do the same. They would like copies of this letter to be sent to The San Bernardino County District Attorney and Mr. Navarro. CLOSED SESSION 9A. Conference with Legal Counsel - Existing Litigation GC54956.9 - Chambers Group 9B. Labor Negotiations (GC54957.6) Conference with Labor Negotiator - Betsy M. Adams Representing Unrepresented Employees. Virginia Harford,11825 Arliss Way, does not believe that the Council needs to have Closed Sessions. She feels that they are suspicious. Mayor Stanckiewitz announced that the Council met in closed session regarding existing Litigation per GC54956.9 with Chambers Group and Labor Negotiations per GC54957.6) with Labor Negotiator, Betsy M. Adams representing unrepresented Employees and that there was no reportable action taken. Mayor Stanckiewitz adjourned the meeting at 8:50 p.m., until the next City Council Meeting which is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, February 8, 2011 at 6:00 p.m. CITY CLERK of the City of Grand Terrace MAYOR of the City of Grand Terrace I