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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023_05_16 - RegularMINUTES Regular meetings of the City Council and the Redlands Financing Authority of the City of Redlands held in the Council Chambers, Civic Center, 35 Cajon Street, on May 16, 2023 at 5:00 P.M. Present: Eddie Tejeda, Mayor Paul Barich, Mayor Pro Tempore Denise Davis, Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, Council Member Mario Saucedo, Council Member Staff: Charles M. Duggan, Jr., City Manager; Yvette M. Abich Garcia, City Attorney; Jeanne Donaldson, City Clerk; Janice McConnell, Assistant City Manager; Chris Boatman, Assistant City Manager; Carl Baker, Public Information Officer; Danielle Garcia, Management Services/Finance Director; Brian Desatnik, Development Services Director; John Harris, Municipal Utilities and Engineering Director; Rich Sessler, Fire Chief Mayor Tejeda 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 Abich Garcia) 1. Coyote Aviation, Inc. v. City of Redlands; San Bernardino Superior Court Case No. CIVDS 2203398 2. City of Redlands v. Coyote Aviation, Inc., San Bernardino Superior Court, Case No. LLTVA2200544 3. Falconieri, et al. v. City of Redlands, San Bernardino Superior Court Case No. CIVSB2114106 RECONVENE CITY COUNCIL MEETING The meeting reconvened at 6:00 P.M. with an invocation by Council Member Saucedo. The pledge of allegiance to the American flag was conducted by the Victoria Elementary School Cheer Team. CC_RFA_May 16, 2023 Page 1 CLOSED SESSION REPORT City Attorney Garcia announced that no reportable action was taken during the closed session. PUBLIC COMMENT Teamsters Local 1932 Support - Teamster daughters Madison Brooks and Julia, were proud of the work their fathers do every day for the City and they wanted them to be treated fairly. Rich Smith spoke in support of the Teamsters and pointed out that union members were united and strong and deserved more from the City. Several Teamsters were present in the Chambers with many more outside showing their support of unions. Pride Flag - Fourteen people expressed their disappointment with the recent decision of three Council Members who opposed amending the City's flag policy to allow flying of the pride flag in the month of June. The speakers were concerned that the LGBTQ+ community would not feel safe, and an environment of hate would persist. Possible solutions to bring about a compromise were offered. One such suggestion was to have the City fly only those flags that have already been approved in the state capital, and they added they thought this removed some of the burden from the city and put it directly on the shoulders of the state. One audience member recommended the American flag was the way to unite everyone without excluding anyone. CONSENT CALENDAR Minutes On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Barich, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the minutes of the regular meeting of May 2, 2023. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Airport Advisory Board Appointment On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Barich, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously reappointed, by roll call vote, Jason Golembeski to serve another four-year term on the Airport Advisory Board ending May 1, 2027. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Resolution No. 8468 Annexation No. 25 On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Barich, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously determined, by roll call vote, that the proposed project 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. 8468, Annexation No. 25, declaring intent to annex territory into Community Facilities District 2004-1. A public hearing is scheduled for the City Council meeting on June 20, 2023 to formally annex the land. CC_RFA_May 16, 2023 Page 2 Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Resolution Nos. 8473 & 8474 Outside City Water Service Agreement On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Barich, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously adopted, by roll call vote, Resolution No. 8473 for a new connection to the City of Redlands water distribution system at 2340 Mentone Avenue (APN: 0298-295-12-0000) in the unincorporated community of Mentone; adopted Resolution No. 8474 relating to Pre -Annexation Agreement No. 23-09; and determined that adoption of the resolutions is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Sections 15303 and 15319 of the California Environment Quality Act (CEQA) guidelines. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Traffic Regulations 4-Way Stop Elizabeth Street On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Barich, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, Resolution No. 8469 establishing a four-way stop controlled intersection to replace the current two-way stop control at the Elizabeth Street and Fountain Avenue intersection; and determined that adoption of the resolution is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15301(c) of the State's guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Amending University St & Brockton Ave Traffic Signal Project On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Barich, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the Second Amendment to the Public Works Contract with Elecnor Belco Electric, Inc. for the University Street and Brockton Avenue Traffic Signal Improvement Project to extend the time for completion by one hundred twenty (120) calendar days. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Crosswalk Installation Project Bid Rejection On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Barich, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously rejected, by roll call vote, all bids received for the Crosswalk Installation Project, Project No. 400024. The bids received exceeded the available budget and the engineer's construction cost estimate for the Project. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed CC_RFA_May 16, 2023 Page 3 The Artlands Walk Event In -Kind Request On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Barich, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously determined, by roll call vote, that approval of the event is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15311(c) of the state's guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act; authorized and approved a request for in -kind support in the amount of $3,930 related to this event; authorized the temporary street closure of East Vine Street from Cajon Street to 6th Street; and approved the request for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages for The Artlands event to be held on June 3, 2023. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Security Services Agreement On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Barich, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, the Agreement with Assertive Security Services & Consulting Group, Inc., for security services at City -owned properties at 2151 Nevada St. and 1950 Nevada St. in an amount not -to -exceed $105,343.68. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed COMMUNICATIONS Sister Cities Hino, Japan Visit Presentation Redlands Sister Cities Board Member Caitlin Arakawa described the Sister Cities' mission was "to promote education, understanding and friendship at home and abroad", and the three sister cities of Redlands were Hino, Japan, Linli, China and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. She highlighted the recent two -week home -stay student exchange trip, where 10 students spent their spring break in Hino, participating in the City's cultural activities and traveling to historic sites in the country. This summer, high school students from Hino will visit Redlands. She delivered an official invitation from Hino Mayor Otsubo requesting the City Council attend the 60th anniversary celebration of the two cities' friendship scheduled for later this year. SCAG Conference Report Council Member Saucedo attended the 2023 Regional Conference of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) and General Assembly held May 4-5, 2023, in Palm Desert, California. The conference brings together state and local elected officials, CEOs, business and civic leaders, transportation and environmental stakeholders, local government staff, and others. He reported that one of the sessions related to housing and affordable housing in the region was extremely informative and he enjoyed the Sustainability Awards luncheon. CC_RFA_May 16, 2023 Page 4 2023 General Fund Revenue Review Management Services/Finance Director Garcia reviewed the 2023 General Fund Revenue and explained the City Manager had directed staff to perform a recurring review of the City's main sources of general fund revenue. Through this effort, the structural balance of the City's budget can be explored and the revenue trends that define the City's financial parameters can be analyzed in-depth. The presentation provided an overview of the report's purpose, summarized the general fund's revenue structure, briefly discussed the state -local relationship that governs the City's revenue authority, and examined the City's top six general fund revenue streams. She concluded by saying the local economy is anticipated to weaken near the end of Fiscal Year 2023 and leading into Fiscal Year 2024. As several economic indicators have just recently started to weaken, it is very difficult to forecast the length and severity of a possible looming recession. Many policies and decisions made at the national level significantly influence the local economy. In order to combat extremely high inflation rates, the Federal Reserve will likely continue raising interest rates, which may further impact the local real estate market, in order to reduce overall economic activity. Taken together, slow to moderate growth is anticipated over the six -year forecast period among economically sensitive revenues such as Property Tax, Sales Tax, Business License Tax, and Transient Occupancy Tax receipts. On motion of Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, seconded by Council Member Denise Davis, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, to receive and file the 2023 General Fund Revenue Review report. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed City Treasurer Vacancy Management Services Director Garcia announced that with the recent passing of Robert Dawes, the City Council must consider the alternatives available for filling the vacancy of City Treasurer either by appointment or by special election. If a special election was selected, it would be held on November 7, 2023 with an estimated cost ranging from $150,000 to $250,000. An appointment may be made at any regular meeting or at any adjourned or special meeting within the 60-day period which will end on June 28, 2023. The Council may choose to appoint someone immediately or the Council may elect to have interested parties apply for the vacant seat. The appointee must be 18 years of age, a Redlands resident and a registered voter in the City. In accordance with Government Code Subsection 36512(b)(2), any person appointed would hold office until the next general municipal election. The appointment must be made by a majority of the Council. Each Council Member agreed that filling the vacancy through an application and interview process provided transparency and accountability. CC_RFA_May 16, 2023 Page 5 On motion of Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Barich, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously approved, by roll call vote, to fill the City Treasurer vacancy by appointment. A tentative timeline was provided: - May 22, 2023 - Issue Notice of Intention to Fill by Appointment/Post Application Package - May 22, 2023 at Noon - Application Period Opens - June 5, 2023 at 5:00 p.m. - Application Period Closes - June _, 2023 (Special Meeting) - Applicant Presentation/Interview; City Treasurer Appointed - June 20, 2023 - Swearing in of new City Treasurer Vote: 5 - 0 Passed PUBLIC HEARINGS Ordinance No. 2957 Extending Moratorium Development Projects EVCSP Due to ownership of property within 500 feet of the identified list of parcels, Council Member Davis recused herself from this item. Mayor Tejeda declared the meeting open as a public hearing and called on Development Services Director Desatnik for background of Ordinance No. 2957, an Urgency Ordinance extending a moratorium for 12 months on certain new development projects for properties located within the Commercial Industrial (EV/IC) District Of The East Valley Corridor Specific Plan that are identified on the list of potential housing sites prepared in conjunction with the City's 2021-2029 Housing Element. He explained that on June 7, 2022, the City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2928, an interim ordinance adopting a temporary 45-day moratorium on land use approvals and building permits on fifteen properties located within the EV/IC district of the EVCSP and again on July 19, 2022, the Council adopted Ordinance No. 2939 extending the moratorium for 10 months and 15 days. If the Council takes no action, the temporary moratorium currently in place will automatically expire on June 7, 2023. The work by staff requires more time to complete, and EIR preparation will require the remainder of this year and likely into Spring 2024. As public comment, Bobby Garrity reiterated his disappointment with the lack of affordable housing in Redlands and he urged the Council to take more immediate steps to support projects intended to fill the need. Jody supported the moratorium and voiced concerns about the traffic and safety impacts from developments near Montessori School. With no further discussion, Mayor Tejeda closed the public hearing. On motion of Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, seconded by Mayor Pro Tempore Paul Barich, the City Council adopted, by roll call vote, Urgency Ordinance No. 2957, to extend the temporary moratorium related to Ordinance No. 2939 by twelve (12) months in accordance with Government Code Section 65858(a). Vote: 4 - 0 Passed Other: Council Member Denise Davis (RECUSE) NEW BUSINESS Engineering & Design Agreement Standby Generators CC_RFA_May 16, 2023 Page 6 Municipal Utilities and Engineering Director Harris detailed the need for a Professional Services Agreement with Richard Brady & Associates, Inc. to engineer and design standby generators to be constructed at four water facilities. During scheduled and unscheduled power outages, portable generators are used to supply emergency backup power to ensure continuity of operations. On motion of Council Member Mario Saucedo, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously determined, by roll call vote, that approval of a Professional Services Agreement with Richard Brady & Associates, Inc. to engineer standby generators for use at four (4) water facilities is exempt from environmental review pursuant to Section 15061(b)(3) of the State's guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act; and approved a Professional Services Agreement with Richard Brady & Associates, Inc. for an amount not -to -exceed $507,549. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed Contract Award 2022 Alley Paving Improvement Project Municipal Utilities and Engineering Director Harris introduced the construction contract with Onyx Paving Company, Inc. for the 2022 Alley Paving Improvement Project for an amount not -to -exceed $2,082,000. The project will resurface twenty-three alleys and will also remove and replace driveways and sidewalks where necessary. Upon completion of this project, which includes paving of two miles of alleys, 1.5 miles of alleys will remain to be paved out of sixteen total miles of the City's alleys. On motion of Council Member Mario Saucedo, seconded by Council Member Jenna Guzman -Lowery, the City Council unanimously determined, by roll call vote, that approval of the contract and construction of the 2022 Alley Paving Improvement Project is exempt from environmental review in accordance with Section 15301(c) of the State's Guidelines implementing the California Environmental Quality Act; approved the 2022 Alley Paving Improvement Project plans and specifications; and awarded a construction contract to Onyx Paving Company, Inc. for an amount not -to -exceed $2,082,000. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed COUNCIL MEMBER ANNOUNCEMENTS AND ACTIVITIES Mayor Tejeda participated in the Mayor's Prayer Breakfast sponsored by the Redlands Area Interfaith Council. Mayor Pro Tem Barich attended the Chamber's Rise and Shine meeting, enjoyed the City's Employee Appreciation Grill & Chill event, the Roy Coble Service Award event and the Salvation Army's Prayer for the Hungry, Homeless and Hopeless. Council Member Davis thanked Council Member Guzman -Lowery for leading the Youth Council last week in their final meeting before a summer hiatus. Council Member Guzman -Lowery reminded everyone the Human Relations Commission was CC_RFA_May 16, 2023 Page 7 sponsoring a health fair scheduled for May 20, 2023, 9-2:00 P.M. at Texonia Park. ADJOURNMENT There being no further action required the meeting adjourned at 7:39 P.M. The next regular meeting of the City of Redlands City Council will be held on June 6, 2023. REDLANDS FINANCING AUTHORITY Chairperson Tejeda 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 Redlands Financing Authority. PUBLIC COMMENT None forthcoming Minutes On motion of Vice Chair Barich, seconded by Board Member Guzman -Lowery, the minutes of the regular meeting of January 17, 2023 were unanimously approved by roll call vote. Vote: 5 - 0 Passed ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the Redlands Financing Authority adjourned at 7:40 P.M. The next regular meeting of the Agency will be held on September 19, 2023. CC_RFA_May 16, 2023 Page 8