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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMin 05-17-00(1)MINUTES OF THE UKIAH CITY COUNCIL Special Meeting Wednesday, May 17, 2000 The Ukiah City Council met at a Special Meeting on May 17, 2000, the notice for which had been legally noticed and posted, at 5:00 p.m. in the Civic Center Council Chambers, 300 Seminary Avenue, Ukiah, California. Roll was taken and the following Councilmembers were present: Smith, Libby, Baldwin, Ashiku (6:26 p.m.), and Mayor Mastin. Staff present: Customer Services Supervisor Archibald, Public Utilities Director Barnes, Interim Public Works Director Bertolero, Airport Manager Bua, Community Services Director DeKnoblough, Police Administrative Sergeant Dewey, Finance Director Elton, Personnel Officer Harris, Risk Manager/Budget Officer Harris, City Manager Horsley, Acting Fire Chief Hutton, Purchasing Supervisor Kennedy, MIS Coordinator Klingbeil, Senior Civil Engineer McKeon, City Attorney Rapport, Community Service Supervisor Sangiacomo, Deputy Public Works Director Seanor, Museum Director Smith- Ferri, Senior Planner Stump, Police Captain Walker, and City Clerk Ulvila. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE City Clerk Ulvila led the Pledge of Allegiance. 3. BUDGET GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: REVIEW OF 1999-00 ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND 2000-01 OBJECTIVES FOR VARIOUS CITY FUNCTIONS City Manager Horsley advised that before Council is the annual accomplishments and objectives from each City Department for fiscal Year 2000-01. Should any Departments not be reviewed at this meeting, they will be rescheduled for another regular Council meeting. COMMUNITY SERVICES DEPARTMENT Parks Community Development Director DeKnoblough reported that they would continue implementation of the Vegetation Management Program, which is the reduction in herbicide plan Council previously adopted. They completed the design and turf installation at Observatory Park and the replanting of Seminary Avenue. Objectives for Fiscal Year 2000/2001 include continued improvements to all park playgrounds to comply with the State 2000 safety regulations. They also anticipate completion of construction for Observatory Park. Mayor Mastin inquired if there will be a labyrinth in Observatory Park. Mr. DeKnoblough responded affirmatively and discussed the design and location for the labyrinth in the park. Staff will be working this summer to complete this project. Councilmember Libby inquired if benches will be incorporated into the design of the park. Mr. DeKnoblough explained that several areas along pathways will have benches, however, no picnic tables are planned for the park. Adjourned Meeting May 17, 2000 Page ! of !1 Recreation Community Services Supervisor Sangiacomo explained that the accomplishments for this year have touched upon expansion of programs which is highlighted and shown by the Basketball Program which served over 800 participants this year. A softball T-Ball field was also developed at the Oak Manor Park site and has been a very successful program. They also added to the program an asset building component in cooperation with alcohol and other drug programs whereby speakers relay information to the coaches on asset building and asset building models and it is passed on to the children in the Program. In speaking with State representatives, the City is unique in this field by offering this type of program to the coaches and participants. Objectives for the current year include the development of a corporate scholarship program to offset the costs for the need-based scholarships and the high cost of supplies in order to keep the fees down for the participants. They are also looking at creating an informational data base on all recreational activities in the inland Mendocino County area and plan to develop a flyer illustrating all parks and facilities that have recreation activities, with the contact numbers for those organizations. Aquatics Mr. Sangiacomo advised that they continue to serve between 100 to 200 patrons per day for public swimming and approximately 1,000 participants in the larger swim program. They developed a local Safety Swim Outreach Program in which they visit local schools and other events to distribute information regarding swim safety and have begun visiting classrooms with information and disseminating it at the classroom level in both English and Spanish. They plan to expand the solar energy system to provide heat for both pools. Councilmember Libby inquired as to the amount of money in the scholarship fund and how much has been used. Mr. Sangiacomo explained that all of the money in the scholarship fund has been expended. Council had designated approximately $1,400 towards the fund and there were no other funding sources for scholarships. They have worked with the Mendocino County Department of Social Services with regards to providing scholarships for Day Camp and have worked with GAIN and Job Alliance as well. Discussion followed concerning the scholarship program, costs per participant in the recreational programs, and it was noted that the scholarship funding did not last through the basketball season. There was continued discussion of a proposed sponsor scholarship program to help offset participant costs and equipment. Grace Hudson Museum and Sun House Museum Director Smith-Ferri advised that the Museum organized and installed three major exhibits and provided a range of public programs to accompany them. They were successful in receiving a number of grants to support those exhibits and programs and worked closely with the Guild in raising funds for the expansion of the Museum. They have been working closely with the Building Committee and City staff to help develop the plans and proceed with the permit process for the Museum addition. Next year the addition will take up a majority of their time as they will be overseeing the construction, planning, and installation of the new permanent collection displays in the new gallery area. They will Adjourned Meeting May 17, 2000 Page ;Z of 1 ! relocate art from the old storage area to the new storage area and conducting an inventory and conservation at that time. This will also involve retrofitting the old storage area for the installation of a collection of over 400 pieces of home basketry that they received. She advised that they received notice today that they will be receiving $5,000 from a family trust in San Francisco. Ukiah Valley Conference Center/Plaza Community Services Director DeKnoblough explained that the Conference Center has been trying to tap into other markets and staff attended two bridal shows and received several bookings for the Conference Center, which generated revenues at times when it didn't interfere with general business meeting use of the facility. Next year they would like to complete the second and third stages of the marketing guidelines and implement a marketing program. City Manager Horsley noted that financially, this is the best that the Conference Center has been since it opened in 1993. PUBLIC WORKS En~ineerin~l Deputy Director of Public Works Seanor explained that the Engineering Department updated the traffic speed zone survey for the Police Department, which allowed the Police Department to legally utilize radar enforcement on the streets. Some of the construction projects accomplished during the year included the Local Road Rehabilitation Project in which they rehabilitated/repaved 15 local streets at a cost of approximately $634,000; the Urban Collector Rehabilitation Project in which they reconstructed Oak Street and Grove Avenue for a cost of $366,000; completed the reconstruction of Orchard Avenue from Gobbi to Perkins Street at a cost of $423,000; and the stabilization of concrete slabs on State Street. A large project that was completed this year was the development of the Final Closure and Post Closure Maintenance Plan to be used for the closure of the Landfill. Their most recent project has been the TEA Project for trees on State Street and also pedestrian enhancement on State Street. They were successful in obtaining approximately $500,000 for this project. They plan to prepare contract documents for the Mendocino Avenue sidewalk replacement project and replacement of sidewalks at various locations Citywide, the Phase IV ADA ramp construction project, and to continue to develop and implement a Geographic Information System (GIS) containing infrastructure inventory and rights-of-way information that will be implemented with several City Departments. Solid Waste Disposal Mr. Seanor explained that they completed the Final Closure Plan, Post Closure Maintenance Plan, and submitted documents to State agencies for acceptance. They are currently processing the Initial Study for the Final Closure and Post Closure Maintenance Plan and plan to bring it to Council for approval in the near future. They updated the City's Solid Waste Facility Permit to allow a daily maximum tonnage of 295 tons. Their primary objective for the next Fiscal Year is to close the disposal site and cease acceptance of wastestream, recycled and diverted materials. Adjourned Meeting May 17, 2000 Page 3 of !! Corporation Yard Mr. Seanor explained they implemented the first phase of a hydrogeologic investigation plan and will continue this investigation work. The hydrogeologic investigation plan is due to the fact that in 1997 the City removed three underground storage tanks and during the removal process they found contamination of the soil at the sites. They are now going through the process required by the Regional Water Quality Control Board (RWQCB) and plan to develop and submit a remediation plan for the site to RWQCB as part of the plan involves the construction of three additional observation wells to try to delineate the limits of contamination. Councilmember Libby inquired as to the status of the three-way traffic signal at the intersection of North State Street and Low Gap Road. Mr. Seanor explained that they have modified the striping to install left turn pockets and there is some money in the budget set aside for some additional work in that area. Mr. Bertolero further explained that the original plan was to redo the entire intersection and they are looking at phasing the project by installing a different turning phase for left turn movement. The entire project would be very expensive, so they are now looking at just the left turn portions. Funds are available for this phase of the project. He noted that of the two STIP projects completed this year, totaling approximately $1 million, the City received approximately $900,000 from the state. Street Maintenance Public Works Supervisor Looney explained that the Street Division of the Public Works Department has the responsibility in excess of 50 miles of City streets. In addition to their annual maintenance responsibilities, their permanent patch program required the application of 3,000 tons of asphalt at various locations. They completed the annual restriping of City streets and the repainting of the street markings and crosswalks throughout the City for pedestrian and vehicle safety. They applied 25,000 pounds of crack fill material to approximately 10% of the City streets. In the next Fiscal Year their objectives in addition to their annual maintenance responsibilities, is to update the pavement management system, complete a citywide storm drain survey as part of a Storm Drain Master Plan, and to establish a citywide vehicle replacement program. Councilmember Smith inquired about the sidewalk repair and grinding program and if there is an ongoing survey of City sidewalks to determine where repairs are needed. Mr. Looney explained that the grind program is a hazard removal program that has been brought to their attention by the public or staff and requires immediate attention. He noted hazards on City sidewalks caused by trees. Mr. Bertolero explained that the maintenance of all sidewalks is the responsibility of the affronting property owner. Typically, the City will assume the responsibility of the repair and maintenance of a portion of sidewalk if it is a recognized City street or a City facility that has caused the sidewalk to fail. After the City mitigates the hazard, the property owner is notified to repair the sidewalk. Discussion continued concerning trees causing Adjourned Meeting May 17, 2000 Page 4 of ! ! problems with the sidewalk and it was noted that it then becomes the City's responsibility for repair. He did not know of an active inspection program of City streets for this type of condition. Councilmember Baldwin inquired about the enforcement of residents repairing their sidewalk. Mr. Bertolero advised that the matter is addressed on a case by case basis and the process is very regulated. However, a problem can arise with the property owner complying in a timely manner. Councilmember Libby inquired about the street sweeping schedule. She questioned if the City has looked at having the street sweeper operate on a weekly basis. Mr. Looney explained that the street sweeping continues on an every other week basis, with the exception of the season when leaves are dropping then the schedule runs weekly and sometimes with two machines. Councilmember Libby inquired about the citywide vehicle replacement program. Mr. Looney explained that them is approximately $700,000 worth of vehicles in the Street Division alone, and in order to adequately replace them before they become a maintenance burden, it is important to set aside funds annually. The increased maintenance not only impacts the budget but the garage maintenance facility as well. Ms. Horsley explained that the City had a total program several years ago whereby each year money was set aside for vehicles. When the Garage Division was separated from other Departments, each Department did it on their own. However, when the City experienced a budget crunch, there was no money to set aside for replacement vehicles. She noted the Asset Funds for each department is set aside for future vehicles and equipment. Gara,qe Mr. Looney explained that the Garage Division expects to continue to provide vehicle and equipment maintenance to Public Works Divisions and other departments as workload permits. They will review procedures for integrating the Public Safety repair facility with the Public Works Garage. FINANCE Finance Director Elton advised that the Finance Department's accomplishments and goals for the next year have been reviewed by Council in the past year and primarily relate to technology. The computer systems of the City continued to function at the turn of the new year due in part to the replacement program that was implemented as well as the software upgrades. A new AS400 was purchased and installed this year and the City Clerk's Electronic Records Management System was acquired and is in the process of implementation. Them was also expansion of the Ukiah CARES program to include mom than Senior Citizens and expanding the benefits. Another accomplishment was the Adjourned Meeting May 17, 2000 Page 5 of ! ! transfer of the commercial garbage billing from the City's billing and collection function to the waste hailers' operations, which is working successfully. In the coming year, the objectives primarily focus on the completion of the implementation of the technology wide area network that was recently approved by Council, as well as continuing with the process to upgrade and replace the computer software systems for Finance and billing and collection. An ongoing goal is the cross training of staff. The other accomplishments and goals deal with processes and procedures that they are looking to improve upon and to provide better service to customers. PLANNING Senior Planner Stump advised that during the past year the Planning Department continued to provide friendly, efficient service with permit processing. He felt there is room for some improvement to the permit processing procedure and with public relations, which he plans to address in the coming year. The Department was able to complete and adopt the Gobbi Street-Riverside Park Concept Plan. They completed the Historical and Architectural Resources Inventory and it will be coming before Council in the next Fiscal Year along with a Historical Preservation Ordinance. They completed and adopted the Orrs Creek Habitat Enhancement Plan and began the Gibson Creek Habitat Enhancement Plan. They continue to provide assistance to the County as they continue with the processing and review of the Ukiah Valley General Plan. The Department was successful in receiving a $40,000 grant for pedestrian and bicycle plan implementation from the Air Quality Management District and they anticipate receiving a $120,000 grant from the Coastal Conservancy for implementation of Riverside Park by the end of this fiscal year. In the coming year they will continue to implement the General Plan as much as possible. They anticipate completion of the Gibson Creek and Doolan Creek Habitat Enhancement Plans, the Hillside District zoning ordinance revisions, and hope to accomplish the Homeless Shelter Ordinance. They anticipate completion of the commercial development design guidelines. Another objective is to apply to LAFCO to reduce the City's Sphere of Influence, as directed by the General Plan. In conjunction with that, they are required to prepare a Master Services Element Plan. Staff will continue to aggressively pursue grant money for implementation of the City's General Plan programs. Councilmember Baldwin inquired if there is sufficient staff available to adequately enforce the building, grading, zoning, and signing codes of the City. Mr. Stump responded affirmatively. He discussed how complaints regarding violations fluctuate. Councilmember Libby inquired as to the status of obtaining a survey from other cities concerning electrical signs. Mr. Stump explained that he discussed the matter with Mr. Tuliback, the City's plans examiner, and noted that responses were received from approximately half of those solicited and Mr. Tuliback is compiling the results of that survey. Councilmember Baldwin inquired as to the impact to the Planning Department in regards to increased staff time to have a separate open space, creek, and pathway committee to be separate from the Parks, Recreation and Golf Commission. Adjourned Meeting May 17, 2000 Page 6 of 1] Mr. Stump explained that currently the Planning Department is down a position with the retirement of Planning Director Sawyer. He anticipated the next couple months to be difficult considering there is an ambitious set of objectives for the coming year. As a long- term goal, if staff is successful in meeting many of these objectives, and with Council's consensus, staff will accommodate Council's direction to form such a committee. Mayor Mastin noted that the type of committee that Councilmember Baldwin referenced sounds like it would be a subcommittee of the Planning Commission. Councilmember Baldwin explained that the reason he suggested such a committee goes back to his objection to combining the Parks and Golf Commission. He discussed how the commitment and volunteer perspective is different for someone interested in open space, creeks and pathways. PUBLIC UTILITIES Sewer Division Public Utility Director Bames advised that the Sewer Department has replaced the main sewer line on East Gobbi Street and completed the trickling filter improvements to the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Objectives for this coming year include continuation of video inspecting and repair of troublesome sewer mains and to complete the pre-design expansion studies at the Wastewater Treatment Plant. Electric Division Mr. Barnes explained that most of their accomplishments this year concern compliance with regulatory affairs and continued maintenance. One main objective this year is to install underground switches along Orchard Avenue to limit the magnitude on duration of outages. They will continue replacement of 50% of PCB transformers in compliance with California EPA standards. Councilmember Smith inquired as to the percentage of meters to be calibrated in the system. Mr. Barnes explained that staff has completed about 60% of the program. Councilmember Libby inquired if there is still a vacancy for two linemen. Mr. Barnes answered affirmatively and noted that the job has been posted until filled and has been advertised. Mayor Mastin inquired if it is a reasonable goal of the Department to complete the remaining 35% of meter calibration. He also inquired if certain areas of the City were targeted as problematic when the program began. Mr. Barnes was of the belief that this can be accomplished. He discussed personnel for the completion of the project. He also discussed residential customers that have old meters that need to be replaced. Customers are notified when their meter is replaced. He Adjourned Meeting May 17, 2000 Page 7 of ! ! discussed how the time for recalibration of meters has been reduced. At times, they receive requests from customers to have their meter calibrated, due to a high electric bill. Water Division Mr. Barnes advised that they installed many water services, hydrants. One of the main projects they accomplished was the replacement of troubled sections of Grove Street and upgraded that water main. Two major objectives for next year is to file the City's water right extension with the State Water Resources Control Board which needs to be approved by December 2000. They also want to complete their Urban Water Management Plan. He noted this plan is required to be updated every five years Councilmember Baldwin inquired how often the City checks for contaminants and carcinogens in the water supply, and for such things as MTBE. Mr. Barnes explained that staff runs the tests that are prescribed by the State Health Department on a regular schedule and submit a report to the City's customers. Many of the tests can be run in our own lab and we have skilled lab employees to complete those tests. Those tests we cannot complete are sent out. He thought that the test for MTBE is required once a year by the State Health Department. They also require the City to complete a watershed sanitary survey that includes those types of possible contaminants. POLICE Police Captain Walker advised that during the current year they developed and implemented an annual training program to enhance the abilities of the Department employees. The purchased and installed a computerized training program to improve record keeping abilities. P.O.S.T. skills and Modular Training were integrated into the department training program. They cooperated with other Mendocino County law enforcement agencies and Mendocino College in a joint effort to develop the Citizens Police Academies. Both the men and women's locker rooms were remodeled and they rearranged the front office to be more effective to serve the department's needs. They received approval and filled the position of Administrative Sergeant and initiated a patrol vehicle video system. One of the objectives of the Police Department includes completion of a patrol vehicle audio/video recording system. He discussed the benefits of the system and how it will reduce costs in various areas of law enforcement. They will coordinate and present a Citizens Police Academy in cooperation with Mendocino Community College. They are currently working in conjunction with the Mendocino County Sheriff's Department and Willits Police Department to have a fully accredited college class that will be administered and taught by police officers. They plan to implement a computerized training records management system and to implement a facility security plan. He briefly discussed the composition of these two plans. Councilmember Baldwin inquired as to our dependency on outside grants for the Community Oriented Policing Plan for the continuation of this program. He also inquired as to the number of bilingual officers and if there is a formal process to encourage employees to develop language skills. Captain Walker advised that it would definitely involves a budget situation and felt grants would be very helpful. He explained that they have three bilingual employees and there Adjourned Meeting May 17, 2000 Page 8 of ] ! are pay incentives for those employees who are bilingual. Additionally, they will adjust schedules for those employees who want to take bilingual classes. Councilmember Libby inquired if the Police Department will be able to post information on the City's Web site regarding the number of calls they've answered, etc., so that the community can see the Police Department's activities. City Manager Horsley explained that reports are generated that delineate various types of calls and can be posted on the Web site. Mayor Mastin inquired about the development of an annual training program to enhance Department Employees and the difference from their accomplishment of P.O.S.T. skills and Modular Training. Captain Walker discussed other training programs that would not be classified as P.O.S.T. or Modular Training in which they receive credit from the state. He discussed working with the Mental Health Department, Youth Project, Project Sanctuary, and other outside resources. It is important to have frequent training in high liability areas. Dispatch Administrative Sergeant Dewey explained that this year they completed training provided for Dispatch staff in the Community Oriented Policing School to enhance their abilities. They have been working with the Fire Department and their Emergency Medical Dispatching and Fire Policy and Procedures training to create a quality assurance program for emergency medical dispatching. This has been in cooperation with the Police and Fire Departments and the Dispatch unit. They finished the computer links with the state, county, and federal computer systems, and are now fully operational within Dispatch. An objective for next year is to continue with the implementation of the Quality Assurance Program and to continue to explore the Dispatch center's ability to work and contract for services with other agencies in the County in order to generate additional revenue. They recently went through a complete upgrade for the Police and Fire Dispatch units. He briefly discussed tactical dispatching in which dispatchers handle situations early on. 6:26 p.m. - Councilmember Ashiku arrived at the meeting. Parkinq District Sergeant Dewey advised that Customer Service Supervisor Patsy Archibald has been working on a survey for the downtown business district regarding parking concerns and public workshops in preparation for submitting proposed parking changes. An important goal for next year is to analyze and revise the schedule of parking fine amounts. FIRE Acting Fire Chief Hutton reported that the Fire Department has responded to 2,100 requests for service during this fiscal year. The Fire Department maintained paramedic licensure for 15 paramedics through an on-going continuing education program and provided field internships for new paramedics. He discussed implementation of the Vegetation Management Program for the Western Hills that is a joint project coordinated Adjourned Meeting May 17, 2000 Page 9 of ! ! with the California Department of Forestry, Fire Protection, and the Ukiah Valley Fire District. The Fire Department hosted a bilingual training class and had 10 new volunteer firefighters go through the Mendocino County Fire Academy. Three volunteers enrolled in the paramedic program at Mendocino College. The fire training tower was completed. They implemented the use of Vision Software for incident reporting and formed an ad-hoc committee for review of service options for maintenance of service and cost reduction. Goals for next year include the continuation of maintaining the Emergency Medical Service Program, establishing an employee wellness program for all career staff, complete the fuel break program that was implemented by the California Conservation Corp, and to replace one ambulance with a new fire-rescue ambulance to allow them to keep a fleet of three ambulances to serve the public. They plan to continue to improve their abilities to dispatch Emergency Medical Services and to provide National Fire Academy courses locally in Fire Prevention and Fire Safety. Councilmember Libby inquired if the Fire Department can post their calls and responses from paramedics onto the City's Web site. Mr. Hutton responded affirmatively. AIRPORT Airport Manager Bua explained that the accomplishments for the Airport during the past year involved a number of developments including new hangars, a new manufacturing facility, and an aircraft maintenance facility. The City now has air commuter air service supplied by Ascot Airways. They are continuing with the California Department of Forestry project for a new facility for a new tanker base at the southeast corner of the Airport. They developed an Airport security plan. For the upcoming year, they plan to continue with the process for Airport improvements, many of which are FAA grant projects. They have completed a new maintenance facility at the Airport, Eagles Nest, and other construction is on going. The Airport Noise Plan was implemented and the FAA is still reviewing the changes requested. He discussed posting of Quiet Flying signs at the ends of the runways and have posted an aerial photograph of the Airport in the City that shows the noise sensitive areas and an article was included in the Airport's newsletter to notify the public of this matter. Councilmember Libby inquired about Ace Aviation's building located at the southern end of the Airport and if the City owns and maintains this building. She also inquired about the responsibility for maintenance of the structure. Mr. Bua advised that the building is owned and maintained by the Airport. City Manager Horsley noted that the hangar contains the only restroom on the southern portion of the Airport. Once the new hangars are constructed, there is a plan to have improved restroom facilities at the Airport. Councilmember Baldwin inquired as to the relationship between the development of the Airport Action Plan and continuing to apply for FAA grants for Airport improvements. Mr. Bua explained that former Assistant City Manager Flad began the Airport Action Plan Adjourned Meeting May 17, 2000 Page ]0of ]! which is designed to map where development should occur next, noting which areas will be hangars, maintenance facilities, etc. in order to plan for the limited amount of space available. The FAA doesn't provide funding for hangars, but will fund runways, taxiways, storm drainage, and safety and security items. 4, ADJOURNMENT There being no further business, the City Council meeting was adjourned at 6:45 p.m. Marie Ulvila, City Clerk Adjourned Meeting May 17, 2000 Page!!of !!