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10/26/1995CITY OF GRAND TERRACE CITY COUNCIL MINUTES REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING - OCTOBER 26, 1995 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 26, 1995 at 6:00 p.m. PRESENT: Byron R. Matteson, Mayor Gene Carlstrom, Mayor Pro Tem Herman Hilkey, Councilmember Jim Singley, Councilmember Dan Buchanan, Councilmember Thomas J. Schwab, City Manager John Donlevy, Assistant City Manager Brenda Stanfill, City Clerk Patrizia Materassi, Community Development Director Lt. Kyritsis, Sheriffs Department Virgil Barham, Building and Safety Director Jim Winkler, Law Offices of Harper and Burns ABSENT: Bernard Simon, Finance Director The meeting was opened with invocation by Mayor Pro Tem Carlstrom, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilman Herman Hilkey. 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. Recycling Family of the Month - September 1995 Mayor Matteson announced that the Ezekial Hernandez family of 22436 Franklin Street are the recipients of the recycling family of the month award for the month of August 1995 and of the local merchants gift certificates from La Pasta Italia, Demetris' Restaurant, and Grand Heritage Cleaners. 2B. Commendation - Friends of the Library Mayor Matteson read and presented the Friends of the Library with a Commendation for their years of dedicated work that has benefitted the Grand Terrace Branch Library. CONSENT CALENDAR CC-95-132 MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER SINGLEY, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO Council Minutes 10/26/95 Page 2 TEM CARLSTROM, CARRIED 5-0, to approve the Consent Calendar. A. Approve Check Register No. 102695 B. Ratify 10/26/95 CRA Action C. Waive Full Reading of Ordinances on Agenda D. Approve 10/12/95 Minutes E. Annual Street Striping Program Authorization to go to Bid PUBLIC COMMENT None ORAL REPORTS 5A. Committee Reports 1. Crime Prevention Committee (a) Minutes of 09-11-95 CC-95-133 MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER SINGLEY, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER HILKEY, CARRIED 5-0, to accept the minutes of the Crime Prevention Committee of September 11, 1995. 5B. Council Reports Mayor Pro Tem Carlstrom, reported that he represented the City at a special meeting of SANBAG regarding the prioritizing of projects to be done through the year 2005. He also reported that he attended the League of California Cities Conference in San Francisco with all of the Council Members. Councilmember Buchanan, reported that he attended the League of California Cities Conference, he felt that it was a very interesting conference. He reported that the City recently conducted a Emergency Operation Drill, coordinated and put on by the Assistant City Manager. He commended staff and the Emergency Operations Committee for all of their work. He reminded everyone that the City is sponsoring the Annual Halloween Haunt on October 31, 1995 from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Pico Park. Councilmember Singley, stated that the Housing Coordinator Margie Ayars also attended the League of California Cities Conference and displayed before and after pictures of the housing program of the Community Redevelopment Agency and manned the booth for three days talking to people about the program. He also reported that he attended the Volunteer Appreciation Picnic briefly and commended the volunteers for all of their work and suggested that citizens get involved. He reported that he also attended the League of California Cities Conference and felt as though it was a good conference. Council Minutes 10/26/95 Page 3 Councilmember Hilkey, thanked staff for the Volunteer Appreciation Picnic. He reported that he also attended the League of California Cities Conference. He reported that he attended a great presentation on the electric monopoly breakup of Edison and Pacific Gas and Electric. The City's display looked very good and got a lot of feedback on the program. Mayor Matteson, reported that he also attended the League of California Cities Conference and also attended the presentation on the electric monopoly breakup with Councilmember Hilkey. He stated that the conversion is going to be complicated but should be good for everyone. He stated that he also attended a presentation on Marketing Your City (Marketing Small Towns) and stated that he will discuss it later during the General Plan Task Force Progress Report. He stated also that the display looked good and people were very interested in the program. He reminded everyone that Saturday, November 4, 1995 is the Grand Terrace Country Fair sponsored by the Historical and Cultural Activities Committee. He stated that the Volunteer Appreciation Picnic had a good turnout this year and that it is the City's way of thanking the volunteers for all of their hard work throughout the year. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 7A. Second Readings An Ordinance Adopting Amendment Z-95-03 and Associated Negative Declaration E-95-07 for Amendment to the Municipal Code, Chanter 5 06 Home Occupation Permit Procedures and Criteria CC-95-134 MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER SINGLEY, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER BUCHANAN, CARRIED 5-0, to approve the second reading of an ordinance adopting amendment, Z-95-03, and associated negative declaration, E-95-07, for amendment to the Municipal Code, chapter 5.06, Home Occupation Permit Procedures and Criteria. 7B. Second Reading_ - An Ordinance Adopting Amendment. Z-95-04 Repealing Chapter 10 of the Grand Terrace Municipal Code and Adopting a Revised Chapter 10 and its Associated Negative Declaration, E-95-10 (Residential Parking Regulations) CC-95-135 MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM CARLSTROM, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER SINGLEY, CARRIED 5-0, to approve the second reading of an ordinance adopting amendment, Z-95-04 repealing Chapter 10 of the Grand Terrace Municipal Code and adopting a revised Chapter 10 and its associated negative declaration, E-95-10 (Residential Parking Regulations). 7C. General Plan Task Force Progress` Report Community Development Director Materassi, stated that the Socio-Economic Element and the Parks and Recreation Element will be covered. The Socio- Economic Element is a new element and is optional. Included in this element is everything that the General Plan Task Force and the Planning Commission would Council Minutes 10/26/95 Page 4 like included in the element. The Parks and Recreation Element is an element that was already included in the General Plan and has been updated by the past Assistant City Manager. Community Development Director Materassi, reported that the Socio-Economic Element is a new element whose major purpose is to bring the human and economic element into the planning process. Comprehensive planning is not only to improve the built environment by the overall quality of life of the people who live here. There is 2 parts of this element; one social, an one economic. The major message of the Economic part if this element is to determine the regional economic role for Grand Terrace and try to maximize it. Develop strategies to increase tax revenues; local jobs for our residents, give priority to high tech business users, promote city business and identify future business demands for the area. Evaluate expansion of medical support and educational services, including a meeting or convention site. All to be in compatibility with the scale of our town and goal of village atmosphere. The major social message is to create a new arts, cultural and historic identity for the City, to give priority to family needs and children, to strive for excellence in education; and continue pursuing to keep crime very low in our community. Planning Commission also recommended incorporation of Commissioner LeeAnn Garcia's Economic Development Conference recommendations. This element tells developers, businesses and new citizens what Grand Terrace wants to be and is striving for. The recommendations by LeeAnn Garcia are that staff learn from cities that have very successful downtown and economical policies and still maintain a village atmosphere. Steve Gibson, Executive Director of Riverside Downtown Association offered to come to the City for free and tell the City what can be done for Downtown Grand Terrace. Another recommendation was to have CAL a California Economic Development Professional Services evaluate our City and possibly giving us some strategies for Economic Development which would include a cost. Phyllis Sternberg, 12161 Dos Rios, Grand Terrace, reported on the Parks and Recreation Element. This element was drafted by previous Assistant City Manager, Randy Anstine. This is an actual draft text. Our current General Plan includes Parks and Recreation as part of the "Aesthetic, Cultural, Parks and Recreation Element." The General Plan Task Force and Planning Commission would like to expand the scope of the element and revise some of the goals. Major issues discussed were: - The usability of available park areas, either developed or not. Involvement of the community to, improve and take care of parks. This can be translated into something like adopt -a -park -program to be offered Council Minutes 10/26/95 Page 5 to the Lion's Club, Wilden Pump, Azure Hills Church and residents themselves. Even a simple park bench donated by the Women's Club, for instance, may help the effort. The ratio of park land versus population to be increased; More neighborhood and linear parks for joggers and bikers, rather than community parks; - Develop short term actions and install portable toilets, drinking fountains, equipment for children, benches and walkways for strollers; Facilities to be for all ages; Lighting to be installed on linear parks for security; - Park on the west side of freeway; and - Hiking trails on Blue Mountain. She recommended that the City go to the Grand Terrace Lion's Club and Women's Club for donations to help develop the parks. She also stated that the City should look into getting an easement from the site adjacent to Terrace View Elementary School to expand the park land at Susan Petta park, since the City has the authority to use school grounds. She stated that this agreement was signed years ago giving authorization to utilize Terrace Hills Jr. High School grounds by the City's Park and Recreation Department. Councilmember Singley, stated that Community Development Director Materassi and the General Plan Task Force is doing a terrific job and agrees with everything that they are doing. Mayor Pro Tem Carlstrom, stated that he also feels the General Plan Task Force is doing a great job. He agreed with Phyllis Sternberg that we should look into getting an easement from the property adjacent to Terrace View Elementary School to expand the park land at Susan Petta Park. He also stated that the local service clubs are always into community activities and may be able to donate funds to develop park land. Councilmember Hilkey, stated that if the 6 to 8 lots along Barton were split or in the center of the lots a center was created that would create a park in the center of town. He questioned, if you look at an aerial map of town, does the right-of-ways caused by the power lines and the aqueduct (Gage Canal) form a square. Could this be used as a bike way or walk way. Phyllis Sternberg, stated that she spoke to the water district and found that it is private land and there are liabilities involved, however, it is something that is open for discussion. Council Minutes 10/26/95 Page 6 Councilmember Buchanan, stated that the draft element for the Parks and Recreation Element that the General Plan Task Force is working from is a good document that obviously needs to be updated, however, the Planning Commission and the General Plan Task Force issues are appropriate and feels that they are on the right track in regards to that element. In regards to the Socio-Economic Element, he has no objections to this element, however he questioned the various policies that are to be determined. He questioned how they are being approached and felt that if this is going to be part of the General Plan we would want it to say that this is what the City is all about. He doesn't disagree with what the element proposes but is unsure whether the policies should be included in the General Plan in this format, for example, should it say a study should be conducted to determine the regional economic role of the City or should it directly state the type of regional role the City wants to have. Community Development Director Materassi, she stated that ideally we should know how we want Grand Terrace to be, however, the problem is that we don't have all of the studies. She stated that she will take it back to the Task Force and the Planning Commission and see how other cities have addressed this issue. Mayor Matteson, Complemented Planning Commissioner LeeAnn Garcia on her report on Economic Development. He stated that at the presentation he attended at the League of California Cities some of the ideas for "Marketing Your City" were to identify your assets. He believes that Parks and Schools are great assets in Grand Terrace. The City has a lot of park land and is unsure whether or not it is enough. A good item to review would be whether we have enough park land and where we are in comparison to where we should be. He also stated that the City can benefit by combining the economical as well as parks, etc. to help in the need to determine what is available in respect to land. He feels that the City should look into having the adjacent property from Terrace View Elementary School do an easement to expand the park land at Petta park and take the money that would be used to purchase the land and develop the park. The town square idea is a good asset to small towns. Grand Terrace has a lot of the commercial land that is not developed, we need to look at what might be an ideal situation in the middle of the commercial area, maybe picnic benches, something to incorporate a small town atmosphere. He stated that he is pleased with the work that staff has done so far with the General Plan, it is very informative. He feels that we should pursue the idea of having hiking or walking trails, in the past we have had great opposition from Gage Canal, however, the make up of that committee has changed so there may be more possibility of having the trails. On the issue of Economic development, he stated that we need to find out what the residents want in their City. We need to promote our assets. When a policy is developed the City needs network to keep everyone up to date on what is going on. Key people to keep informed would be realtors, the Grand Terrace Area Chamber of Commerce and local merchants so that everyone can be salesman for the City and this information can be passed on to prospective business owners. Helping the current business expand will create local jobs which the City will benefit from. Housing stock is another issue that will help to promote the City, availability of medical facilities, colleges, schools are things that people look for Council Minutes 10/26/95 Page 7 in communities. CLOSED SESSION 9A. Potential Litigation - Governmental Claim Filed by Larry Halstead Against the City of Grand Terrace Mayor Matteson announced that Council met in closed session to discuss potential litigation - Governmental claim filed by Larry Halstead against the City of Grand Terrace. CC-95-136 MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER SINGLEY, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM CARLSTROM, CARRIED 5-0, to reject the Governmental claim filed by Larry Halstead against the City of Grand Terrace ORDER OF ADJOURNMENT Mayor Matteson adjourned the City Council Meeting at 8:35 p.m., until the next Regular CRA/City Council Meeting which is scheduled to be held on Thursday, November 9, 1995. CITY CLERK of the eity of Grand Terrace MAYQ/R of the City of Grand Terrace