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07/16/1991CITY OF GRAND TERRACE CITY COUNCIL MINUTES SPECIAL MEETING - JULY 16, 1991 A special 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 July 16, 1991 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/Finance Director Randall Anstine, Assistant City Manager Patrizia Materassi, Planning Director Brenda Stanfill, Deputy City Clerk John Harper, City Attorney Joe Kicak, City Engineer ABSENT: None r The meeting was Pfennighausen, followed opened with invocation by former Councilmember Barbara by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilmember Christianson. Mayor Matteson convened City Council meeting at 6:00 p.m. Mayor Matteson reconvened City Council meeting at 6:10 p.m. CONSENT CALENDAR CC-91-119 MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER CARLSTROM, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER CHRISTIANSON, CARRIED 5-0, to approve the Consent Calendar. A. APPROVE CHECK REGISTER NOS. 063091 & 071191 B. RATIFY 07/16/91 CRA ACTION C. WAIVE FULL READING OF ORDINANCES ON AGENDA D. APPROVE 06/27/91 MINUTES PUBLIC COMMENT Barbara Pfenni hausen, 22111 Ladera St., Grand Terrace; cited the City Manager's statement, from the June 27, 1991 City Council Meeting, whereby he which indicated that the abandoned trailer at the mobilehome i Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 2 park at the junction of Barton and Grand Terrace Roads would be removed within ten days, and she pointed out that the coach has not been moved. Expressing chagrin, she inquired as to the City's plan to resolve the matter. Cit Manager Schwab, violation of the ten the situation will be demolish the trailer, for the dumping fees. ORAL REPORTS 5B. Council Reports concurred that the mobilehome park owner is in day notice but reassured Ms. Pfennighausen that rectified once arrangements are made to remove or adding that the property owner will be assessed Mayor Matteson, read from a letter, written by Sheriff's Detective Nash, complimenting the support and friendship Mr. Nash found in the City and informing the Council, the City Staff, and the citizenry of his promotion to Sergeant and subsequent assignment to the West Valley Detention Center, effective July 13, 1991. He requested that a letter of appreciation be sent to Sergeant Nash. In reference to a meeting that occurred between City representatives and members of The Sun newspaper, commented that although many in attendance expressed satisfaction with the publication, the City has received inadequate local news coverage from that newspaper. However, he indicated his pleasure that a positive press release detailing the City's financial stability was published recently on the front page of The Sun. Councilmember Christianson, inquired of the City Manager whether Me City has a report from B.F.I. on the progress of the recycling program. City Manager Schwab, responded that the City has not received a statistical report from B.F.I. on the amount of tonnage that is being collected for recycling but added that the report will be available upon completion of the month of July 1991. He stated further that a visual inspection of the City indicates a high level of participation from the citizens. Councilmember Carlstrom, reported on the League of California Cities Conference, which he recently attended in Monterey with the City Manager and Mayor Pro Tem Grant, announcing that the City of Grand Terrace is one of the few cities in the state with an operating budgetary surplus. He stated that the issues of import at the Conference were the number of cases of child abuse in California and the number of children living in poverty state-wide, adding that only 11% of children in the state live in a normal family environment. He expressed his belief that many senior citizens are unaware of childrens' issues in the state, asserting that seniors' votes against the school system are harmful to children. He added that 72,000 newborns have been exposed to Crack Cocaine and stated that 60-70% of children in the state are behind Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 3 in normal motor skill development due to a lack of adequate play areas and indicated that the state park system needs improvement. He expressed satisfaction with the speech given by the representative from the Sacramento office of the State Department of Education and Child Development, Maureen DeMarco. Councilmember Hilkey, stated his intention to bring slides and information about the construction and subsequent failure of the nuclear plant at Chernobyl to a future Council Meeting. He read an excerpt from a work written by one of the scientists who was a part of the team studying the Chernobyl incident which indicates that the situation was worsened by the anxious reactions of the area residents, and he extrapolated that the City of Grand Terrace needs to be aware of not only the affects of radiation contamination but the fear radiation generates. He expressed his belief that the recycling program appears to be successful but added that there are several thieves targeting the recycling bins, and he suggested that the City pass legislation to prevent this type of theft. He indicated his desire that Staff initiate communication with B.F.I. to develop a recycling program for yard wastes, which he contends constitutes 20-35% of solid waste. Expressing dissatisfaction with the amount of graffiti in the City, he requested that Staff enhance the graffiti program to ensure a 24-hour response time and to provide for a wider selection of paint colors to cover the graffiti. Specifically referring to the old GTI Market, he suggested that the fence be painted in a redwood tone since it is in a public area. City Manager Schwab, indicated that recycling yard waste is the next component of the recycling program, which will enable the City to meet its goal of a 50% reduction in the wastestream. He indicated that San Bernardino County has not yet implemented a curbside yard waste collection program but remarked that the City is working with B.F.I. to examine the recycling options. He indicated that the City will paint over graffiti and will provide the labor if a property owner provides the correct paint color but added that attempting to match property owners' color schemes is uneconomical. He stated further that, although the City can shorten the graffiti response time and will attempt to reduce the current time of 48 hours by utilizing work release crews on weekends, graffiti has actually increased in the City since the implementation of the program, and he speculated that those involved in spreading graffiti have entered into a game with the City. He stated further that eventually the City may need to hire a part-time Staff member in order to remove graffiti within 24 hours but assured Council that the City is committed to eradicating graffiti on public and private property. He indicated that the City has used many graffiti removal products but commented that those products have a limited effectiveness. Mayor Pro Tem Grant, inquried as to the ownership of the wall at the old GTI MarkFt' and questioned the punishment for creating graffiti. He concurred with the City Manager's assessment of the Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 4 amount and cause of the graffiti increase in the City, expressing frustration with the problem and suggesting that the City consider reimbursing an owner for the cost of painting their own property as long as the cost is not prohibitive. He also concurred with Councilmember Carlstrom regarding the value of the League of California Cities Conference and stated that he personally benefited from several of the workshops. He complimented the positive article that appeared in The Sun and lauded the City Manager's performance. City Manager Schwab, commented that the owner of the old GTI Market indicated that the ownership of the wall is currently in litigation and added that the owner refused to sign a release form so that the graffiti could be removed at that location. City Attorney Harper, revealed that the courts might impose a clean-up sentence on those who perpetrate the defacing of property in Grand Terrace and supported the City Manager's reluctance to provide custom graffiti removal, indicating that other cities cite homeowners for graffiti abatement. He commented further that the City can enter private property without the owner's permission under the Nuisance Abatement Ordinance. Ma or Pro Tem Grant, emphatically expressed his wish that the City enforce the Nuisance Abatement Ordinance. City Manager Schwab, asserted that the Nuisance Abatement procedure requires notification and a hearing and is a time consuming process. Assistant Citx Manager Anstine, reported that the City, in conjunction with the Sheriff's Department, has been able to identify a number of individuals who have been responsible for graffiti in the area and has compelled those individuals to rectify their vandalism in the City through a clean-up program. He clarified that the culprits were residents of Grand Terrace and were not minorities. Mayor Pro Tem Grant, expressed satisfaction that some of the individuals responsible for graffiti in the City have been apprehended. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 7A. Award Mini Study on School District Feasibility City Manager Schwab, "At the meeting of June 13, 1991, Councilmember Hilkey presented a proposal by Stallings and Associates to conduct a mini study for the feasibility of a Grand Terrace Unified School District. At that same meeting, Council directed staff to solicit additional proposals. Staff had initially sent out proposals to Stallings and Associates, Far West Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 5 Laboratories, Hawkins Mark -Tell, and the University of California at Riverside. Subsequent to that time, we had three more requests for proposals, one of which was to School Services of California. We received back two proposals. One was the initial proposal by Stallings and an additional proposal by School Services of California. In looking at the two proposals, Stallings and Associates had a composite bid that was for the entire study with no additional costs. School Services of California had indicated that their base fee would be $2,850 plus additional costs. In looking at the proposal, it seemed in order to make a fair comparison between the two proposals, I would need to contact School Services to find out what they really felt would be additional costs, and I think, in talking with them and what they would need to do in order to come down and properly perform a study, I would estimate that a proposal for School Services would probably be closer to $6,000 total cost. So, Staff is recommending that should the Council wish to conduct a mini feasibility study, that I would recommend that you award the contract to School Services of California at a total cost of $6,000 from the unappropriated General Fund Balance." Mayor Matteson, "We have some people who want to speak on this issue plus I would like to read a letter received from citizen Kim Hathaway: To the Grand Terrace City Council: As a thirty year resident of Grand Terrace and a graduate of Colton High School , I thought that it was time I speak out and state my opinion on what is happening in our city and school district. I am appalled and embarrassed that our city is being represented by a councilman that seems to have such a supremacist racist attitude. He is suppose to be mindful of what's good and fair for our city and be the voice of the people. What Mr. Herman Hilkey wants in the way of our own school district is not in the city's best interest, and he certainly does not speak for me and my family, nor the majority of people I know in Grand Terrace. In 1965, my husband and I graduated from Colton High and in 1986 so did our daughter. Next year our son will also complete his four years there. .The four of us managed to go through there without incident, and none of us are the mindless morons that Hilkey paints Colton students to be. My husband is successful and provides a good life for us. My daughter and I both have college degrees and my son has made the principals honor roll every semester since he started at Colton High. His future is still ahead. We do not need our own high school or school district, maybe what we need is new leadership. Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 6 The rest of the Council seems to be so passive, and willing to just give away City funds for a study that has already been done several times. Come on Mr. Grant, Mr. Carlstrom, and Mayor Matteson, I've seen you work for a long time and I used to believe you had the best interest of the Grand Terrace Citizens in mind, but now I'm not so sure. Stand on your own two feet and stop this ridiculous idea of our own school district or high school. You all know that this City cannot support, nor does it need it's own district. If this passes, you won't just have the handful of families moving because they don't want their children at Colton, you will have countless people moving to avoid paying the tax increases that we will have to pay, and I will be one of them. I never thought I would ever consider moving from Grand Terrace but I am tired of all the hatred and nonsense that has been going on here, not to mention that we are already taxed to the max. I am extremely involved in our community and in projects that are throughout our state. I have always been actively involved with my children in this school system. From kindergarten through the end, I have been an aid in their classrooms so that I could know first hand what was going on. I have not always been happy with some of the things that I've seen so I have worked with the schools for change, not change my child from the school. Maybe if Mr. Hilkey and his friends would turn their hostilities to positive energy and work to help the Colton School District, we could all make it an even better system. We got along fine for years without Mr. Hilkey and separate schools, and we still can. I am not superior, not racist, not a liberal, not an ultra conservative, I am a positive person with positive ideas and I am deeply concerned about the affect that all of this ugly negative talk is having on our young people. We need to learn and live together, not apart. You get out of school and life just what you put into it. We are not superior to Colton and their children. I believe that our city council needs to start looking beyond the broken garden gate and see the beautiful flowers that are blooming on the other side. A deeply concerned citizen, Kim Hathaway Wendy Patrick, 22725 Robin Way, Grand Terrace; "Before I speak, I do have two letters that were delivered to me by families that are of this community that share the views that I am giving and that Ms. Hathaway gave. I'll pass those on when I am finished. I have 11 Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 7 been a resident of this community for the greater portion of the past 29 years. I am here this evening to address this Council as it relates to the expenditure of monies to conduct a feasibility study pertaining to the formation of a school district in Grand Terrace not to debate the issue of separate school districts. As a citizen and taxpayer of this community, I strongly object to the expenditure of any monies by our City government for the purpose of evaluating or studying the feasibility of a separate school district for this community. City governments have no jurisdiction over schools. In my opinion, it is not an appropriate expenditure of taxpayers' money. What would this Council's reactions and the reactions of the taxpayers of the Colton Joint Unified School District be if the School Board opted to appropriate monies to conduct a feasibility study as to whether or not Grand Terrace should have its own police department? We all know that the School Board would have no jurisdiction over a police department in Grand Terrace. The expenditure of monies that is before this Council is no different. If, in fact, there is a large group of residents of this community who believe strongly that this community should look at the possibility of the unification and if the group is as large as Mr. Hilkey would lead you to believe, then they should be willing to fund whatever cost would be required to conduct the appropriate survey. If there were 100 families interested in seriously addressing this issue, they should be willing to put their money where their mouths are and for a minimal investment of $65.00 per family, they can get the survey that they desire. Mr. Hilkey has expressed the concern that the information that would be received from the Colton Joint Unified School District and the San Bernardino County Schools Office would be biased and not accurate. From what source will the information generated for a feasibility study be drawn? Is Mr. Hilkey not biased in his way of thinking? I have resided in this community far longer than Mr. Hilkey and the majority of his followers. I can tell you that I am tired of sitting back and allowing this Council and a small voice to continue to down grade the schools of this district. I have been actively involved in our school system since my son entered kindergarten. He will be entering seventh grade in September. I have served as PTA President at Terrace View; have served the PTA at Terrace View in numerous other capacities; I will be President of Terrace Hills PTSA this coming year; and I sit on several committees of the Colton Joint Unified School District. I am not an uninformed member of this community. No school district is perfect or without problems but personal experience has convinced me that this district continues to strive for excellence and constantly reevaluates the approaches they are taking to seek out better solutions to its problems. What we need are more members of f the community who are truly committed to being part of the solutions rather than part of the problems. Please consider carefully the decision before you. I encourage you to vote against the expenditure of any monies by this City for any feasibility study relating to schools. I encourage you to appropriate those monies to more worthwhile activities which might Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 8 include youth sports, teen programs, drug and alcohol awareness programs, and better yet, to provide some scholarships to benefit graduating teens of this community. We have many students in our community who could benefit tremendously from a scholarship program. I can assure you, if this expenditure is approved by this Council, I will seek to pursue other avenues to determine the legal appropriateness of this expenditure. Mr. Hilkey says he represents the views of this committee. I ask you who will represent myself and those who share my views. I am not here alone this evening." Wendy Curran, 22755 Kentfield, Grand Terrace; "Good evening Mayor and Councilmembers. Tonight I speak to you in order to clarify some facts - to set the record straight, if you will. Over the last several weeks, information has been presented to you that paints a lopsided view of the high school our students attend. In addition, an image has been created depicting the funding at the elementary schools as dismal. It is incorrect to draw the conclusion that the Board of Education or the District Administration purposely under funds any school as has been implied. That simply does not happen. First you need to understand that each school determines their spending decisions at the site and that the allocation is based on enrollment figures. Last year, our district received $3,057.59 per student, and we are expecting the same amount this year as there appears there will be no cost of living adjustment or COLA. Approximately 85% of our resources go to salaries and benefits, which leaves about 15% to fund the rest. Lottery monies are also alloted to each school based on enrollment and we are expecting about 1/3 less lottery revenue this year. Additionally, each site receives supplemental grant monies for text books and may qualify for other grant monies. Some sites qualify for additional monies through categorical programs such as Chapter 1, which is federally funded; State Compensory Education, which is funded by the State; Bi-lingual Education Aid; and School Improvement Program monies. Recently, both elementary schools in Grand Terrace have qualifed and are receiving SIP monies or School Improvement Program monies. Each school site makes the decisions on how the money is spent at that site. As to the high school, much has been misrepresented. Again, you need to understand how the CAP figures are interpreted. The figures you have been given previously were for the 1989-90 school year, and since the State of California did not fund the CAP test last year, no school in California took the CAP test for the 1990-91 school year. The CAP test is in a state of flux and many revisions have taken place. As I understand it, when the test is again implemented, students in grade 4, 5, 8, and 11 will be tested. It is unclear when this will occur. You also need to understand how CAP scores are reported. The State gives us two ways to interpret scores: state ranking, which compares the high school to all high schools in the State; and relative ranking, which reports how we fare with schools that are similar to us. You have been given the state ranking and not the relative rank for 1989-90. Colton High School's relative rank was in the upper 1/3. Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 9 In a recent School Performance Report Study Summary for 1989-90 released from the State Department of Education, Colton High School met twelve of the fifteen target areas that the State Department of Education had established. Yes, there are still areas to improve in. The keyword is improve, and yes, we are doing that. Last year the SAT scores placed us second in math and third in verbal skills in the County of San Bernardino, this while we almost doubled the number of students who took the test. I have long believed that if you are not part of the solution, you are part of the problem. Looking for solutions is what keeps me awake at night. We as adults need to help our kids develop self-esteem. We need to encourage them, set parameters, and serve as examples. Many parents are re -dedicating themselves to our young people and by doing so set many positive forces into motion. Once students have the backing of their community, I believe that there isn't anything that they cannot achieve. I believe in our students. I expect them to achieve and will continue to find ways to bring the best to their education. The path is long and winding. I would encourage this Council to be supportive of our students in both word and deed. Who knows what our young people can achieve when we join forces to be supportive." Mayor Matteson, "For those of you here who don't know, Mrs.Curran 0 is also on the Colton School Board." John R. Taylor, 22843 Vista Grande Way, Grand Terrace; "I have concerns for the concerned parents, having attended the meeting with the former official of Colton, Mr. Dickinson. Mr. Dickinson has left. Evidently, someone will take his place. I would very much like to see them make an attempt to contact the new people in Colton before any expenditures are made. I know, Mayor Matteson, you have been quite conservative and I can't think of a time I've disagreed with you until this time has come up, and I would hope that the Council would give further consideration before they would make such an expenditure." Rod Lambert, 22914 Palm, Grand Terrace; indicated that he has been a resident 17 years in Grand Terrace and prior to that 20 years in Colton and also an alumni of Colton High School. Mr. Hilkey and his group, I can appreciate the want of having our own school district whatever. I remember when we first became a City one of the goals that we were involved with was trying to get our own Post Office. We found out that financially it was not feasible to do. We wanted our own phone prefix. We even fought to get 783- into the 825 but again we ran into a financial thing that we could not obtain. Here again, today, we have a situation that is not financially feasible and it doesn't make sense. I spent 30 minutes on the phone today talking with the State Board of Education and they won't side one way or the other about the feasibility of doing things, and I'd be glad to give you the people I talked to and their numbers after. Right now, according to the gentleman I talked to up there, they have about a billion dollar backlog of Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 10 funds needed just for improvements in schools that are already in existence. Any new projects would be at least ten years down the road. The only way that something would be put on the front burner is if you are out in the middle of the desert and put together a community and needed a school at that point in time. The other thing is, and I don't know if this has been checked into but was brought to my attention there when I talked to them, if Colton is a charter City, it would be virtually impossible to break that unified school district. I called City of Colton and the people I got hold of, the City Manager wasn't there, didn't know if they were general law, if they are charter or what, but it was my understanding from the State of California and this was the Administrator of School Districts that if that was a charter City, you would be wasting your money. I have a few questions if we were to go forward with that. First of all, where is the land for the high school. Where would the funds, because the State, as it was mentioned, is $14 billion dollars in a deficit, so the funds for building the school would be questionable. If we had our own school district, we would need a school board, a superintendent of schools, secretaries, busses, maintenance people. Besides teachers, you need substitute teachers probably, although I don't know what the ratio of substitute teachers to teachers is, but if a teacher gets sick, you've got to have somebody to cover them. That's increased cost. You take a town of this size, we'd have a school district of approximately 3,000, maybe 700 at a high school and that would take the kids who enjoy sports put them in a league that would be transporting them to mountain communities out in the middle of the desert to participate in sports because we'd be such a small school we wouldn't be in the larger CIF school district. I don't like to come with negative things unless I have suggestions because, as said, unless you have a solution you're part of the problem. I think working through the present system that has been stated is the way to do it. That brings change and we can do that strictly by voting for those that are with our feelings. The other thing is exploring the possibility of maybe bringing Loma Linda into the Colton Unified School District. Loma Linda, at this time, is taxing Redlands. Redlands was unable to pass a bill to build a high school. They have a high school that is overcrowded. Their schools are overloaded. If we could bring Loma Linda along with Reche Canyon, there would be a need for a new high school to be built probably in the Reche Canyon, Grand Terrace, Loma Linda area. Colton has another high school over in Bloomington so we know they can handle more than one. If this were to come to be, it would also bring probably an extra Board member onto the School Board and would shift the weight probably a little more this direction so that if there's things that we're unhappy with, we would have a larger voice on that Board of the School District. Again, it was mentioned about the school deficit of $14 billion dollars and we're throwing $6,500 dollars away on something that has already been checked, phone calls that have been made, and I would ask the Council also to vote against appropriating that money. Thank you." . el Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 11 Kathy Bowler, 22317 Van Buren, Grand Terrace; "I come to you tonight as a parent of two Colton High students and a freshman that will be coming in this next school year, so I will have three students there. My husband and I both graduated from Colton High and I was embarrassed as a citizen of Grand Terrace when I watched the meeting of June 13th and I read the article that was in the paper. Our time at Colton High has not always been perfect. We've had problems there and they've always been handled quickly and efficiently and we've been happy with the way things turned out. I dealt personally with Mr. Dissinger and always been happy with the way things turned out. I pray every night that my children will be good examples to their brothers and sisters, to the people in their community, and to the people that they deal with all the time, and I don't want to make them more narrow minded and only be examples to the people just right around them but to the people of this whole area and the school district. Thank you." Ron Wright, 22914 De Berry, i been expressed at several di everyone is familiar with m; but I would encourage the Coi at the previous Council meet to clear the air once and fc we can go from there. If it other alternatives. I thin4 meeting that expressed con( School, and I think those vi time, so I will not belabor the study, it may highlight not have been considered an around is where we would put high school. We may be ab ,rand Terrace; "I think my views have fferent Council meetings, and I think views so I won't belabor the issue, ncil to fund the study. I think that ing it was clear that this would tend all. If it is possible, fine, then 's not possible, then we will look for that there were people at the other erns about the Colton Joint Unified ?ws were adequately expressed the last the point there. The thing is, with lternatives and possibilities that may i the things that tend to get banded a high school. We may not even need a e to use existing facilities without additional expenditures, but we need professionals to do the study that are not biased, that are not tied to the City or tied to the school district or to the community. We need a professional, objective study. I think it would answer a lot of these questions once and for all. The other thing that I find at this forum is that opposing viewpoints can be openly addressed. There's been a lot of discussion about getting involved in the system, work with the system, try to evolve change through working with the system. Believe me, there have been a number of parents in this community that have tried that. We have attended a number of the School Board meetings. We tried to present our views at the School Board meetings. We've tried to address the School Board relative to certain financial issues and certain political issues involving the body politic of Colton - the influence and impact of planning issues in the City beyond just the educational issues, but always it's we're outsiders. We don't belong here. Why are you here? Also what I find most disgusting, when you talk at their forum, they're sitting there with a stopwatch and at five minutes you're up, but I don't see this here. This is an entirely different light Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 12 between here and down there, and I think what we're trying to achieve is local control - a voice in the action - some stake in the pie. My views may be unpopular, the other views may be unpopular to the other sides, but I think this is an alternative for once and for all to decide whether or not we can have a control in our school system and I think the money is well spent. Thank you." Councilmember Hilke , "I'd like to respond without getting into a debate. I have never said the information from the San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools would be biased. I have said that the study that was done in 1988 by the School District and information given by the School District was biased. I wanted to clarify that. I have never said anything derogatory until today. Things changed today. I've never said anything derogatory about any students or any Staff in the Colton School District. I have simply reported statistics that were given, not by myself, but by the School District, by the County, and by the State. I gave you charts and presentations that were presented by other people. I have never said that the elementary schools are dismal. I do not understand why the two Grand Terrace schools get less money than any other schools in the School District. One might prefer state ranking versus relative ranking. In state ranking, the elementarys do better. If you look at relative ranking in the Colton School District for elementarys, they do worse. So, if you take the one, you're going to look better at the high schools, if you take the other, you'll look better at the elementarys. It depends on which one you take and then you have multiple scores and you have to take each one individually. CAP scores are out this year because they didn't fund them and there are some new tests coming in. I'm concerned about what Ron said about new schools. I keep on hearing this new high school and I don't know where that's coming from. We have enough classrooms in this City to support the students we have. We import more students than we export. True, I'm not concerned with football as much as I am academics. Really, I'm not. Colton is not a charter City. It also relates to City school districts, like San Bernardino City Unified. It doesn't relate to Colton Joint Unified. We contacted Loma Linda. I talked to a couple of people over there. Tom Tillinghast indicated that Loma Linda is very much into private schools because they get involved with religion and those who don't like the private schools go to Redlands and the people I've talked to over there, there's no interest at all in splitting off from Redlands School District. This isn't a comfortable thing for me to do, but I have so many parents coming to me complaining about the results, and I see statistics showing the results that are so poor. I'm more concerned with finding examples, finding ways to improve the results. I'm not concerned with personalities or personnel, and I don't see any alternative. I have many inputs that say we want our own school, just look into it and that's my intentions. It's simply responding to a barrage of people asking to just look at our own school district." Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 13 Mayor Matteson, "Mr. Grant, would you read the letter we have received from the Superintendent?" Mayor Pro Tem Grant, "I think this is important that we share this letter from Mr. Herbert Fischer, the newly appointed Superintendent of the Colton Unified School District, with the Council and with the people in the audience. That's particularly pertinent in view of what appears to be, at least the possibility of less than maximum participation, on the part of the public at School Board sessions either because of or in spite of the previous Superintendent. So, I found this correspondence from Mr. Fischer to be quite refreshing and very positive. It reads as follows. It's addressed to the Council: As the newly appointed Superintendent of the Colton Unified School District, I am looking forward to meeting members of the Grand Terrace community, including the elected leadership. Within the first weeks of my arrival in the District, I have had the opportunity to meet with Councilmember Herman Hilkey, City Manager Tom Schwab, and Assistant Randy Anstine, and I look forward to visiting with the other Councilmembers as schedules permit. My background as an educator and resident of the San Bernardino area has provided me insight on the needs of local communities, and I, therefore, am very aware of the challenges that confront the Inland Empire, and I know that interagency cooperation is essential to address these issues. And then he concludes by saying, 'As previously indicated, I will be available to discuss common areas of concerns, and I look forward to this opportunity.' That's the letter and, Mr. Mayor, I'll have some comments to make as you recognize the different Councilmembers." Councilmember Carlstrom "I'd like to respond to a couple different letters that stated that we were passive in our views towards this thing and maybe the audio portion of the television and the meeting of 6/27 wasn't working, but, at that time, and it's recorded in the minutes, I stated that my belief is that the school district issue is creating a breach between the Colton Joint Unified School District and the City of Grand Terrace and I think that this dissension is harmful to the students. Now, I don't think that's a passive statement, and I support the Colton Joint Unified School District. I find no fault in it. If there is a majority of the citizens of Grand Terrace that want a study to check the r feasibility of providing us with a new high school, then it's my civic duty to go along with that, but I'm not doing that from the standpoint that I find fault with the Colton Joint Unified School r- District. We have some very capable leaders up there. We have a very positive School Board, and I want to cooperate with the school system in every way that I can. If that's being passive, then I Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 14 guess I'm passive or if I'm guilty, I'm guilty by association, but that's not my feeling. I do think that this has created a problem over the last two years, and I'd like to see the thing go away once and for all. If it costs $6,000, I thought maybe that's the easy way out, but I'm not so sure that we should spend that money because I went, I say, to this conference where we have a $14 billion dollar State deficit. They're telling us that if they shut down every public institution in the State of California this next year, that we would still have a $6 billiondeficit. Now, those are startling figures, and we're throwing $6,000, apparently, to the wind. And it was my understanding that the County Board of Education has a committee that will provide this information for us for free if we want it; however, when I called the County Superintendent of Schools to have a representation here at the last City Council meeting, they didn't have anybody they could send. So, I wanted somebody that we could bounce some questions off of to get some positive information. Here again, we didn't have that assistance last time. So, apparently we're hearing from the silent majority tonight and that's wondering why that's been so long in coming." Councilmember Christianson, "I originally was in support of the study because I thought once and for all we could answer the questions and each side could argue from an unbiased study and saying it's going to cost the citizens of Grand Terrace X amount of dollars for a new school district, but the public dissension on both sides that I've seen since our last meeting when we discussed it, I think, has changed my mind as a Councilman supporting this because I think it's tearing the community apart. I'm not sure that funding the study through the City is the way to go. I believe Ms. Patrick had an appropriate comment when she said there should be enough families out there who are in support of the study to fund it at this minimal cost. So, at this point, I'm not in favor of the study as far as the City funding it." Councilmember Hilkey, "The last City Council meeting the audience was full of those for the study and you heard a lot of testimony of people who have problems, especially with the high school, who had some faith in the elementary schools, some faith in the junior High, had a problem at the high school level. At that time, everybody was for the study. We needed to move on with it. Tonight, we've got some people that show up and it's not going to be an easy course. We ask what's incomplete about our school district, incomplete about our City, and we hear a couple of things. Number one we hear about is the retail area. The second thing we hear about is the high school. If we don't address it as a City and we don't hear the complaints from the citizens, then we do separate our town. Citizens who live in this tovin are leaving it because by the time the kids get to high school, they don't have faith in the system, and they want to leave. The problems of now and the ones who had the problem leave and we don't hear from them. They're the silent majority. They leave. They move out of Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 15 town. They walk with their feet and the survey we conducted a couple of years ago, even though it was not a scientific survey, the majority of people wanted you to look into forming its own school district. If we hold our position and get the study done, we'll know not only if the school district is possible, they'll also point out other things that maybe there's other alternatives available to answer the problem of a pre -collegiate or more academic oriented high school, but I think we need to remember what the audience looked like last meeting. I think some of you are forgetting what the audience looked like last meeting." Mayor Matteson, "I haven't forgotten all the people that were there. They must have lined up and took straws - you go one week and you go the next, but, anyway, I was appalled at the treatment that many of the parents were receiving when they were going to the School Board meetings. Lately, I've seen the tide changing. The letter Mr. Grant just read from the new Superintendent extending his hands out to talk to us, School Board member Wendy Curran attending the last couple of meetings, showing her interest and her concern, leads me to believe that maybe there is some room for negotiations. As Mr. Taylor pointed out, with these changes, maybe we should go back to the drawing table and see if there are some possibilities of working something out, and if there isn't, then we can always come back to this scenario. My feeling is that we should table this and see if there's possibilities of working something out with the School District and all the parents. Now, apparently we've been hearing from a vocal group, concerned parents, not just a few, quite a few, and tonight we're hearing from the other side. If you've been reading the newspaper, there'll be a letter in one day expressing one view, next day there's a letter expressing the other view. So, somewhere in the middle, there's got to be a solution. So, I would support tabling this and seeing if we can't work something out, and then if we can't or if the parents can't and they're not satisfied, then we can always come back to this situation." Mayor Pro Tem Grant, "I've indicated in the past that I experienced conflicting mood swings on this kind of a issue. This is one of the areas in which you have to take a position and you cannot straddle the fence. As background, again, for those of you who haven't heard it, I felt that the 1988 study was an adequate study. I don't believe it was biased. I had confidence in City Staff who conducted the study. Once the recommendation was made and the observations were provided, I was satisfied to put this to rest. That's the first thing that I've said before. The second thing that I've said before is that my daughter is a graduate of Colton High School. It's been quite a few years now. Pat knows her. She's no worse for wear as a result of that experience. I have talked to her. She thought it rather strange. 'Why are you talking to me about Colton High all of a sudden?' I said, well, I need probably the best input I can get from anybody. I never attended Colton High. My wife never did but my kid did, so I Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 16 talked to her about it. There were bad days, there were good days, but she went through the whole ball of wax. She went through every school in Grand Terrace. She went through Colton High. She graduated, and she's doing quite well, and I'm proud of her. So, the experience of seeing how well she did and my observation of the 1988 study, while it was not a sophisticated, in the sense or professional in the sense that it was not a paid consultant who specialized in these things, I feel it was certainly an adequate study, and it certainly satisfied me as a layman on the subject as to the feasibility. I recognize, and if anyone has had the opportunity to read this response to the request for proposals from this particular vendor, he's basicly saying he's going to kind of provide a broad brush stroke to the issue of the educational process within this district. I get the impression that they're not going to be specific recommendations relative to things that have been pointed out by some of the folks not only tonight, but previous occasions. I think one of the most crucial things, though, that has affected my thinking, is the thing that I didn't until I walked up to my little office here in the Council building, and I read this letter from Mr. Fischer. Now, he does not refer specifically to this problem, this controversy, but here's an individual who's saying, 'Hey, I'm the Superintendent. I may not be a member of the School Board, but I have a lot to say because I am the Superintendent. The School Board must have faith in me. They hired me. Therefore, I do have some influence. Therefore, I want to look at things objective. I want to start fresh with all the communities - Bloomington, Colton, Grand Terrace and all the unincorporated areas.' I thought that this was a breath of fresh air. This guy doesn't seem to have an ax to grind. He's new. He's the new guy on the block. Someway, somehow Mr. Fischer should be given an opportunity to show that there can be substantive changes in the way our children in Grand Terrace are educated. This is very important to me because I'd like to see the success of my daughter carry on with the children that are now getting ready to go to Colton High. So, you know Mr. Mayor, again I felt that the study would put this issue to bed once and for all. I said that two years ago. I thought that the informal study would put the issue to bed once and for all. It did not. I'm gratified that the vendor that you recommended is $500 cheaper. Table it. I think that's a good idea. Let's get together with Herbert R. Fischer. We've had a School Board member get up tonight and make some very valid statements. Let's get together. Let's reason together. We can do this again. This is not over with. If it turns to be wrong, then we can bring it back. There's no statute of limitations on this. If we're not happy, we can bring it back. I think the Mayor's recommendation is good. I think we should give the School District. They know we're upset. They know this community's upset, but we want to be darn sure of what it is we're upset about. So, let's sit down, figuratively speaking, with Mr. Fischer and his Staff and whoever on the Council. First of all, I think Ron Wright's statement about the limitations of the meetings of the School Board does have some merit. I'm proud of the fact Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 17 that this Council has never had that time restriction. Now, maybe the press of business precludes them allowing more time although I question that. I think they ought to have a better opportunity. The citizens who pay the taxes ought to have more than having to look at someone's watch to hurry up, but, all in all, I think that we should give the School District a little bit more time to maybe resolve the problems. And let's face it, we will save $6,000. So, at this time, Mr. Mayor, I'm still ambivalent about the issue, but I do not feel that we are serving the youngsters in this community well by rushing head long into this thing at this point because, again, we've had a study. I've had personal experience with success of that high school. Again, maybe if I had another kid and she had gone through, she'd have been a failure, I don't know, but all I know is it worked out." Mayor Matteson, "I just noticed that another School Board member, Pat Nix, is also sitting up there in the audience. That shows me some concern. So, the Chair's going to make a motion to table this survey until we make another attempt at working the problems out with the School District." Councilmember Hilkey, "Do you have a time frame? I think we owe it to those who put an effort in to put a time frame, put a monument ahead of us. To look at it at a set time." Mayor Matteson, "If your committee or your group of people would draw up some type of grievance paper, I will personally take it and discuss it with the Superintendent and see if we can't work out the concerns of everybody involved. I think if we get two people that are not emotionally involved, we might come up with some solutions and bring it back to you. It is hard to put a number of days on it. It depends on what your concerns are. Whether your concerns takes 30 days or six months." Councilmember Hilke , "Are you suggesting that we put together a list o concerns and change requests?" Mayor Matteson, "Whatever you feel. Whatever else's on your mind. Write it down. Give it to me. I will make an appointment with the Superintendent of Schools and sit down and discuss it with him and that'll be a starting point. Let's do that. If we can work something out, satisfy both sides, then we're better off for it." Councilmember Hilkey, "I'm going to lose this, so I've got to go along with it whether I like it or not. There's two concerns I have, and they both relate to time. The first is the children who are looking at what they feel is unacceptable atmosphere over the next couple of years are going to lose six months by the action you're taking tonight. Secondly, they will form a committee. And on that committee will be people who, as in the past they always pick committees and we found out later in the newspaper that they had a parent committee, I'm concerned if they form a committee, Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 18 who's on that committee. Typically school districts form committees." Mayor Matteson, "Well, I think that it only makes common sense that when you form a committee that you have people that represent both avenues of thought so that you come up with something that's workable for both sides rather than one side because if you go one-sided, you're going to end up right where we are right now. So, it has to be something that's workable. So, let's do that, and we'll take from there and discuss it as we go along. Ninety days. We'll take that as a target date and see what we work out." City Manager Schwab, "That would be the second meeting in October." Councilmember Hilke , "We need you to put it well in front of the e ection or well after the School Board election." Mayor Matteson, "Well, it all depends on what your requirements are. We cant give you a date until we see what you're looking at. There are certain things that can't be turned around in a couple of months, but you will have information before that because I will meet with the Superintendent shortly after I get the concern letter. By the October 24th meeting. I mean I'll report to you after our meeting as we go along. I won't wait until October." Councilmember Hilkey, "O.K. By October 24th." CC-91-120 MOTION BY MAYOR MATTESON, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM GRANT, CARRIED 4-1 (COUNCILMEMBER HILKEY VOTED NO), to table the awarding of a contract to conduct a feasibility study regarding the possible establishment of a Grand Terrace School District until the October 24, 1991 City Council Meeting. NEW BUSINESS 8A. Annual Levy of Assessment - FY 1991-92, City of Grand Terrace Landscaping and Lighting District 89-1 CC-91-121 MOTION BY MAYOR MATTESON, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER CARLSTROM, CARRIED 5-0, to adopt the Resolution ordering the preparation of plans, specifications, cost estimate, diagram, assessment and report for proceeding for the annual assessment levy after formation of a District; to adopt the Resolution approving the Engineer's Report regarding the City Council's intention to provide for an annual levy and collection of assessments for maintenance in an existing Landscaping and Lighting District; and to adopt the Council Minutes - 7/16/91 Page 19 Resolution relating the intention of the City to set the Public Hearing for Thursday, August 8, 1991, at 6:00 p.m. 8B. A Resolution Providing for Final Approval of Lease Agreements in Connection with the Issuance by the Grand Terrace Public Financin Authority of Not to Exceed 5 0 00 Principal Amount of 1991 Lease -Purchase RevRue Bonds, Series A, and Providing Oth9r Matters Properly Relating Thereto A Resolution_ Authorizing the Issuance of Not to Exceed $3,500,000 Principal Amount of 1991 Lease -Purchase Revenue Bonds. Series A. Authorizing and Directing Execution of an Indenture of trust and Lease Agreements, uthorizin the Sale of Bonds Approvin5 UT ic1a Statement and Providing Other Matters Properly Relatinq Thereto A Resolution Pledging as Additional Security Monies Credited to the Motor Vehicle License Fee Account in the Transportation Tax Fund Established Pursuant to Sectivo= 001 of the Revenue and Taxation CC-91-122 MOTION BY MAYOR MATTESON, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER CARLSTROM, CARRIED 5-0, to adopt the Resolutions relating to Lease Agreements between the City of Grand Terrace and the Public Financing Authority and the issuance of lease -purchase bonds, Series A, with the stipulation that the bond issue will return to Council should the interest rate exceed 8% and with the deletion of improvements to Pico Park. ORDER OF ADJOURNMENT Mayor Matteson adjourned the City Council meeting at 8:00 p.m., until the next regular CRA/City Council meeting, which is scheduled to be held on Thursday, July 25, 1991. Deputy City Clerk of the(City of Grand Terrace J