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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021_02_16 - RegularMINUTES Regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Redlands and the special meeting of the Board of Directors of the Successor Agency of the former Redevelopment Agency of the City of Redlands held in tie Council Chambers, Civic Center, 35 Cajon Street, on February 16, 2021 at 5 00 P M Present Staff Paul Banch, Mayor Eddie Tejeda, Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Foster, Council Member Denise Davis, Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, Council Member Charles M Duggan, Jr , City Manager, Dan McHugh, City Attorney, Robert Dawes, City Treasurer, Jeanne Donaldson, City Clerk, Carl Baker, Public Information Officer, Chris Catren, Police Chief, Danielle Garcia, Management Services/Finance Director, Chns Boatman, Facilities and Community Services Director, Brian Desatnik, Development Services Director, Jim Topoleski, Fire Chief, John Harris, Municipal Utilities and Engineenng Director, Janice McConnell, Assistant City Manager This was conducted as a teleconference meeting in the City Council Chambers, Civic Center, 35 Cajon Street, Redlands, California Mayor Pro Tempore Tejeda and Council Members Foster, Davis and Guzman -Lowery were present via teleconferencing All votes during the meetings were conducted by roll call In compliance with public health recommendations to limit public gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic and acting as the City of Redlands Emergency Services Director, City Manager Charles M Duggan Jr , directed meetings of the City Council/Successor Agency of the former Redevelopment Agency of the City of Redlands be closed to the public until further notice or until the current local State of Emergency has been lifted The City Council will continue to meet to conduct essential business Public comments, up to 250 words and received by 5 00 P M the day before the meeting, were read aloud by the City Clerk Mayor Banch called the meeting to order at 5 00 P M and a quorum was established PUBLIC COMMENT No public comments related to Closed Session agenda items were received by 5 00 P M the day before the meeting CLOSED SESSION Conference with legal counsel Existing Litigation - Government Code §54956 9(d)(1) (City Attorney McHugh) One Case a Grievance arbitration administrative proceeding of Redlands Police Officers Association (RPOA) CC_Special SA_February 16, 2021 Page 1 Conference with real property negotiators - Government Code §54956 8 (Facilities and Community Services Director Boatman) Property APNs 0170-201-31-0000 and 0170-181-49-0000 Agency Negotiators Charles M Duggan Jr , Chris Boatman Negotiating Party Came Schindler, San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), Jason Doyle, University of Redlands (UofR) Under Negotiation Consideration of a proposed License Agreement to operate and maintain a parking lot for community rail use on real property, and accompanying Operations and Maintenance Agreement to implement the same RECONVENE CITY COUNCIL MEETING The meeting reconvened at 6 00 P M with an invocation by Council Member Guzman -Lowery followed by the pledge of allegiance to the American flag CLOSED SESSION REPORT City Attorney McHugh announced that no reportable action was taken during the closed session PUBLIC COMMENT Comments received by 5 00 P M the day before the meeting were read into the public record Comments related to specific agenda items are incorporated into the item discussion Fencing & Measure T Funds - Dennis Bell wondered if the City went through the proper channels and was granted a waiver from the Planning Commission's Minor Exception Committee before installing a tall barbed wire topped chain link fence around its property on Redlands Blvd between Tennessee and Kansas Streets He also questioned whether Measure 'T' monies would be used to pay for maintenance and security of the downtown station, the parking structure and University Station? Various Perspectives of Council Member Actions - Edward Ferrari, Karen Brandon and Kendall Green insisted that Mayor Pro Tem Tejeda apologize to Council Member Davis during the meeting, while Valene Roach offered specific steps of how to accomplish a formal apology in a public forum Ross French saw the current model for selecting the Mayor as somewhat broken, and thought the mayoral selection proposal by Council Member Davis was about fairness, transparency and giving all a chance to lead, as it should be Karen Brandon and Kathy Feeley, urged for the Council to adopt a code of conduct before the summer, with real consequences that would demonstrate their seriousness in protecting the integrity of the council and provide enforceable sanctions Samantha Trad pushed the Council to respect each other enough to hold one another accountable and find a way to work together Kathy Feeley believed the City's leadership has failed to publicly address the problem of sexist and slanderous misconduct and misuse of the dais Tracy Wise was worried about the stability and effectiveness of the Council at this time, and she urged for all of them to dial back on the emotional rhetoric, including any calls for members to resign, and she suggested the possibility of bringing in a mediator for a constructive, honest, and forthright conversation, so their work can move forward Dr Tracy Lowenthal said personal attacks were distasteful, unprofessional, and she recommended the Council engage in significant training in this area to avoid further damage Urging for transparency, accountability and inclusion, John Roach felt many residents were being underrepresented, and he was disappointed the minutes from the last Council meetings minimized CC_Special SA_February 16, 2021 Page 2 public comments by grouping them together under one topic and were written with a slanted view, so he encouraged residents to listen to the recorded meetings for themselves Valerie Roach was disheartened that the Council appears to be sweeping past the "elephant" in the room with Mayor Pro Tem Tejeda's personal attacks on Council Member Davis Kendall Green said Mr Tejeda berated Ms Davis for personal reasons that should have been addressed with her outside the public realm Lorraine Enriquez, of the Redlands Area Democratic Club, reiterated the group's stance that all citizens should have input the next time a mayor is selected and just because one disagrees with a proposal or an idea, doesn't make one homophobic, and she offered up the idea of the Club hosting a forum, so the community could begin to heal Those who expressed support for Mr Tejeda, included Toni Momberger, Ryan Harsch, Ana McNaughton, Mario Saucedo, Eddie Sanchez and Jesus Medinato Ms Momberger added that she knew Mr Tejeda to be an ally and advocate for the LGBTQIA community and for women Dc Lozano did not agree with past claims that Mr Tejeda was homophobic or misogynistic and the "fight" over what equity is or isn't, should not be about who is mayor but instead, should be about how to work to make the community stronger for all its residents and not about spreading harmful narratives Those urging for an investigation of Ms Davis and charges she made against a private citizen included Sara Lee, Kris Goodfellow, Prrya Vedula, Andrea Vega and an anonymous speaker Michael Milan President of the Inland Empire Chapter of Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO, suggested there was a pattern of harassment and bullying by a City official unfairly directed at one of their members, in the form of false allegations of stalking Mario Saucedo was disappointed to see the recent unrest within the council body, and he thought that Council Member Davis attempted to rush her proposal of the mayoral selection without the support of the greater community and only obtained support from within a circle of personal supporters Dianne Landeros pointed out this was a time of great divisiveness in our country, and she implored the Council to work together in the spirit of cooperativeness and commonality of goal, without vindictive attempts to force the resignation of fellow council members Eddie Sanchez stated Council Member Tejeda has been involved in the community and has brought the voice of those who live in Distnct 2 to the Council Kris Goodfellow provided background of what she said were baseless allegations made by Ms Davis against a private citizen Ivan Ramirez claimed Ms Davis made false accusations against his character, and he added that growth comes when we extend a hand to raise people up Prrya Vedula offered her personal expenences with Ms Davis and stated she was a victim of harassment Andrea Vega said as a community organizer, she has seen the effects of Council Member Denise Davis' actions Bhavin Jindal stated it was unfortunate to see the facts surrounding an event be misconstrued despite there being multiple witnesses Elizabeth Thomas admitted she did not know either Mayor Pro Tem Eddie Tejeda or Council Member Denise Davis, but after review of prior Council meetings, she thought it was truly unfortunate that Ms Davis felt compelled to make claims of being "oppressed" and chooses to act like a victim CONSENT CALENDAR Minutes On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the minutes of the regular meeting of February 2, 2021 Vote 5 - 0 Passed CC_Special SA_February 16, 2021 Page 3 Boards, Commissions, Committees and Outside Agencies Assignments On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the City Council Liaison assignments to the 2021 City's Boards, Commissions, Committees and Outside Agencies as presented in the staff report Vote. 5 - 0 Passed MOU Redlands Police Community Foundation On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, a Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Redlands and the Redlands Police Community Foundation to extend the deadline to expend the designated police donations from the original deadline of December 3, 2021, for an additional thirty-six months for the various youth programs and an additional ten years for the Police Crimes Reward fund Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Grant Acceptance Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, a grant agreement to accept a grant award in the amount of $244,500 from the Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery for the purchase and installation of a steel canopy at the Redlands Household Hazardous Waste site, and approved an additional appropriation of the same Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Joint Defense Agreement SBC Fire Agencies On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, a Joint Defense Agreement with one or more other San Bernardino County fire agencies in connection with the Inland Counties Emergency Management Agency's appeal of the California Emergency Medical Services Authority's denial of the 2017 Emergency Medical Services Plan Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Collection Services Agreement On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, an Agreement for collection services with RSI Enterprises, Inc related to miscellaneous accounts receivable and delinquent utility bilking accounts at least 90 days old after the date of service Approval of this agreement will authorize RSI Enterprises, Inc to initiate services on the City's behalf at a lower collection fee Vote: 5 - 0 Passed CC_Special SA_February 16, 2021 Page 4 Resolution No 8167 Outside City Utility Connection On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously determined, by roll call vote, that approval of the Resolution is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Sections 15303(a) and 15319(b) of the State's guidelines implementing the California Environment Quality Act, and approved Resolution No 8167 determmmg that Outside City Case No 21-01, applied for by Ensen Mason for outside City sewer connection for 2005 East Citrus Avenue, is consistent with the City of Redlands General Plan and that the public health, safety, and welfare interests of the citizens of Redlands are best served by processing the application and preparing a pre -annexation agreement Vote 5 - 0 Passed Inland Housing Solutions Second Amendment On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the Second Amendment to the Subcontractor Agreement with Inland Temporary Homes, dba Inland Housing Solutions for the provision of services under the Homeless Emergency Aid Program (HEAP) Grant Previously, the City and Inland Temporary Homes dba Inland Housing Solutions entered into an agreement for the City's rapid re -housing and motel vouchers provider This amendment will adjust for the portion of the recapture that applies to their sub -award in the amount of $60,555 The balance of the recapture ($37,012) will be adjusted from other line items within the overall HEAP budget The City remains on track for expending the balance of the HEAP grant funds and meeting its clients served metrics by May 31, 2021 Vote• 5 - 0 Passed COMMUNICATIONS Video Series Working for You Public Information Officer Baker introduced the first of two videos highlighting City of Redlands employees and how their work benefits Redlands' residents The series, entitled, "Working for You Making Redlands a Better Place," will highlight one employee each month, from various departments and divisions, specifically descnbing how that employee's job fits into the larger mission of the City to improve residents' lives and make Redlands a better place to live The videos tonight featured Armando Valles, Hillside Memorial Cemetery Manager and Dave Jaffe, Recreation Coordinator Mr Baker commended Cheryl Williams, Mutimedia Production Coordinator, for her efforts in filming and producing such quality videos COVID-19 Update Fire Chief Topoleski reviewed relevant statistics and a response matrix, as of January 2021, related to the City, first responders and the COVID-19 pandemic Currently, the Fire Department is working closely with community partners including Redlands Community Hospital, Redlands Unified School District and Esri to assist with the development of plans to open additional COVID-19 vaccination sites The goal is to reach 2,000 vaccinations a day across the various sites, but is dependent upon vaccination distribution The plan is looking to have pharmacies and health insurance companies take a more active role in vaccinating the public, as well To date, 260,000 vaccinations have been administered County wide CC_Special SA_February 16, 2021 Page 5 Mid -Year General Fund Budget Review Management Services/Finance Director Garcia briefly introduced the item as a way to look back and report on the end of the prior fiscal year and assess the General Fund revenue and spending in the current fiscal year City Manager Duggan provided an overview of the Mid -Year Budget review FY 2020-21 including a look at the budget developed for FY 2019-20, explaining that in February of 2020, the City estimated a surplus of $624,374, but with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, budget estimates were revised Towards the end of FY 2019-20, each department made significant spending reductions, priontized critical services only and held off on hiring additional staff in response to dramatic declines in revenue projections that were forecast, with budget cuts totaling over $8 million Moving forward to today, the economy remained stronger than forecast, and in December 2020, the City was able to add back certain positions The Mid -Year recommendations included adjustments in departmental expenditures that allow for the rehiring of critical positions, provide for the purchase of vital public safety equipment, and accommodate the additional spending needed to implement COVID-19 related safety measures After restoration of these cuts, the estimated single year surplus is $226,142 Even with this mid -year budget doing much better than expected, he said it was important to point out there are still cuts not reversed at over $5 7 million or 70% of the cuts made Ms Garcia reviewed FY 2019-20, summarized where the City ended at June 30, 2020 and presented more detail and explanation of the General Fund revenues and expenditures from July 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021 More adjustments will occur dunng the next several months as departments prepare their FY 2021-22 budget requests and receive additional data that may require revisions to various estimates for the year ending June 30, 2021 Council Member Foster congratulated City Manager Duggan and Ms Garcia for their well organized and thoughtful presentation He had no issue with the recommendations but did raise questions concerning Measure T funds For the March 2 Council meeting and as a way to remind the Council, he requested staff prepare a list of the positions and services that were onginally cut last year and how much of Measure T money will be put towards restoring those cuts On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, to continue consideration of the Mid -Year General Fund Budget Review for Fiscal Year 2020-21 to the next Regular Meeting of the City Council scheduled for March 2, 2021, at 6 00 p m Vote. 5 - 0 Passed NEW BUSINESS FY 2021-2022 CDBG Program Janet Miller, of Development Services, presented the staff recommendations for the FY 2021-22 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Program Seven applications were initially received, however, two applicants voluntarily withdrew their requests Five applicants remained with requests totaling $70,000 and staff is recommending funding the five requests at $12,200 each One application for a CIP project to rehabilitate and provide compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements of up to three restroom buildings at Sylvan Park is also recommended The following projects include, Sylvan Park Restroom Rehabilitation Project - $345,739, Boys and Girls Club of Greater Redlands -Riverside - Youth Services Program - $12,200, YMCA East Valley - Legal Aid Program - $12,200, Steps 4 Life - Rapid Re -Housing Program - $12,200, San Bernardino Sexual Assault Services - Supportive Services for Victims of Violence - $12,200, Family Service Association - Senior Nutrition Program - $12,200 CC_Special SA_February 16, 2021 Page 6 As public comment, Paula Salcido, YMCA of the East Valley Attorney/Legal Aid Director, recapped the successes of the program and thanked the City for their ongoing support and partnership to serve the community members in need who are dealing with increased stressors, including housing issues, debt collection, family support and custody, and probate issues that arise after death of family members Joy Joedes, Boys & Girls Clubs Development Director, explained the club has been providing hope and opportunity to the youth, ages 5 to 18, in the Inland Empire for over 50 years with a wide range of programs, such as Power Hour, an integral part of making sure kids get their schoolwork done, and she expressed appreciation for the City's support On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously directed, by roll call vote, staff to prepare the FY 2021-2022 Cooperating City Recommended Project Form using the recommendation outlined in this report and submit it to the County of San Bernardino, Community Development and Housing Division prior to the March 1, 2021 deadline, and authorized staff to make any necessary minor adjustments to the final awards in the event the FY 2021-2022 final allocation is more or less than the planning estimate, and authorized the City Manager to execute the FY 2021-2022 Community Development Block Grant Subrecipient Agreements with the public service agencies once the final allocation is released Vote• 5 - 0 Passed Cooperative Use Amendment San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water Municipal Utilities and Engineenng Director Harris introduced an amendment to the Agreement for the Cooperative Use of the San Bernardino Avenue Well for Unused Well Capacity, use of the Texas Grove Reservoir and use of the Central Feeder with San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water, explaining it allows continued usage of the San Bernardino Avenue Well as originally outlined in the expired Agreement for the purpose of supplying water to the City's water distnbution system, and proposes no substantive revisions to the original Agreement The Amendment avoids the need to construct additional water infrastructure On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously determined, by roll call vote, that approval of the agreement is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State's Guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, and approved Amendment No 2 to the Agreement for the Cooperative Use of the San Bernardino Avenue Well for Unused Well Capacity, use of the Texas Grove Reservoir and use of the Central Feeder with San Bernardino Valley Municipal Water Vote• 5 - 0 Passed Engineering Services Amendment Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Protect Municipal Utilities and Engineering Director Harass provided background of the Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and staffs efforts to identify critical WWTP needs He reviewed the First Amendment to the Agreement with Parsons Water & Infrastructure, Inc for professional services to engineer the Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project - Phase 2 The current agreement with Parsons will expire on March 5, 2021 and in order to ensure engineering continuity and reduce the risk for the City, the scope of work within this agreement must be expanded to include the additional Phase 2 tasks, and the agreement must be extended through December 2022 Additionally, the professional services fee must be revised The existing agreement fee of $2,867,552 must be increased to $6,374,868, an increase of $3,507,316, for the additional Phase 2 engineering services CC_Special SA_February 16, 2021 Page 7 On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously determined, by roll call vote, approval of the Amendment to the Agreement is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State's guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, approved the First Amendment to the Agreement with Parsons Water & Infrastructure, Inc for professional services to engineer the Wastewater Treatment Plant Improvement Project - Phase 2, and approved an additional appropriation in the amount of $3,507,316 from the Wastewater fund Vote. 5 - 0 Passed Grant Acceptance Highway Safety Improvement Program Municipal Utilities and Engineenng Director Harris detailed the Highway Safety Improvement Program grant monies and an agreement with AGA Engineers, Inc for engineering services to complete the design phase of the project to install emergency vehicle preemption devices on traffic signals throughout the City AGA Engineers, Inc was determined to be the most qualified consultant for this phase of the project and City staff negotiated a reasonable engineering services fee not -to -exceed $121,500 On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously determined, by roll call vote, acceptance of the Highway Safety Improvement Program (HSIP) grant, and approval of the agreement with AGA Engineers, Inc to perform engineenng services, are exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State's Guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, accepted the HSIP grant, in the amount of $1,188,000, and approved the Agreement with AGA Engineers, Inc in the amount not -to -exceed $121,500 for engineering services to complete the design phase of the project Vote. 5 - 0 Passed SBCTA Operations and Maintenance Agreement Council Member Davis recused herself from this item due to her source of income relationship with the University of Redlands Facilities and Community Services Department Director Boatman explained the need for an Operations and Maintenance Agreement with the San Bernardino California Transportation Authority (SBCTA) for the City's maintenance and security obligations at the University Station relating to the Redlands Passenger Rail Project He added that upon completion of the RPRP, there will be three commuter rail stations within the City The Esn station located at Redlands Boulevard and New York Street, the downtown station, located on Orange Street, and the University Station located near University Street and Park Avenue Esn will provide security and maintenance for the Esn station The City agreed to maintain the downtown Station and University parking lot under a Cooperative Agreement with San Bernardino Associated Governments (now known as SBCTA) dated October 1, 1996 The agreement addresses responsibilities for maintenance and security and will ensure stations are safe and well maintained, including the following terms SBCTA is responsible to reimburse City for costs associated with maintenance and security for an initial 2 years, City is responsible for 100% of costs after the initial 2 years Level of security will be re -assessed after 18 months, Detention Basin - SBCTA proposes that for the initial 2 years, SBCTA will reimburse the City for costs associated with maintenance After the initial 2 years, SBCTA proposes the following cost -share with the City as lead 59% City, 25% SBCTA, 16% University, and a License Agreement for Right of Way CC_Special SA_February 16, 2021 Page 8 On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously determined, by roll call vote, that approval of the agreement is not subject to environmental review pursuant to Section 15162 of the State's guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Ac, and approved an Operations and Maintenance Agreement with the San Bernardino California Transportation Authority for the City's maintenance and security obligations at the University Station relating to the Redlands Passenger Rail Project Vote 4 - 0 Passed Other Council Member Denise Davis (RECUSE) ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 8 04 P M in memory of longtime community volunteer Kay Mason, who will be greatly missed Mayor Barich also announced the City's loss of Dr Amos Isaac, a retired educator and lifelong community leader The next regular meeting of the City of Redlands City Council will be held on March 2, 2021 SUCCESSOR AGENCY OF THE FORMER REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF REDLANDS Chairman Barich called the special meeting of the Successor Agency Board of Directors to order PUBLIC COMMENT No public comments related to the special meeting of the Board of Directors was received by 5 00 P M the day before the meeting CONSENT CALENDAR Minutes On motion of Board Member Tejeda, seconded by Board Member Davis, the minutes of the regular meeting of February 2, 2021 were unanimously approved by roll call vote Vote 5 - 0 Passed Resolution No 491 Release of Contractual Rights On motion of Board Member Tejeda, seconded by Board Member Davis, Board Members determined by roll call vote that this resolution is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State's guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, and approved Resolution No 491 releasing certain contractual rights affecting real property located at 330 Orange Street Vote 5 - 0 Passed CC_Special SA_February 16, 2021 Page 9 ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency adjourned at 8 06 P M The next regular meeting of the Agency will be held on March 2, 2021 CC_Special SA_February 16, 2021 Page 10