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10/22/1992CITY OF GRAND TERRACE CITY COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING - OCTOBER 22, 1992 A regular meeting of the 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 October 22, 1992 at 6:00 P.M. PRESENT: Byron Matteson, Mayor Hugh J. Grant, Mayor Pro Tem Gene Carlstrom, Councilmember Ronald Christianson, Councilmember Herman Hilkey, Councilmember Thomas J. Schwab, City Manager Randall Anstine, Assistant City Manager Patrizia Materassi, Planning Director Phil Bush, Finance Director Brenda Stanfill, City Clerk John Harper, City Attorney Joe Kicak, City Engineer ABSENT: None The meeting was opened with invocation by Reverend Benjamin Nicholas, Highgrove United Methodist Church, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Mayor Pro Tem Grant. Mayor Matteson convened City Council meeting at 6:00 P.M. Mayor Matteson reconvened City Council meeting at 6:10 P.M. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS 2A. Mayor Matteson read a Proclamation commending Grand Terrace Associates and Bob Hardesty, co -recipients with the City of the 1991 Inland Division of the League of California Cities Innovative City of the Year Award and the 1992 Statewide Helen Putnam Award of Excellence and Innovation in Government in the category of Community Development, for their efforts in the development of the award winning Grand Terrace Child Care Center. 2B. Paul Benson, Division Chief of the County Fire Warden Department, gave a presentation on the Proposition 4 Tax Override (Measure S), which appears on the November ballot. Council Minutes - 10/22/92 Page 2 CONSENT CALENDAR CC-92-156 MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER HILKEY, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER CARLSTROM, CARRIED 5-0, to approve the remainder of the Consent Calendar with removal of Item 3G. A. APPROVE CHECK REGISTER NO. 102292 B. RATIFY 10/22/92 CRA ACTION C. WAIVE FULL READING OF ORDINANCES ON AGENDA D. APPROVE 10/8/92 MINUTES E. APPROVE FINANCE DIRECTORfS ATTENDANCE AT PERS SEMINAR - SACRAMENTO F. APPROVE TRAVEL TO SACRAMENTO TO ACCEPT HELEN PUTNAM AWARD ITEMS REMOVED FROM CONSENT CALENDAR 3G. A RESOLUTION TO ALLOW OUTDOOR DISPLAY OF MERCHANDISE WITHOUT A CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT IN CONJUNCTION WITH BUSINESS GRAND OPENINGS 0 CC-92-157 MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER HILKEY, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM GRANT, CARRIED 5-0, to approve the adoption of the Resolution relating to the outdoor display of merchandise without a Conditional Use Permit in conjunction with business grand openings. PUBLIC COMMENT Debra Mueller, 22608 La Paix, Grand Terrace; announced her candidacy for City Council, praised outgoing Mayor Pro Tem Grant, and complimented the effectiveness of the presiding Council. She expressed appreciation to her opponents for maintaining the decorum of the campaign and voiced her anticipation at the prospect of serving as a Councilmember. She suggested that a "roast" be held to honor Mayor Pro Tem Grant. City Manager Schwab, remarked that he contacted the Historical & Cultural Committee and indicated that the celebration to honor Mayor Pro Tem Grant will be held in conjunction with the City's Annual Birthday Party, which will be held on December 10, 1992. Council Minutes - 10/22/92 Page 3 Jim Singlet', 11996 Paradise, Grand Terrace; announced his candidacy for City Council and concurred with Ms. Mueller's praise of the campaign and the Council. He urged the public to vote on November 3, 1992. ORAL REPORTS 5A. Committee Reports 1. Crime Prevention Committee (a) Minutes of 9/14/92 CC-92-158 MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER CHRISTIANSON, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM GRANT, CARRIED 5-0, to accept the September 14, 1992 Crime Prevention Committee Minutes. (b) Appoint Committee Member CC-92-159 MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM GRANT, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER CARLSTROM, CARRIED 5-0, to approve the appointment of August Schmidt to fill the unexpired term as a regular member of the Crime Prevention Committee. (c) Change Meeting Time CC-92-160 MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER CARLSTROM, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER HILKEY, CARRIED 5-0, to change the hour of the Crime Prevention Committee meeting from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Historical & Cultural Committee (a) Minutes of 10/5/92 CC-92-161 MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM GRANT, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER CARLSTROM, CARRIED 5-0, to accept the October 5, 1992 Historical & Cultural Committee Minutes. 5B. Council Reports Mayor Matteson, reported that he attended the League of California Cities Convention along with other Councilmembers and the City Manager and expressed his delight that the League granted Grand Terrace the Helen Putnam Award. He remarked that the Award will be presented to the City by Governor Wilson in November 1992 and added that members of Council will attend the meeting to accept the honor. Council Minutes - 10/22/92 Page 4 Mayor Pro Tem Grant, thanked Ms. Mueller for her compliments and applauded the local candidates for their exemplary campaign conduct. Councilmember Carls rom, commenting that he also attended the League of California Cities Convention, remarked that the Governor, who spoke at the Convention, addressed the issue of small businesses in the state. Citing the Governor's assertion that 8o% of the employment in California stems from small businesses, he commended the City's adoption of the Resolution that allows businesses to display merchandise outdoors during grand openings without a Conditional Use Permit. He remarked further that seniors in Grand Terrace have expressed concern that the City does not have a pharmacy and have requested that a bus stop be installed at Canal and Barton Road to facilitate travel to other communities. He mentioned that he contacted RTD and commented that a traffic engineer will be dispatched to Grand Terrace to investigate the feasibility of installing a bus stop at the location in question. He stated that citizens have also requested that Omnitrans traverse the City once a day in order to transport them into the Cooley Ranch area. He indicated the City's desire to establish a pharmacy in the area. Councilmember Hilkey, questioned the presence of a Comcast representative in the Council meeting audience. City Manager Schwab, responded that the regional manager, Jeff Carlson, was in attendance to address any concerns about the change in management at the company and to discuss any affects that the managerial restructuring may have upon the Agreement between the City and Comcast Cable. Councilmember Hilkey, clarifying that Jeff Carlson is the Area Vice --President of Comcast, credited Mr. Carlson with the conversion from Channel 48 to Channel 3. He also requested an update on the status of the cable equipment improvements. Jeff Carlson, Area Vice -President, Comcast Cable$ revealed his intention to continue with the equipment upgrade as agreed between the former manager and the City. He commented that the character generator has been ordered and speculated Council Minutes - 10/22/92 Page 5 that it will be installed within thirty days. He surmised that a determination should be made within the next two weeks regarding the types of programs or events that will be produced to present to the public on the City's community access channel. Councilmember Hilke , suggested that Comcast offer an introductory period with reduced advertising rates to assist local merchants in attracting consumers. Jeff Carlson, Area Vice -President, Comcast Cable; stressing Comcast's community partnership, expressed sensitivity to the economic needs of area businesses and indicated a willingness to discuss the possibility of implementing the reduced advertising rates. Mayor Matteson, questioned whether his concern regarding the continuity of the Agreement between Comcast and the City with regard to the company's new management was unwarranted. Jeff Carlson, Area Vice -President, Comcast Cable; reassuring Council that their concern was unnecessary, he explained the reconfigurement of the management structure of the company, stating that the General Manager's position was upgraded to Vice-President/General Manager. He remarked further that the company will set a precedent by instituting local, specialized positions such as Director of Government and Public Relations and Director of Human Resources. He assured Council that Comcast intends to maintain the integrity of arrangements previously established with the City. Mayor Matteson, questioned the affect that the new cable legislation will have on Comcast. Jeff Carlson, Area Vice --President, Comcast Cable; surmised that the Cable Bill may adversely affect rates. He reported that the FCC will ascertain the form and criteria for the cable rate regulation in the next 90-120 days. He indicated that an acceptable profit margin has not been determined nor have procedures been established to mitigate municipal or subscriber complaints. Remarking that the rates will be restructured, he explained that the company may need to assess fees based upon service thereby eliminating the base rate, which Council Minutes - 10/22/92 Page 6 included free services. He stated that the cable rules and regulations will be published in April 1993. Mayor Matteson, questioned the origin for the approval of the cable rates. Jeff Carlson, Area Vice -President, Comcast Cable; responded that the local voters will have regulatory authority over the basic rate, adding that the FCC will provide the City with guidelines for the administration of the regulation. He remarked that the rules and regulations will outline a grievance procedure and will provide the City and the community with a mechanism for the resolution of those complaints. Reiterating the municipal authority over the basic rates, he indicated that in some circumstances, the citizens may also gain authority over the tier rates. Councilmember Hilkey, related that with the community access broadcast on Channel 3, the public can obtain community access and basic service for $7.95. Jeff Carlson, Area Vice -President, Comcast Cable; explained that the $7.95 rate is the basic rate, commenting that the City will regulate the basic rate. He indicated that the next tier, which previously included the access channel, may be regulated under certain circumstances but added that the premium selections such as HBO and CINEMAX will not be regulated. Mayor Matteson, inquired when the changes will be initiated. Jeff Carlson, Area Vice -President, Comcast Cable; stated that the regulation becomes effective April 1, 1993 and inferred that the guidelines are due to be completed by the FCC by February 1, 1993. Councilmember Christianson, mentioning that major networks offer pay -per -view selections for events that will not be broadcast locally, he inquired whether Comcast will offer subscribers the same option. Jeff Carlson, Area vice -President, Comcast Cable; replied in the affirmative and stated that Comcast Council Minutes - 10/22/92 Page 7 offers the college pay -per -view package. He explained that ABC purchases the rights to telecast sporting events, sells those rights to the local affiliates, and offers the remainder of the viewing audience those events on a pay -per -view basis. He revealed that during the Olympics, NBC aired the main events on the broadcast network and sold Comcast a package of the total event coverage. He indicated that the cable industry is experiencing a trend whereby cable companies offer a selection of broadcasts, basic cable, and pay -per -view. Councilmember Hilke , commented that the League of California Cities Conference's theme focused on the ability of a city to attract businesses. He indicated that he will make his seminar notes and handouts available to the Council for perusal, expressing his belief that the seminar tapes that were ordered should be viewed by the Planning Staff and Planning Commissioners. He also mentioned that information on the cable television legislation seminar, which was presented by the law firm of Rutan & Tucker, will also be available for examination. City Attorney Harper, clarified that Rutan & Tucker is the largest legal firm in Orange County, concurring with the conclusions presented in the article prepared by the firm for the Conference. Councilmember Hilkey, stated that the Honeywell Corporation had a booth at the League Conference which featured the City of Grand Terrace, one of Honeywell's heating and air conditioning clients. Mayor Matteson, expressed satisfaction that Grand Terrace has received numerous awards in various competitions among 460 cities statewide. Councilmember Hilke , recognized Betty Trimble, Assistant to the City Manager, and the City Manager's Department Staff for their efforts on behalf of the City. Mayor Matteson, extended praise to the City Manager and Staff for their work in assisting the City earn the awards it has garnered recently and commented that the Volunteer Picnic is an expression of appreciation to the volunteers and the staff for their labor. Council Minutes - 10/22/92 Page 8 Councilmember Christianson, complimented Sharon Korgan and the Red Ribbon signing campaign whereby the ribbon is being taken to various City Council Meetings in the County for signing by the respective mayors. He remarked that the Ontario City Council presented Grand Terrace with a Proclamation thanking the City for delivering the Red Ribbon to Ontario. He lauded the anti -drug program and added that the Red Ribbon signing bolsters Grand Terrace's excellent public image. He announced that the Annual Halloween Haunt will be held at Terrace Hills Junior High School from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 31, 1992. He reported that the Grand Terrace Chamber of Commerce will publish a newsletter in November 1992 and inquired as to the status of the community newsletter that the City began in October 1992. City Manager _Schwab, indicated that the City will continue to publish a quarterly newsletter, adding that the City will combine the Recreation flyer with the newsletter. Explaining that the City was utilizing the portion of the budget that previously had been allocated to the Chamber, he indicated that the City may need to approach Council by mid- year to request additional funding since the Chamber and the City will both be expending funds to publish a newsletter. He remarked that the City newsletter is more costly to produce since it does not contain any advertisements but he expressed his desire to avoid competing with the Chamber for advertisements. He stressed that the City received a favorable response from the first edition of the community newsletter. Mayor Matteson, remarked that the community newsletter has a different format than the Chamber's newsletter and expressed a willingness to continue to approve funding for the quarterly publication. He complimented the Staff on the first edition of the City newsletter. Councilmember Christianson, announced that the Red Ribbon Celebration will be held at the Senior Center, 22627 Grand Terrace Road, October 30, 1992 from 5-7 p.m., adding that the signed Red Ribbon and photographs from the county -wide signing will be on display at the event. Council Minutes - 10/22/92 Page 9 NEW BUSINESS 8A. Schedule November & December Council Meetings CC-92-162 MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER CARLSTROM, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER CHRISTIANSON, CARRIED 5-0, to cancel the second City Council meetings of November and December due to the holidays but to maintain the regularly scheduled meetings of November 12 and December 10, 1992. 8B. A Resolution of the it Council of the City of Grand Terrace ORROsincr the Central Alignment Alternative of the Metropolitan Water District Feeder Project CC-92-163 MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM GRANT, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER CARLSTROM, CARRIED 5-0, to adopt the Resolution communicating the City's opposition to the Metropolitan Water District's Feeder Project Central Alignment. ORDER OF ADJOURNMENT Mayor Matteson adjourned the City Council Meeting at 7:00 p.m., until the next regular CRA/City Council Meeting, which is scheduled to be held on Thursday, November 12, 1992. CITY CLERK of the City of Grand Terrace