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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021_10_19 - RegularMINUTES Regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Redlands held in the Council Chambers, Civic Center, 35 Cajon Street, on October 19, 2021 at 5 00 P M Present Staff Paul Barich, 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, Chris Boatman, Facilities and Community Services Director, Brian Desatnik, Development Services Director, Jim Topoleski, Fire Chief, John Harris, Municipal Utilities and Engineering Director, Janice McConnell, Assistant City Manager Mayor Barich called the meeting to order and offered those present the opportunity to provide public comment on any item on the agenda for the closed session PUBLIC COMMENT None forthcoming CLOSED SESSION Conference with labor negotiator - Government Code §54957 6 (Assistant City Manager McConnell) Agency Negotiators Unrepresented Employee Mayor Barich and Mayor Pro Tem Tejeda City Manager 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 Amencan flag CLOSED SESSION REPORT City Attorney McHugh announced that no reportable action was taken during the closed session PRESENTATIONS Proclamation Redlands Restorative Pathways Community CC_October 19, 2021 Page 1 Council Member Davis presented a Proclamation to representatives of the Redlands Restorative Pathways Community group for their efforts to build bridges between polarized groups and individuals and provide opportunities for respectful discourse and mutual understanding Their mission includes supporting training that encourages individuals to try and understand each other's point of view and find common ground and ways to work together, supporting principles that bring people together rather than divide PUBLIC COMMENT Rail Protect Issues - Marcos Vmgochec, owner of Excel Automotive, described the difficulties his business has faced as a direct result of the rail project, and he was concerned that the SBCTA has not addressed his complaints Council Members recommended he speak directly to Tim Watkins, of SBCTA, who was present in the audience CONSENT CALENDAR Minutes On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously approved minutes of the regular meeting of October 5, 2021, and special meeting minutes of September 29, 2021, and September 30, 2021 Vote. 5 - 0 Passed Planning Commission Appointment On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously appointed Rosemarie Gonzales to serve the remainder of a four-year term on the Planning Commission ending January 6, 2022 Vote 5 - 0 Passed Proclamation Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously approved the issuance of a Proclamation declaring October 24-30, 2021 as Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Week Vote• 5 - 0 Passed Proclamation Redlands Restorative Pathways Community On motion of Council Member Denise Davis, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved issuance of a Proclamation recognizing the Redlands Restorative Pathways Community Vote. 5 - 0 Passed CC_October 19, 2021 Page 2 Resolution No 8256 Cost Recovery On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously approved Resolution No 8256, designating the City's authonzed agents for cost recovery purposes for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Management (CalOES) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Vote. 5 - 0 Passed Fire Station Bay Doors Purchase On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously approved a Non -Professional Services Agreement with National Garage Door in the amount of $197,875 for the purchase and installation of bay doors at Fire Station 261 Vote 5 - 0 Passed CONFIRE Independent Contractor Agreement On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously approved the Independent Contractor Agreement with the Consolidated Fire Agencies Joint Power Authority for technical operational services Vote• 5 - 0 Passed Revel Big Bear Marathon Event On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously determined that the approval of the request is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the state's guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, and approved the request for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages on East San Bernardino Avenue at Dearborn Street dunng the Revel Big Bear Marathon to be held on November 13, 2021 Vote 5 - 0 Passed Settlement Agreement Disclosure On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously approved the public disclosure of details of an Agreement of Settlement and Release of Claims between A Cisneros, Trustee of the Bankruptcy Estate of Gina Ruan and Santos Ruan (Plaintiff), Softscapes the Art of Landscaping (Defendant), FPA6 Sunset View, LLC (Defendant), and the City of Redlands (Defendant) to settle and dispose of disputes and controversies associated with San Bernardino Superior Court CIVDS 1910501 and United States Bankruptcy Court for the Central District of California, Riverside Division Case No 6 18-bk-18347-WJ Vote 5 - 0 Passed CC_October 19, 2021 Page 3 Resolution No 8227 Small Claims Court Representatives On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously approved Resolution No 8227, appointing Small Claims Court Representatives to act for the City of Redlands and on the City's behalf and rescinding Resolution No 7889 Vote 5 - 0 Passed Office of Traffic Safety Grant Award On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously approved an agreement with the Office of Traffic Safety relating to the distribution of a grant award in an amount not -to -exceed $103,000, authorized the Chief of Police to sign and execute agreements implementing the grant, and approved an additional appropriation of the same Vote 5 - 0 Passed Final Map Tract No. 20257 On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously approved the Tract No 20257 Final Map prepared and submitted by Lennar Homes of California, Inc Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Public Land Surveying Professional Services Agreements On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously determined that approval of the Agreements is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State's Guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, approved a Professional Services Agreement with Hicks & Hartwick, Inc to provide Professional Land Surveying field services and administrative plan review services in an amount not -to -exceed $75,000, and approved the Professional Services Agreement with CASC Engineering and Consulting, Inc to provide Professional Land Surveying field services and administrative plan review services in an amount not -to -exceed $75,000 Vote 5 - 0 Passed Cellular Tower Lease Site On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously determined that approval of the request to co -locate facilities on an existing cellular tower lease site at the Dearborn Reservoir site is exempt from environmental review under Section 15061(b)(3) of the State's guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act, and approved Crown Castle's co -location of facilities on an existing cellular tower lease site at the Dearborn Reservoir site Vote 5 - 0 Passed CC_October 19, 2021 Page 4 Resolution No 8267 Intent to Vacate On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Paul Foster, the City Council unanimously approved Resolution No 8267, declaring the City Council's intention to vacate a portion of right-of-way of New York Street, consisting of approximately 415 linear feet of public nght-of-way adjacent to the frontage of the parcels identified as 370 - 404 New York Street in the Administrative Professional (A-P) District and situated within the ESRI campus, at the request of NYS, LLC The proposed vacation of public right-of-way is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines Vote• 5 - 0 Passed COMMUNICATIONS Redlands Rail Proiect/Arrow Train Update Public Information Officer Baker introduced Tim Watkins, of San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA), who provided an update on Redlands Passenger Rail Project and Arrow Train testing Over the course of the two-year construction project, SBCTA has mstalled 9 miles of new rail, built 4 new train stations and street crossings at the Downtown Station, Arrow platform and Orange Street crossing, Alabama Street grade crossing, Redlands University Station, Redlands ESRI Station and N Eureka Street grade crossing He provided relevant facts concerning the train and track testing, explaining that prior to service starting m 2022, the new tracks need to be tested He offered several safety tips to keep in mind during the testing phase and highlighted the work of the SBCTA outreach team, who will be providing train testing/rail safety collateral to the public, mcluding door hangers to residences and businesses along the corridor, posters to downtown businesses, digital flyers shared with the City, school district and several other organizations Operations are expected to begin mid-2022, with Metrolink operating the Arrow Video Series Working for You Public Information Officer Baker presented a new video from the video senes "Working for You Making Redlands a Better Place " This month's video highlighted Shannon Simmers, Regulatory Compliance Officer Filming and production work was performed by Cheryl Williams, Multimedia Production Coordinator NEW BUSINESS First Amendment West Coast Arbonst Agreement Facilities and Community Services Director Boatman reviewed the First Amendment to the Agreement with West Coast Arbonst, Inc to amend the total compensation and increase the total annual compensation of the first term to $1,500,000 and $1,000,000 for each consecutive term for a total amount not to exceed $3,500,000 for the life of the agreement The performance of the work is contingent on the approved City budget for subsequent fiscal years CC_October 19, 2021 Page 5 On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously determined that approval of the First Amendment to the Non -Professional Services 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 the First Amendment to the Non -Professional Services Agreement with West Coast Arborist, Inc to amend the total compensation of the Agreement to increase the total annual compensation of the first term of the Agreement to $1,500,000 and $1,000,000 for each consecutive term for a total amount not to exceed $3,500,000 for the life of the agreement Vote 5 - 0 Passed Replacement Computers Purchase Management Services/Finance Director Garcia explained the need to replace desktop computers, monitors and other network equipment based on the City's IT Master Plan routine replacement schedule On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved the purchase of 150 desktop computers for a cost not -to -exceed $125,455 from Granite Data Solutions and to waive the minor irregularity in the bid Vote 5 - 0 Passed Resolution No 8266 Utility Bill Assistance Program Management Services/Finance Director Garcia offered background of the Council's request to develop a utility bill assistance program Staff researched income -qualified and other customer assistance programs offered by various public agencies Factors considered for the program included, billing structure, discount structure, eligibility criteria and administrative impacts After a thorough review, staff recommended Council apply a $20 discount to the unified bi-monthly bill According to the latest Census data, a total of 4,110 individuals would potentially qualify for this program based on income guidelines established by SCE and SCG, with 3,551 customers within the City limits and 559 outside City limits The General Fund can serve as the source of funding if adequate findings are made that the expenditure serves a direct and substantial public purpose Because this program would improve the affordability of city utilities for underserved families and address income disparity and inequality within the community, the Council may make findings that the program meets the threshold for serving a direct and substantial public purpose A lengthy discussion centered on proposed funding sources, including the reinstatement of the late fee program, program timing and implementation, actual program costs, eligibility requirements and whether the public considered this program a priority Council Member Davis thanked staff for their thorough research and said the program would address the levels of poverty which were closely tied to homelessness She pointed out that once the City charges late fees again, this program could become self-supporting Council Member Guzman -Lowery raised ethical questions and urged her colleagues to meet the needs of a vulnerable segment of the population Mayor Pro Tem Tejeda and Mayor Banch supported the idea of the program but requested Council add the program to the next budget cycle and recommended using late fee payments to pay for the program Council Member Foster was uncomfortable asking utility users to supplement the program and would only approve the program with the direction to have late fees as the funding source City Manager Duggan reported there may be State constraints with the implementation of the late fee program With no clear consensus expected tonight, he suggested staff work on a revised proposal and bring the matter back for further consideration on November 16, 2021 Council Members were in agreement CC_October 19, 2021 Page 6 City Center Protect Measure U Exemption Development Services Director Desatnik presented the application filed by Vantage One Real Estate Investments, LLC requesting the City Council determine the proposed mixed -use project on vacant properties (former Safety Hall and San Bernardino County Superior Court site), located at 212 and 216 Brookside Avenue is exempt from the provisions of Measure U He provided an overview of Measure U, the comprehensive growth management measure adopted in 1997 and Resolution No 7173, adopted by the City Council in 2012, facilitating the development of high density residential and non-residential uses within walking distance of Metrohnk stations Measure U provides for special categories of exemption and the Applicant's request is based on special category D, that the project is "directly related" to the Metrohnk station that will open next year The Planning Commission unanimously recommended the Council determine the project is exempt from the provisions of Measure U Staff evaluated the project site and determined it was located within one -quarter (1/4) mile of a transit station with a clear pedestrian route and the project provides residential units at a density of a minimum of 20 units/acre Representing Vantage One, Tom Robinson pointed out that Council was not approving specific project plans tonight but rather determining whether the exemption from Measure U was appropriate Detailed plans will go through the City's full entitlement process before final approvals are granted He opposed continuing the matter and delaying a Council vote Council Member Foster suggested a delay till November 2, 2021, when the results of the City's recently conducted survey will be presented and this will give the Council a better picture of what the public wants for the downtown area Council Member Foster also expressed concerns that staff may have misinterpreted the exemption language, which could leave the City at risk of litigation Council Member Guzman -Lowery stated the vote before them was to determine whether the development qualified for an exemption or not As public comment, Richard O'Donnell did not think the City demonstrated the property had a direct connection with the train station, leading him to question the validity of authorizing an exemption He emphasized the voters had not amended Measure U and Resolution No 7173 did not represent the voters' wishes On motion of Council Member Denise Davis, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council approved Resolution No 8269, authorizing the proposed mixed -use project on vacant properties (former Safety Hall and San Bernardino County Superior Court site) located at 212 and 216 Brookside Avenue in the C-3, General Commercial District is exempt from the provisions of Measure U The proposed project is a mixed -use development consisting of 138 apalliuents and three restaurant buildings, called the "City Center" project, on approximately three acres Vote: 4 - 1 Passed NAY Council Member Paul Foster The Grand Protect Measure U Exemption Development Services Director Desatnik reviewed the application filed by Vantage One Real Estate Investments, LLC requesting that the City Council determine the proposed 149 unit multifamily development project located at the northeast corner of Eureka Street and Redlands Boulevard, was exempt from the provisions of the Redlands General Plan established by the citizen -sponsored initiative, Measure U Known as The Grand, the project site was well within the 1/4-mile radius/proximity to the train station and the residential density was in excess of 20 units per acre The Planning Commission recommended the Council determine the proposed development project was exempt from Measure U, in accordance with Section 2, Part B, subsection 2 (titled "Special Categones of Development") for "Development directly related to proposed Metrolink stations in the City of Redlands " Council Member Foster reiterated his concerns with staffs interpretation and evaluation of CC_October 19, 2021 Page 7 Measure U, but announced he would support an exemption for the project site, not based on their recommendation, but because it qualified under the language found in Specific Plan No 45, the development guidelines related to the downtown area On motion of Council Member Denise Davis, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved Resolution No 8270, determining the proposed 149 unit multi -family development project, located at the northeast corner of Eureka Street and Redlands Boulevard, is exempt from the provisions of the Redlands General Plan established by the citizen -sponsored initiative commonly known as Measure U Vote 5 - 0 Passed City Manager Employment Agreement City Attorney McHugh summarized the employment agreement with the City Manager and highlighted key points to include a reduction in present salary by about $40,000 but with a compensating increase through the City's 457 and 401(a) deferred compensation programs, and authorization to operate remotely at times On motion of Council Member Paul Foster, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, the City Council unanimously approved the employment agreement with City Manager Duggan Vote• 5 - 0 Passed COUNCIL MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES There were no Council Member reports presented ADJOURNMENT There being no further action required the meeting adjourned at 7 31 P M The next regular meeting of the City of Redlands City Council will be held on November 2, 2021 CC_October 19, 2021 Page 8