Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022_07_05 - RegularMINUTES Regular meetings of the City Council and the Board of Directors of the Successor Agency of the former Redevelopment Agency of the City of Redlands held in the Council Chambers, Civic Center, 35 Cajon Street, on July 5, 2022 at 5:00 P.M. Present: Staff: Paul Barich, Mayor Eddie Tejeda, Mayor Pro Tempore Denise Davis, Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, Council Member Mick Gallagher, Council Member Charles M. Duggan, Jr., City Manager; Yvette M. Abich Garcia, City Attorney; Robert Dawes, City Treasurer; Jeanne Donaldson, City Clerk; Janice McConnell, Assistant City Manager; Carl Baker, Public Information Officer; Chris Catren, Police Chief; Danielle Garcia, Management Services/Finance Director; Brian Desatnik, Development Services Director; John Harris, Municipal Utilities and Engineering Director; Tabitha Kevari, Assistant Director Facilities & Community Services; Reggie Brown, Fire Battalion Chief Mayor Barich called the meeting to order and explained that comments could be presented in -person, via Zoom, via cell phone or landline. He offered the public an opportunity to provide comment on any item on the agenda for the closed session. PUBLIC COMMENT None forthcoming CLOSED SESSION Conference with legal counsel: Existing Litigation - Government Code §54956.9(d)(1) (City Attorney Garcia) Three Cases: a. Benveniste v. City of Redlands, San Bernardino Superior Court, Case No. CIVDS 2012175 b. Rodriguez v. City of Redlands, San Bernardino Superior Court, Case No. CIVDS 1935452 c. Barajas v. City of Redlands, San Bernardino Superior Court, Case No. CIVDS 1719737 CC_SA_July 5, 2022 Page 1 Conference with labor negotiator - Government Code §54957.6 (Assistant City Manager McConnell) Agency Negotiator: Employee Organizations: Assistant City Manager McConnell Redlands Association of Department Directors Redlands Association of Management Employees Redlands Association of Mid -Management Employees Redlands Association of Safety Management Employees Redlands Association of Fire Management Employees Redlands Police Officers Association Redlands Professional Firefighters Association Redlands Civilian Safety Employees Teamsters Local 1932 Redlands Chapter RECONVENE CITY COUNCIL MEETING The meeting reconvened at 6:00 P.M. with an invocation by Council Member Gallagher followed by the pledge of allegiance to the American flag. CLOSED SESSION REPORT City Attorney Abich Garcia announced the following actions were taken during the closed session: 1.a Council received report and gave direction to legal counsel 1.b. No reportable action 1.c. Council gave direction to legal counsel 2. No reportable action PUBLIC COMMENT Public comments were presented either in -person, via Zoom, via cell phone or landline. Tenancy Vacate Notices - Justin and John Weekley described concerns related to receiving a 60-day notice to terminate tenancy from the owner of their apartment building located on New York Street. They claimed the landlord was preparing to evict the tenants based on the assertion he was performing substantial remodeling/renovation work on the apartments. The Weekleys added there appeared to be no evidence the owner had pulled any permits related to the improvements, and they urged Council to stop evictions and consider a review of possible building code violations. CONSENT CALENDAR Minutes On motion of Council Member Mick Gallagher, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the minutes of the regular meeting of June 21, 2022. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed CC_SA_July 5, 2022 Page 2 Airport Advisory Board Member Appointments On motion of Council Member Mick Gallagher, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously appointed, by roll call vote, Nathan Freeman to serve the remainder of a four-year term on the Airport Advisory Board ending May 1, 2025. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Resolution No. 8362 Remote Teleconference Meetings On motion of Council Member Mick Gallagher, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, Resolution No. 8362 authorizing remote teleconference meetings by the City Council and all Boards, Commissions, and Committees of the City in accordance with Assembly Bill 361 (2021) for a period of 30 days. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed First Amendment Planning, Environmental, Development Review Services Agreement On motion of Council Member Mick Gallagher, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the First Amendment to the Professional Services Agreement with Michael Baker International to increase the original agreement from $49,990 to a total aggregate of $149,990 for professional planning, environmental, and development review services. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Ordinance No. 2928 Report Temporary Moratorium Due to ownership of property within 500 feet of the identified list of new housing sites in the City's 2021-2029 Housing Element, Council Member Davis recused herself from this item. On motion of Council Member Mick Gallagher, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council approved, by roll call vote, to receive and accept the report prepared pursuant to Government Code Section 65858 related to Ordinance No. 2928 for a temporary moratorium pertaining to non-residential development on fifteen properties listed in the 2021-2029 Housing Element as potential future housing sites. Vote: 4 - 0 Passed Other: Council Member Denise Davis (RECUSE) Resolution No. 8354 WaterSMART Grant Program CC_SA_July 5, 2022 Page 3 On motion of Council Member Mick Gallagher, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, Resolution No. 8354 authorizing the application to and participation in the WaterSMART: Water and Energy Efficiency Grant program for Fiscal Year 2023; authorized the Mayor, or his designee to execute a financial assistance or similar agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation and any amendments or changes thereto; and determined the Resolution is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) in that the activity is covered by the general rule that CEQA applies only to projects which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Resolution No. 8363 Citizens' Option for Public Safety Program Funds On motion of Council Member Mick Gallagher, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, Resolution No. 8363 for the use of the state's Fiscal Year 22/23 and 23/24 Citizens' Option for Public Safety Program Funds for the purpose of ensuring public safety. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Transitional Housing Services Agreement On motion of Council Member Mick Gallagher, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the agreement between the City of Redlands and Steps 4 Life Community Services for the provision of transitional housing services in an effort to address issues associated with homelessness. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Orange Blossom Trail Redlands-Themed Murals On motion of Council Member Mick Gallagher, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously determined, by roll call vote, that the expenditure of $2,000 in support of the Redlands Sunrise Rotary Club's installation of a mural on the Orange Blossom Trail serves a public benefit because it promotes economic development and tourism within the City by attracting visitors from surrounding communities to participate in the event, provides a recreational activity that can be viewed by all residents, and goodwill within the community; and approved an additional appropriation for the expenditure of $2,000 to be paid to the Redlands Sunrise Rotary Club for the installation of a mural on the Orange Blossom Trail. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Solid Waste Collection Truck Engine Assembly On motion of Council Member Mick Gallagher, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, a sole source purchase order with Cummins Sales and Service in the amount of $57,159.01 for a complete engine assembly to a solid waste collection truck. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed CC_SA_July 5, 2022 Page 4 Two Limited -Term Positions On motion of Council Member Mick Gallagher, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, two limited -term Administrative Assistant I/II positions with the Facilities and Community Services Department, for a term not -to -exceed two years, to help address the administrative burden created by several new projects. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Automobile Storage License Agreements On motion of Council Member Mick Gallagher, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously determined, by roll call vote, that approval of the License Agreements with Fix Auto and Gary's Auto Sales is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15301 of the California Environmental Quality Act Guidelines; and approved the License Agreements with Fix Auto and Gary's Auto Sales for automobile storage located at the City's corporate yard, 1270 W. Park Avenue. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed NEW BUSINESS Ordinance No. 2935 E-Filing Campaign Statements and Form 700s City Clerk Donaldson explained that Government Code allows a local government agency to mandate online or electronic filing for an elected officer, candidate, committee, or other person who is required to file statements, reports, or other documents under the Political Reform Act. To implement electronic filing, the Clerk's office recently acquired an online electronic secure filing system, NetFile, that is compatible with the FPPC and the Secretary of State's system for receiving online or electronic filing of forms. Transitioning to electronic filing requires the agency to adopt an ordinance approving the use of electronic filing On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the introduction of Ordinance No. 2935, adding Chapter 2.74 of the Municipal Code relating to electronic filing of Campaign Finance Disclosure Statements and Statements of Economic Interest. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Third Party Liability Claims Administration Assistant City Manager McConnell reported on the agreement with George Hills Company, Inc. to provide third party liability claims administration to the City through June 30, 2025. CC_SA_July 5, 2022 Page 5 On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Mick Gallagher, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the agreement with George Hills Company, Inc. to provide third party liability claims administration to the City through June 30, 2025 for an amount not -to -exceed $80,000 per fiscal year, with an option to extend for two additional years. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed On -Call Building Inspection and Plan Review Agreement Development Services Director Desatnik summarized an agreement with Willdan Engineering that provides for additional support for in-house staff, for the provision of on -call building inspection, plan review, CASp consulting, emergency response and special projects. On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the agreement with Willdan Engineering for the provision of on -call building inspection, plan review, CASp consulting, emergency response and special projects for an amount not -to -exceed $120,000 for a period of one year, with two additional one-year renewal options in the amount not -to -exceed $120,000 annually for an aggregate amount not -to -exceed $360,000. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed ARPA Funding City Homeless Outreach Program Facilities and Community Services Assistant Director Kevari reviewed the request to reallocate the remaining funds from the Premium Pay Program from State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to fund a City Homeless Outreach Program. Staff recommended an initial amount of $200,000 to fund the first 12 months of the program, and she added that by contracting with local nonprofits for outreach, services can be provided to a wider array of homeless individuals and families by leveraging resources for more in -person "street" contact to those that may lack access to technology to otherwise seek services. Council Members were pleased these funds would be directed towards outreach efforts related to homelessness. On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously directed, by roll call vote, staff to implement the Homeless Outreach Program, authorizing the expenditure of $200,000 of American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) SLFRF funds; approved the reallocation of remaining funds from the Premium Pay Program in the amount of $200,000 to fund a City Homeless Outreach Program for twelve months under the City's American Rescue Plan Act SLFRF funding allocation; and authorized staff to competitively procure, award and execute service agreements to nonprofit organizations for the purpose of implementing the Homeless Outreach Program, in compliance with the General Procurement Standards §200.318 of the Federal Grant Regulations. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed CC_SA_July 5, 2022 Page 6 Highway Safety Improvement Program Municipal Utilities and Engineering Director Harris presented the Construction Contract with Econolite Systems, Inc. for the Highway Safety Improvement Program Cycle 8 Pedestrian Countdown Heads Project for an amount not -to -exceed $541,682.54. The Project will utilize grant funding from CalTrans in the amount of $244,400, to install countdown pedestrian signal heads at signalized intersections throughout the City. On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Mick Gallagher, the City Council unanimously determined, by roll call vote, approval of a Construction Contract and construction of the Highway Safety Improvement Program Cycle 8 Pedestrian Countdown Heads Project is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15301(c) of the State's guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act; approved the Highway Safety Improvement Program Cycle 8 Pedestrian Countdown Heads Project plans and specifications; and approved the Construction Contract with Econolite Systems, Inc. for an amount not -to -exceed $541,682.53. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Mailing Services Agreement Management Services/Finance Director Garcia detailed the proposed contract for mailing services to include, mail pickup, weekly utility billing pickup, folding, inserting, metering and dropping off at the post office, and courier services for a period of one year, with two additional one-year renewal options. On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Mick Gallagher, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the agreement for mailing services with Inland Presort and Mailing Services for an amount not -to -exceed $115,000 for a period of one year, with two additional one-year renewal options bringing the total to an amount not -to -exceed $345,000. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Resolution No. 8361 Intent to Reimburse Expenditures Management Services/Finance Director Garcia provided background on Resolution No. 8361 and explained the City purchased property located at 1625 West Redlands Boulevard on December 21, 2021 to be converted into the future home of the Redlands Police Department. Furthermore, Facilities and Community Services and the Fire Department have been examining possible sites to locate two new fire stations and relocate a third station. Debt financing usually benefits from an economy of scale and because tax-exempt financing generally results in lower interest costs, it was determined that inclusion of this project with the renovation of 1625 West Redlands Boulevard would provide a more favorable interest rate for the City. CC_SA_July 5, 2022 Page 7 On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, Resolution No. 8361 declaring the City's official intent to reimburse expenditures from the proceeds of obligations to be Issued by the City, a related party or other affiliate, and approving certain related actions. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Ballot Measure - Business License Rates for Distribution Centers City Manager Duggan reviewed Ordinance No. 2936 to amend Chapter 5.08.482 of the Redlands Municipal Code, relating to business license rates for distribution centers. The ordinance, to be submitted to the voters in November 2022, proposed to increase the tax rate on distribution center businesses in the City from its current amount of $0.047 per square foot to ten and one-half cents ($0.105) per square foot and would remove the annual adjustment by CPI. If approved by the voters, the proposed change will better align the business license rate with the impact of such businesses, much of which comes from the physical size of their operations. Distribution centers have a significant impact on the City's road infrastructure but add relatively few net jobs to the local economy while consuming vast swathes of land and generating additional air pollution from added truck traffic. Mayor Pro Tem Tejeda expressed his support to increase the license rates to establish a funding source to address unintended consequences of large warehouses. On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, Resolution No. 8364 placing a General Tax Measure to increase the business license tax for distribution centers in the City of Redlands for voter approval at the General Municipal Election to be held November 8, 2022. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Resolution No. 8365 Filing of Written Arguments Management Services/Finance Director Garcia introduced Resolution No. 8319, identifying certain priorities for filing written arguments regarding the City's ordinance initiative. In accordance with California Elections Code, the legislative body, or a member or members of the legislative body may file a written argument, with Council authorization. The last day to file primary arguments with the City Clerk has been established as July 25, 2022, and the last day to file rebuttal arguments has been established as July 29, 2022. Mayor Pro Tem Tejeda agreed to submit a written argument in support of the City Measure related to business license tax rates for distribution centers. On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Eddie Tejeda, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, Resolution No. 8365, setting priorities for filing of written arguments regarding a City measure to be submitted at the November 8, 2022, General Municipal Election; and authorized Mayor Pro Tem Tejeda to submit a written argument in favor of the measure related to business license tax rates for distribution centers. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed CC_SA_July 5, 2022 Page 8 COUNCIL MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES Mayor Barich and Council Member Gallagher participated in the 4th of July Celebration event and praised the efforts of all those who made the day a great success. Mayor Pro Tem Tejeda reminded everyone that in -kind services, such as those provided by the Police and Fire departments are an invaluable part of keeping the community safe and secure during popular local events such as the 4th of July celebration and are critical pieces put in place to protect the public. ADJOURNMENT There being no further action required the meeting adjourned at 6:40 P.M. The next regular meeting of the City of Redlands City Council will be held on July 19, 2022. SUCCESSOR AGENCY OF THE FORMER REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY OF THE CITY OF REDLANDS Chairman Barich called the meeting to order and offered anyone present the opportunity to address the Board on any subject, not already on the agenda, within the jurisdiction of the Successor Agency. PUBLIC COMMENT None forthcoming Minutes On motion of Vice Chair Tejeda, seconded by Board Member Davis, the minutes of the regular meeting of June 7, 2022 were unanimously approved by roll call vote. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the Successor Agency Board of Directors' meeting was adjourned at 6:41 P.M. the next regular meeting of the Agency will be held on September 6, 2022. CC_SA_July 5, 2022 Page 9