CC MINS 20120103 MINUTES
RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL
REGULAR MEETING/COUNCIL WORKSHOP
JANUARY 3, 2012
At 6:09 P.M., the meeting was called to order by Mayor Misetich at Pt. Vicente
Interpretive Center, 31501 Palos Verdes Drive West.
City Council roll call was answered as follows:
PRESENT: Brooks, Duhovic, Knight, and Mayor Misetich
ABSENT: Campbell*
*Mayor Pro Tern Campbell arrived at 6:15 P.M.
Also present were: Carolyn Lehr, City Manager; Carolynn Petru, Deputy City
Manager/Interim Director of Recreation and Parks; Carol Lynch, City Attorney; Dennis
McLean, Director of Finance/Information Technology (IT); Joel Rojas, Community
Development Director; Torn Odom, Director of Public Works; Ray Holland, Deputy
Director of Public Works; and, Carla Morreale, City Clerk.
FLAG SALUTE:
The Flag Salute was led by Councilman Jim Knight.
MAYOR'S ANNOUNCEMENTS:
None.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA:
Councilwoman Brooks moved, seconded by Councilman Knight, to approve the agenda.
Without objection, Mayor Misetich so ordered.
*Mayor Pro Tern Campbell arrived at 6:15 P.M.
PUBLIC COMMENTS: (Audience Comments regarding Items Not on the Agenda)
Dr. Maureen Sassoon, representing homeowners in the area of Shorewood/Basswood,
Rancho Palos Verdes, stated that she spoke at a Council Meeting in September at
which she expressed her concern that a neighbor has had over 20 garage sales in the
last 5-6 months. She stated that she had proposed an ordinance limiting the number of
garage sales to two per year. She noted that she has been exchanging emails with
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January 3, 2012
Page 1 of 29
Community Development Director Rojas and had requested a meeting with City
Manager Lehr. She reported that she contacted the local office of the Board of
Equalization and noted that they require registration and the payment of sales tax for
the sale of personal property, and a seller's permit is required if two or more garage
sales are held in a one year period. She stated that since there is a State of California
regulation, there should be a City ordinance regulating garage sales.
City Manager Lehr stated that staff has participated in many email discussions with Dr.
Sassoon and is working on a proposed ordinance, noting that this is an unusual
situation.
Christina Bothamley, Rancho Palos Verdes, offered her expertise, at no cost, in
landscape architectural design services to the City for the redesign of the median strip
along Hawthorne Blvd. from Silver Spur to Golden Cove. She stated that she has
worked on many landscape design projects over the years in the South Bay and Los
Angeles areas.
CITY MANAGER REPORT:
None.
NEW BUSINESS:
APPROVAL OF CONSENT CALENDAR:
Councilwoman Brooks moved, seconded by Councilman Duhovic, to approve the
Consent Calendar.
The motion passed on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Brooks, Campbell, Duhovic, Knight and Mayor Misetich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Register of Demands
ADOPT RESOLUTION NO. 2012-01, A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES, ALLOWING CERTAIN CLAIMS AND
DEMANDS AND SPECIFYING FUNDS FROM WHICH THE SAME ARE TO BE PAID.
November 2011 Monthly Report of Cash Balances
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 2 of 29
Received and filed the November 2011 Monthly Report of Cash Balances for the City of
Rancho Palos Verdes.
# # # # # #
REGULAR NEW BUSINESS:
City Council Goal Setting Workshop: Short-Term and Long-Term City Council
Priorities
Mayor Misetich introduced Dr. Al Edwards, who has taught the City's Leadership
Academy and will be leading the Council in this evening's City Council Goal Setting
Workshop: Short-Term and Long-Term City Council Priorities.
Dr. Edwards provided an overview of the Workshop. He stated that he has designed an
Appreciative Inquiry Process Model that will allow the Council to move quickly through a
number of areas of interest that have been identified through his discussions with Mayor
Misetich and staff. He outlined the Appreciative Inquiry Process Model as a process by
which the organization begins to identify opportunities and discovers the best of what is
in the organization, or on the team. He explained the process continues to the point of
designing a plan to incorporate the possibilities of the organization in order to determine
how to best arrive at and sustain the destiny of the organization. He noted the process
would begin by examining the capability and strengths of the Council, collaborative
strengths; best models that exist for conflict resolution and management; and,
identifying short and long term goals moving toward a 10-year vision.
Councilman Duhovic inquired if there was any input as to the use of the proposed
Model.
Dr. Edwards stated that he had briefly discussed the use of the Model with Mayor
Misetich, noting that it would be a Model that might most expeditiously assist the
Council to move through the process, recognizing that there may be the need for a
follow-up session later in the month to complete the discussion of topics.
Councilman Knight inquired where the implementation of the process comes in, as it
was not displayed on the Model.
Dr. Edwards stated that the Model was not designed for implementation as much as the
short and long term goals that are introduced by the Council.
Dr. Edwards invited each of the Council Members to identify the qualities in the existing
team that most foster enthusiasm, information sharing, and collaboration toward
common goals. He asked each Council Member to focus on his/her strengths, capacity
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January 3, 2012
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for working together collaboratively, manage and resolve conflict, and use of those
strengths in the existing Council.
Mayor Pro Tern Campbell requested more background information as to the purpose of
this particular question and the desired end result.
Dr. Edwards stated that the discovery piece of the process examines the strengths and
skill sets exist with respect to the Council; skills that each Council Member possesses to
deal with issues as they relate to resolve and manage conflict, to develop a
collaborative style of identifying and reaching common goals.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that she is a former Mayor of the City, having served in
that capacity 16 years ago; currently serves as a mediator, mediating disputes primarily
for the US Postal Service; and is a special education teacher. She noted that she ran
for Council because she felt the City had moved away from its original path. She added
that she would like to see the City conduct Town Hall Meetings.
Mayor Misetich stated that the skills he brings to the table include the willingness to
listen to the point of view of others. He stated that listening to various points of view is
an important part of conflict resolution and noted it as one of his strengths. He noted
that he wants to hear the points and arguments that are shared, and seeks to formulate
a common ground.
Councilman Knight stated that he has a real estate background, and has served on the
Planning Commission for five years, noting that he understands land use issues. He
noted that as a general philosophy he desires to hear the views from both sides of an
issue in order to have all the necessary information to make an informed decision
regarding a matter. He noted that he might have certain preferences or prejudices in
his thoughts regarding a particular matter, but is open to changing his position, although
that is sometimes difficult to accomplish. He stated that he accepts the assumption that
he could be wrong so that he can learn about the issue in order to make the best
possible choice regarding that issue.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that his background is in commercial real estate and
as a business owner. He stated that he understands that the details of how one runs a
business either moves the business forward, keeps you in place, or otherwise. He
stated that he likes to assume that there are available alternatives, is quick to point out
that he does not know all the answers, and looks for others to come up with alternatives
so that the collaboration results in better conclusions. He noted that the Council has a
good number of skill sets available to move the Council in a forward direction.
Councilman Duhovic stated that his background is in the area of finance and
management, with 24 years of business experience in managing both small and large
organizations, working with staff and senior management at both his own business and
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January 3, 2012
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in the corporate arena. He stated that he is a graduate of the United States Air Force
Academy, where he received ample training in leadership, problem solving and program
management. He noted that he served a brief tenure on the Finance Advisory
Committee, which was insightful as to the workings of the City's finances. He noted
that, like his colleagues, he brings the ability to listen and willingness to consider input in
order to work collaboratively with the Council as a group, since each brings his/her
unique skill sets to the organization. He inquired as to when the Council would actually
be getting into goal setting format of the program.
Dr. Edwards stated that the Council would spend a few more minutes on the
introductory phase of the program. He asked each Council Member to share his/her
understanding of the unique characteristics of Rancho Palos Verdes and how those
characteristics will shape the future view of the City in 10 years.
Councilman Duhovic stated that he hopes it looks much like it does today from an open
space and development standpoint. He noted that he would like to see more City and
resident involvement, with much greater transparency and more data available so that
all City matters are in the public arena.
Mayor Misetich stated that he grew up in Rancho Palos Verdes and considers this
location to be a "mystical and magical place," with a wonderful quality of life which is
ideal for raising a family. He noted that it is his desire to see the City much as it
currently is in ten years.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that she concurred with the others' comments and that in
the 26 years she has lived in the City she has seen improvements in many ways, but
she fears that the City has drifted off of the path of addressing manners with fiscal
prudence. She added that one of the key concepts upon the founding of the City was to
be fiscally prudent as well as to maintain a reasonable tax base as stated in the General
Plan. She noted that she would like to see the future of the City in the same venue it
currently exists, but with a more streamlined, transparent, accountable City with the
proper oversight so that the Council is responsible to the citizens. She stated that the
City needs more citizen participation, which has been seriously lacking in the past
years.
Councilman Knight stated that he concurred with the previous comments as well, noting
that residents moved to Rancho Palos Verdes for its beauty and the feeling of open
space, which can be easily lost. He stated that there are diverse areas of the City that
have different issues, noting that he would like to reach out to neighborhoods that have
for years believed they were disenfranchised areas of the City. He stated that he has
special areas of interest, such as the improving energy efficiency from the aspect of
urban planning.
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January 3, 2012
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Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that he could not improve upon what has been stated
except to add that Rancho Palos Verdes is a very stable, long term and welcoming
community.
Dr. Edwards noted that there were several themes stated, including the desire to
preserve the status quo of the beautiful open space characteristics of the area. He
asked the Council Members to think of their individual short-term and long-term goals to
maintain what exists in Rancho Palos Verdes today. He suggested that the Council
focus in terms of growth, if there would be growth, or expansion, if the status quo is to
be maintained. He stated that short-term goals would be those goals that are 1-2 years
and long term goals that are in the 2-4 year range.
Councilman Duhovic suggested that it might be helpful to define 5 or 6 major areas on
which to focus including the following: 1) infrastructure issues; 2) financial issues;
3) public recreation; 4) public safety; 5) the business environment; and, 6) development
in Rancho Palos Verdes.
The Council concurred that the topics suggested would be a good place to start.
Infrastructure
Councilman Duhovic stated that regarding infrastructure, the first short-term project that
needs to be dealt with as soon as possible is the San Ramon Canyon Stabilization
Project. He continued that he would like to know where the City is regarding the
following topics: storm drain maintenance; sewer maintenance; the street maintenance
program; Western Avenue corridor; pumping stations on Western Avenue; and the Civic
Center/City Hall Project.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that additional projects include the following: Portuguese
Bend Landslide area dewatering wells and roadway repairs; and, special source funding
to replace the loss of funding for Redevelopment Agency projects. She stated that the
landslide issues are crucial infrastructure needs that have been put on the back burner
for some time; and noted the importance of traffic and safety projects along Palos
Verdes Drive East (PVDE). She also noted that public safety issues are of the highest
importance to her.
Mayor Misetich stated that in order to address the City's infrastructure needs, the City
must be financially sound. He noted that the City has a hybrid zero based budget,
which he would like to be more detailed so that the Council has more input on line items
in the budget. He stated that one of the key projects in the City is the San Ramon
Canyon Stabilization Project and staff has been able to obtain a grant for half of the
funding of that project, but the City is faced with the challenge of finding the funding for
the remainder of the project. He noted the importance of the City being financially
sound, but stated that the City may have to find a way to fund the balance of the project
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January 3, 2012
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if there is no Federal funding or funding from the other agencies involved in the
landslide area.
Dr. Edwards encouraged the Council to drill down to the details even more as the
discussion proceeds to help identify how the City might obtain additional funding to
achieve these goals
Mayor Misetich added that another important project that had been mentioned is
improvements to Western Avenue, which is one of the gateways to the City. He stated
that all entrances to the City should be beautiful gateways, so that people know when
they have entered Rancho Palos Verdes. He reported on the City's receipt of a recent
grant for consulting services for the purpose of the beautification of Western Avenue.
He stated that another important issue is the creation of a joint power emergency
preparedness mutual aid organization for the Peninsula cities, since the Peninsula is
isolated and could be susceptible to earthquakes or the threat of fires. Mayor Misetich
stated that he wanted the community businesses to know that they have the support of
the City and encouraged the residents to frequent the local businesses. He stated that
he wanted to ensure that there is a streamlined application and approval process for
any business interested in opening in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes.
Councilman Knight stated that he agreed the San Ramon Canyon Stabilization Project
is important and that as a short-term goal it was important to get the City of Los Angeles
and the County of Los Angeles to participate in the needed repair to the area, by
meeting with Board of Supervisors, and Council Members in the City of Los Angeles to
seriously discuss the urgency of this project. He added that there is a Los Angeles City
Measure 0 Bond coming forth to specifically prevent flooding and protect the public
health and welfare and other possible beneficiaries to the project such as the Los
Angeles City Emergency Management Program. He noted that access to the FAA site
for communication and homes from PVDE can all be affected by the San Ramon
Project. He encouraged reaching out to Congresswoman Janice Hahn and
representatives of the other agencies for partial funding of this project.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that fundamentally he wants to find a more effective
way to increase the residents' involvement regarding the City's goals. He added that
the earlier input and buy-in can be obtained from the community, the more effective the
comments will be to help the City achieve the goals sooner rather than later. He
commented on the lack of enough community input on the recently proposed
Annenberg Project; and noted the importance of looking back to analyze where certain
projects were successful, such as the McCarrell Canyon Storm Drain Project, and the
importance of conducting a "lessons learned" analysis of projects that were not
successful.
Mayor Misetich stated that he has discussed with City Manager Lehr the idea of more
community outreach by staff, with staff attending Homeowners' Association (HOA)
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January 3, 2012
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meetings and communicating directly with residents in order to articulate some of the
City's proposed projects and obtain community input.
Councilman Knight added that he believes it is important, in the business districts of the
City, such as along Western Avenue, that there be ongoing communication with the
business owners to find out their needs.
Mayor Misetich stated that he plans to visit each business along Western Avenue in the
next month.
Councilwoman Brooks suggested the restoration of the Town Hall meetings as a vital
tool to outreach with the community, with possibly two Council Members present at
each meeting. She stated that staff has done an outstanding job conducting
presentations and outreach to the community regarding the San Ramon Canyon
Stabilization Project, which is a vital project to the area. She noted that buy-in and
community support is just as important on the City's ancillary projects, such as skate
parks.
Dr. Edwards asked if there were any models contained within the process of the recent
presentations that might be recommended as the Council moves forward looking at
some other areas.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that staff did a great deal of work which led to the success
of the preparation for the San Ramon Canyon Stabilization Project, including the
Council signing letters and hiring lobbyists for Washington D.C. She continued that
additional funding is necessary.
Financial Issues
Dr. Edwards asked each Council Member for specific short-term goals regarding
financial issues.
Councilman Knight stated that the City has done a good job over the years and is one of
the few cities with a reserve in place, but he noted that there are always areas where
efficiencies can be identified as expenses continue to rise, such as an energy audit to
make sure the municipal buildings are running efficiently. He noted that an area that
might need to be reassessed is in the area of City studies that have been undertaken,
as many studies that have been conducted have been placed on a shelf and never
used. He stated that studies are important, but if the studies are to be conducted, the
end goal needs to be kept in mind.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that if the City is absolutely transparent to the extent
expected by California law, much of the financial issues would be resolved. He stated
that with transparency comes involvement, community buy-in, and an understanding of
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January 3, 2012
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the overall picture. He noted that it is a fundamental issue to have the free flow of
information between government and its residents.
Dr. Edwards inquired as to the need for new mechanisms or ordinances to promote this
level of greater transparency.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that there are many California laws regarding
transparency, but that we need to strive to achieve what the full intent of the law is
regarding transparency and to set the standard. He stated that if you shine a light on
something, you get to the bottom line pretty quickly versus beating around the bush.
Mayor Misetich stated that one of the goals should be to direct staff to find efficiencies in
the operations of government to save some money. He noted that the economic
climate demands that we look for efficiencies at this time. He added that the State is
not friendly to cities and has taken away much of the funding for local governments, as
in the case of the abolition of Redevelopment Agencies. He stated this has brought on
many questions and a level of anxiety for him regarding the City's funds. He stated that
the City should focus on running a fiscally tight ship, with the enhancement of CIP
reserves and General Fund Reserves, while still spending money on the City's
infrastructure.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that one reason she ran for Council again was that she
noticed in the past ten years that the budget and number of staff have doubled, and the
fees and salaries have doubled in the last fifteen years, while the population of the City
has remained static, since the City is basically built out. She stated that we need to run
a fiscally prudent ship and having streamlined operations. She stated that she worked
with Len Wood, the first City Manager of Rancho Palos Verdes, to identify some of the
financial basis to help make these decisions and determine if we are on target regarding
maintaining the status quo at City Hall. She noted that she had a list of topics to
consider, including the following: 1) Going out to bid on certain projects or certain long
term personnel contracts, to see if the City can get a better price; 2) Conducting a
performance audit on individuals to assess whether or not there are any redundancies
in some of the operations with the increase in staff; 3) Misuse of some of the staff and
the continual hiring of consultants to do work that perhaps some of the staff members
could do to save their jobs; 4) Conduct the proper audits to see how we are performing,
and how we can do the best with what we have, to see if we have any excesses; and,
5) Identify future needs which will be serious and crucial for financial stability. She
added that there are other projects such as the email programs, website, and television
station, which should be reviewed to measure the needs versus the wants. She stated
that the City should eventually look at the macro and not the micro.
Councilman Duhovic stated that he has interest in the following topics: 1) a hybrid zero
based budget; 2) the review of contracts, with a bid process and formal RFP process for
the IT area and PV Net agreement; 3) a performance audit of City staff, personnel, and
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January 3, 2012
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possible use of contract staff; 4) the cost of employee compensation and benefits needs
to be examined; 5) the pension issue needs to be revisited; 6) review of the fees
charged to the public for reasonableness; 7) use of consultants or volunteers in the
community; and, 8) transparency, as one of the Council's primary jobs is being the
financial stewards of the City's funds.
Dr. Edwards inquired as to what extent the growth of staff has been compounded by the
number of overall projects assigned to staff by the Council.
Mayor Misetich stated that the growth of staff has been due to a certain degree to the
number of projects assigned by the Council. He stated that one thing the Council will
struggle with will be the balance of looking for efficiencies while also maintaining
services for the residents. He reminded the Council that the City is a government and a
not for profit enterprise. While the City should be looking for efficiency, the customers
are the residents, and the customers should be pleased with the services the City is
providing.
Councilman Knight stated that there has been the accumulation of deferred
maintenance projects that have led to the long list of important projects, such as the
San Ramon Canyon Stabilization Project and the storm drains which the City inherited
from the County. He noted that some of the projects that staff is working on are the
deferred maintenance projects.
Councilman Duhovic stated that one item that he attributes to City Manager Lehr, in a
discussion regarding the budget, was the process of redefining City services. He noted
that the questions are the following: 1) what do the residents expect as services; and,
2) what do the residents want the City to provide them for their tax dollars?
Dr. Edwards stated that those determinations could be a natural outcome from the
proposed Performance Audit.
Councilman Duhovic stated that it might be best to determine what comes first. He
suggested that perhaps the focus be on the identification of the City's core services.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that the staff reports seem to be a lot longer than they
were 16 years ago, as far as the compilation of the written documentation, and she was
not certain if that was as a result of less actual work to be done and more time spent on
documentation. She suggested a streamlined, succinct, pithy report will be read and
understood by more people, while being more efficient and effective. She stated that
the deferred maintenance issue went way back before her original time on Council. She
stated that she sees more consultants being hired now than ever before and opined that
staff members could probably do the job quite efficiently.
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Dr. Edwards inquired if part of the research and studies mentioned before are being
done by the consultants.
Councilman Brooks stated that there are park projects that have come up, noting that
the City has ten active parks and five passive parks, and in fact all but one of the parks
on the entire Peninsula. She reported that the City maintains the parks and that 20
years ago the City went broke largely because of the expansive park programs. She
stated that she has concerns regarding the plans for Grandview Park, Lower Hesse
Park, and the Civic Center. She stated that the Council should reassess the Civic
Center to consider a modified version of the plan, to retrofit or renovate the existing
facilities so at least there is a Council Chamber and a place where people can gather
formally. She continued that many projects that have been identified by the last
Council, such as a skate park, have resulted in people putting their energy into
something that may not even become a reality. She concluded that the City's spending
needs to be reprioritized for public safety and infrastructure, since those were the two
main reasons for having the City.
Councilman Knight stated that his experience has been that the size of government is
directly related to the services the citizens expect of government, and before there are
any program or staff cuts, the Council must understand exactly what the residents truly
desire to have in the way of services.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell moved, seconded by Councilman Duhovic, to cease further
work on the Civic Center Project until the Council and community have the opportunity
to revisit the issue with appropriate buy-in from the community and Council.
Councilwoman Brooks asked for clarification regarding the cessation of work for what
period of time.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that his motion would be to cease further work until the
Civic Center item can be brought back to review the original purpose of the project; the
current scope of work; how much work has been done; the engineering studies and
environmental studies; and all the work that has been done that Council has not yet
seen. He stated that from a transparency and efficiency standpoint, he is not in favor of
any additional work being done on the project until the Council and the community has
received a comprehensive understanding of the project.
Councilman Duhovic stated that he had a recent conversation with the City Manager
and Deputy City Manager regarding the City Hall issue and his interest in having the
topic placed on an agenda. He stated that after the discussion, he agreed it would be
better not to agendize the matter, and instead all documentation and work product
created to date would be sent to the Council Members so that a decision could be made
as to the direction of the project. He added that the Council may wish the Finance
Advisory Committee and/or Planning Commission to review the project. He noted that a
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January 3, 2012
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commitment had been made to cease all work on the project until Council has the
opportunity to review the information, but since the motion has been made to formalize
this action, he has seconded the motion.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that he would welcome an amendment to his motion,
or a substitute motion, as this is a good discussion regarding efficiency and utilizing
scarce staff resources to be working on certain projects versus others. He stated that
he is not aware of anyone in the community who is clamoring for a new City Hall right
away, so he ranked it as a lower priority.
Councilman Knight moved a substitute motion, seconded by Councilwoman Brooks, to
direct staff to bring forward all information they have to date for the Council to review
and discuss in order to make a determination regarding the issue.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell withdrew his original motion and moved an amendment to
forward all the information regarding the Civic Center to the Planning Commission (PC)
and Finance Advisory Committee (FAC) to review and make a recommendation to
Council if action is deemed appropriate.
Councilman Knight accepted the amendment, but requested clarification regarding the
direction that would be given to the PC and FAC regarding the review of the material.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that he wanted them copied so they could decide as a
body if they wish to take action regarding the matter.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that she would like to see the work that has been
completed to date and, before the entire project is discarded, the information should be
reviewed and discussed for possible modifications; but she inquired if the proposal is for
the project to go to the PC and FAC and then to the City Council.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that the information could be made publically available
on the City's website since this is all public information and is a transparency issue. He
noted that he simply wants all of the work done to date to be available to all who would
be interested in seeing it.
Councilman Duhovic reported that the Civic Center issue is an item that is on the FAC's
agenda for review in the next year, if he remembered correctly, unless something has
changed.
Discussion continued regarding the clarification of the matter.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell withdrew his amendment to the motion.
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January 3, 2012
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Councilman Knight moved a substitute motion, seconded by Councilwoman Brooks, to
direct staff to make available all current information regarding the Civic Center Project to
the Council and public through the Council Meeting Agenda process, with Council to
decide after review of the materials if the Planning Commission and/or Finance Advisory
Committee should be directed to provide recommendations to Council regarding the
project. This item is to be placed on a Council agenda within the next 60 days.
The motion passed on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Brooks, Campbell, Duhovic, Knight and Mayor Misetich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Public Safety
Dr. Edwards stated that Councilwoman Brooks raised the topic of public safety as a
critical area in terms of short term goals.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that public safety is in the General Plan and is one of the
prime reasons that the City was formed. She stated that she would like to see the City
foster a closer working relationship with the Sheriffs Department, as she sees great
differences in the relationship now compared to her prior tenure on the Council. She
stated that in the past, the Council decided to focus on crime prevention rather than
identifying minor speed traps where the public might be exceeding the speed limit by
3-5 miles per hour. She noted that speed traps near Miraleste Intermediate School or
near the Wayfarer's Chapel only aggravate the public and suggested that there be a
prioritization on crime watch, as there has been an increase in crime as a result of the
economy and solicitors in the community, and establishing a notification procedure so
that the public is made aware of dangerous situations, of which there had been four in
the last two weeks. She continued that there may have been opportunities for the
public to be notified, particularly when the ponga smuggling boats had recently landed
at Abalone Cove and there were people running through the neighborhoods. She noted
that the Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), and Neighborhood Watch
organizations are active and effective programs that should be utilized, and encouraged
the City Manager to work with them. She shared her recent unsatisfactory exchange
with the Sheriffs Department regarding an incident where helicopters were flying
overhead.
Councilwoman Brooks noted that the City should not be known for trying to reach its
quota on traffic citations, yet she acknowledged the traffic problems with high speeds
and erratic drivers along PVDE. She added that the activities of the Traffic Safety
Commission should be monitored closely, and offered to participate in that process.
She stated that there should be reconsideration of certain projects that were recently
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January 3, 2012
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approved by the prior Council, and one of those projects is the notion of flashing
crosswalk lights at Crest Road and Whitley Collins Dr. She stated that these flashing
lights have a terrible record in San Pedro and Los Angeles County due to constant
flashing, and subsequently drivers begin to ignore them. She questioned the use of the
addition of crosswalks in the middle of a street segment, as it provides a false sense of
security. And finally she concluded with a concern with the Los Angeles Animal Control
services contract due to the following issues: 1) road kill that is not picked up promptly;
2) barking dog issues that are not addressed adequately; and, 3) the monitoring of
animal issues since there are problems with raccoons, which are known to possibly be
rabid animals.
Councilman Duhovic stated that he is concerned with the following: 1) the need to
increase the presence of the Sheriff on the south and west side of the City; 2) consider
a substation in some form to demonstrate a law enforcement presence, whether it be at
City Hall or the Ladera Linda Community Center; 3) more cognizance of the City's fire
prevention efforts and abatement during fire season; 4) traffic safety with the bicyclists
and autos regarding bicycling issues on PVDE; 5) the possible removal of the volatile
Rancho San Pedro LPG tanks near the Eastview section of the City; and, 6) need for a
notification procedure for staff, Council Members and the public when public safety
issues occur.
Mayor Misetich stated that the City has a very good relationship with Commander Anda
and the Lomita Sheriffs Station, as Commander Anda has been very active in the
communities on the Peninsula and very involved with the Peninsula Regional Law
Enforcement Committee which consists of three of the Peninsula cities. He reported
that she attended the recent Mayor's Breakfast and spoke about recent incidents that
have occurred in the City. He agreed that the emphasis in the City needs to move away
somewhat from traffic issues to focus on crime prevention and other incidents that occur
in the City. He noted that the Neighborhood Watch organization in Rancho Palos
Verdes is the top ranking organization in the country and works well with the Sheriffs
Department. He stated that there needs to be a peaceful coexistence between the
bicyclists and automobiles on PVDE and other roadways in the City, as the bicyclists
have the right to be on the roads under California law. He added that the City has an
unfunded Capital Improvement Project to deal with this traffic safety issue, noting that it
was an expensive item, but realizing that this Council may wish to move that project
forward.
Councilman Knight stated that he echoed the Mayor's comments regarding the Sheriffs
Department, as they do a very good job with public safety, but noted there is always
room for improvement. He suggested that the public can occasionally invite the
Sheriff's Department to an HOA meeting to discuss the local crime trends and
communicate with the residents about a number of topics. He stated that there are
concerns in the Portuguese Bend community regarding the safety of the current
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 14 of 29
Southern California Edison electrical infrastructure, as well as with Cal Water's water
lines that traverse the Portuguese Bend Landslide area.
Mayor Pro Tern Campbell reported that in a recent discussion with Commander Anda,
she stated that the Sheriff's Dept. is interested in having discussions with the City
Council and community regarding the City's priorities. He noted that it would be a
worthwhile discussion in light of the increase of crimes in the City as a result of the drug
boats that have recently landed along the coast. He added that this recent activity is a
result of actions that has been taken along the border which results in drug trafficking by
sea rather than by land. He stated that there may be some interest among Council
Members in providing input and direction to the Sheriffs Department regarding the
areas to focus their assets, noting that there might be interest in an acceleration of
placing this matter on the agenda.
Councilwoman Brooks moved to prioritize crime watch and consider reevaluating or
eliminating known speed traps and replacing them with active speed limits signs. The
motion died for a lack of a second.
Mayor Pro Tern Campbell moved, seconded by Councilwoman Brooks, to review the
current Sheriff Department's allocation of assets and work with them to focus their
efforts, as well as review the communication guidelines and policies regarding
notification of the public during public safety activities.
Mayor Pro Tern Campbell provided background information to Dr. Edwards regarding
the impetus behind this motion.
The motion passed on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Brooks, Campbell, Duhovic, Knight and Mayor Misetich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
RECESS AND RECONVENE:
Mayor Misetich called a brief recess from 7:54 P.M. to 8:03 P.M.
Dr. Edwards inquired as to Council's preference to continue through the remaining
categories that were suggested.
Council concurred and discussion ensued.
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 15 of 29
Business Environment
Councilman Duhovic stated that Mayor Misetich touched on this topic earlier, noting that
the Council must work via committee or some other format to inform the business
community that the City of Rancho Palos Verdes is business friendly. He added that
perhaps there could be a subset of the Chamber of Commerce that is Rancho Palos
Verdes specific to focus on the limited economic areas in the City of Rancho Palos
Verdes.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that there is one improved area along the Western
Avenue Corridor, and the other businesses are either individually owned or maintained
businesses or restaurants. She inquired if the City charges the Terranea Resort for
overflow parking at the City Hall property.
City Manager Lehr stated that there are established fees for any groups other than
perhaps non-profits for use of City parking lots and other City facilities. She stated that
film companies and various businesses have used the facilities in this manner. She
continued that Terranea Resort has used the City Hall parking facility on a number of
occasions for overflow parking, and the partnership with the City has worked well to
accommodate their special events. She stated that the process has been set up so that
it is quite streamlined and the fees are quite low considering the City's ability to
accommodate a major event. She noted that there is some set up required by the
Public Works staff to prepare for the special event parking.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that she had a recent conversation with an employee of
Terranea Resort who had parked her car in the dirt parking lot at City Hall. She opined
that we should not be charging Terranea Resort for this service and would like the City
to be business friendly and reconsider charging the fees.
City Manager Lehr stated that she would contact the management of the Terranea
Resort, as the City has been working with them to ensure that the process is quick and
easy for them. She added that she would check if the process is working well for them,
if they are happy, and if there is anything that is problematic with the current process
with the City.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that she was informed that the Community Development
Department Planning and Permit desk was not open during the lunch hour. She noted
that if the desk was open during the lunch hour, it would help the businesses and
citizens obtain their permits.
Community Development Director Rojas stated that the Department is open during the
lunch hour, and although most staff members are gone during the lunch hour, there is
always someone available at the One-Stop Permit Center.
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 16 of 29
Mayor Misetich stated that he wanted to reiterate that there should be a streamlining of
the processes for people to open a business or make modifications to their business,
noting that the process should be easier than it is today, especially in the current
economic climate. He added that he desired better communication with businesses,
noting that he had discussed with City Manager Lehr a proposal for a Mayor's Business
Outreach Luncheon to invite businesses from the economic areas along Western
Avenue, Miraleste Plaza, and Golden Cove. He stated that he would hope to obtain
information from the business owners regarding how the City could do things better for
them to help them prosper.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that he agreed the City should be more efficient and
business friendly, and the City should review the fees.
Mayor Misetich stated that he has asked staff to review the issues and return with ideas
and recommendations that can be addressed in today's climate.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell inquired if staff has any particular methodology to identify
areas of efficiency in order to measure the value of the information staff would bring
back to Council.
Mayor Misetich stated that he had a discussion with City Manager Lehr and Community
Development Director Rojas regarding the way some of the ordinances are structured.
He stated that a business owner can expand his business by five hundred square feet
without a Conditional Use Permit.
Community Development Director Rojas explained that staff was considering the
expansion of this allowance if that is the direction the Council wishes to consider.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell inquired as to the comprehensive policy standpoint what
could be done to make strides in this direction.
Mayor Misetich stated that staff should return to Council with an overview of the
ordinances that affect businesses to help educate the Council.
Councilwoman Brooks suggested that businesses should be encouraged to provide
feedback to Council regarding improvements or modifications that they think would be
effective.
Mayor Misetich stated that part of his effort in visiting every business in the City is to find
out from the owners how the City is doing, what the businesses would like to see, and
what we could do better. He stated that he could report back to staff and the Council as
to common concerns or suggested improvements from businesses with a report back to
Council in 60 days.
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 17 of 29
Councilman Duhovic stated that it might be helpful to obtain information via a survey.
Mayor Misetich stated that bringing businesses in for an event like the Mayor's Business
Luncheon would serve as an outreach to the local businesses.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell added that both the Chamber of Commerce of the Peninsula
and San Pedro could be very helpful since they work directly with businesses and
working with them could help strengthen the City's relationship with the two
organizations.
Councilman Knight stated that he was pleased to hear that the Mayor is seeking
feedback from the businesses. He stated that one of the items mentioned earlier was
the Western Avenue Compass Blueprint Grant, and noted that there are four Specific
Plans for Western Avenue. He stated that he wants to understand the relationship
between the studies of the past, the Specific Plans, and the Western Avenue Grant
proposal, which should be integrated with the feedback from the businesses, so that the
Council and business owners have the opportunity to understand all of the City's
policies.
Discussion continued between Council Members regarding surveys and other manners
of obtaining information from businesses.
Councilwoman Brooks moved, seconded by Councilman Duhovic, to develop a survey
with the assistance of staff and the Chamber of Commerce to seek information and
feedback from businesses as to ways in which the City can offer assistance or be more
accommodating to businesses.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell offered an amendment that the City create a survey and
reach out to other organizations, such as the Chambers of Commerce, who have
experience in this area, and before the survey is sent out the Council should have the
opportunity to review the language and methodology to be used to ensure it is a
professional looking and effective survey.
Councilwoman Brooks accepted the amendment.
Mayor Misetich offered an amendment to direct staff to provide a presentation to the
Council regarding the current business ordinances and regulations that affect
businesses to evaluate the current business environment.
Councilwoman Brooks accepted the amendment.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell offered an amendment that the presentation be made to
Council within 90 days.
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 18 of 29
Councilwoman Brooks and Councilman Duhovic, as the maker and seconder of the
original motion, accepted the amendments.
The motion, as amended, passed on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Brooks, Campbell, Duhovic, Knight and Mayor Misetich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Public Recreation
Dr. Edwards introduced the next topic of public recreation.
Councilman Knight stated that there are many things in place, including the entire trail
system for public recreation. He stated that one thing to look into, especially for the
active sports, would be coordination with the School District for some of their sites, such
as Ladera Linda, which could be used as coordinated joint use site. He noted that he
was interested in hearing from other Council Members regarding the recreation
programs that the City has at Hesse Park to evaluate what is working and not working
for the public. He stated that in addition to the trail system, there is much natural open
space, and the City needs to continue working as a team with the Palos Verdes
Peninsula Land Conservancy, and with continued enforcement by the Mountain
Recreation and Conservation Park Rangers in the Preserve.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that it is a great idea to expand discussions with the
School District regarding the coordination of public recreation needs with their facilities
and City facilities. He added that the school campuses effectively serve as the
recreation centers for the Peninsula.
Mayor Misetich stated that he supports the enhancement of the City's trail system,
which is an important feature of the City, with a goal to make the trails more sustainable.
He stated that he was in favor of the active recreation and economies of scale regarding
the School District facilities for active recreation. He stated that the school sites are
open during the weekends so that the public can use the locations.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that the School District is one of the largest organizations
on the Peninsula, and the Library District serves the four cities on the Peninsula, and
noted that these are all identified in the plans as parks. She stated that some of the
facilities are closed on the weekends, but to the extent that they are open, they should
be utilized. She stated that the City of Rancho Palos Verdes has the majority of the
parks on the Peninsula, with the responsibility of maintaining the parks as a large
expense. She stated that there should be buy-in from the other Peninsula cities for any
future parks for which the City might consider participation. She reviewed the past
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 19 of 29
expenses of the park programs and maintenance along with other budget problems
which created a dire financial situation in the early 1990's that necessitated the layoff of
25% of the staff members at that time. She continued that the City has to be mindful of
the situation as it considers plans and designs for Lower Hesse Park, Grandview Park,
a skate park, and a dog park. She stated that in an ancillary way, the trail network also
needs to be maintained. She discussed the past history of bicyclists and signs that
were previously erected which stated "Not Suitable for Bicycles" along PVDE and
PVDS. She added that the signs were replaced with signs that state "Share the Road."
She noted that she would like this issue addressed in the future.
Councilman Duhovic recapped that the City needs to differentiate between park
maintenance, park renovation, and the creation of new park facilities in total like Lower
Hesse Park and Grandview Park, with evaluation of the issues and proper citizen
feedback. He stated that the Council has received many emails regarding the dog
beach below Trump, noting that there are some legalities that will need to be addressed
regarding this topic. He added that the dog park issue should be bifurcated from the
skate park issue and that the sites across the Peninsula that are being evaluated should
be cleared politically through the Mayor or staff of those cities. He stated that access to
the open space should be coordinated with the NCCP restoration process. He noted
that he was in favor of the coordination of school sites for public recreation activities.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that under the Business Environment topic, he thought
it would be useful for staff to obtain all of the copies of the iterations of the plans
regarding the Western Avenue Business District to glean the information that is still
valuable so that staff does not have to reconstruct the plan. He added that with the
Western Avenue Compass Blueprint Grant, he would be interested in the issuance of a
Request for Proposals (RFP) to bring the right people on board to utilize that grant.
Community Development Director Rojas stated that the grant comes from Southern
California Association of Governments (SCAG), SCAG established the processes and
sent out the RFP, and SCAG representatives and staff are set to interview consultants
in January.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell requested a quick update and overview of the status of this
grant under the City Manager's Report at the next Council meeting.
Community Development Director Rojas stated that SCAG controls the process and
they gave the project to a short list of consultants that they typically use, but he noted
he would provide the update to Council.
Development in Rancho Palos Verdes
Dr. Edwards stated that the final category was the topic of Development in Rancho
Palos Verdes.
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 20 of 29
Councilman Duhovic stated that there should be an examination of the entire planning
process regarding the complex process for development; streamlining; allowing
decisions to be made at the staff level; evaluating the fee schedule; and revisiting the
view restoration process and the cost associated with that process. He stated that other
areas of concerns are the following: the finalization of the Floor Area Ration (FAR)
issue; Ponte Vista development adjacent to the Eastview section of the City; and the
status of the City's Redevelopment Agency.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that she echoed the comments regarding the user
friendliness and fees charged for development. She reported that the view restoration
process operated as a Committee in the past. She stated that the Council should get
more feedback on the view process and the ordinance needs to be revisited by the new
Council. She added that there is an impact of the Ponte Vista Project on Western
Avenue which should be evaluated, and noted that there is increased FAA traffic with
large jets from LAX and air traffic from Long Beach overflying the Peninsula, which is an
issue that affects the residents, schools, and other buildings in the City.
Mayor Misetich stated that he echoed the comments on items regarding development in
the City of Rancho Palos Verdes.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell stated that many great ideas have been shared and he
looked forward to some motions to be made on the topics discussed.
Councilman Knight stated that the FAR issue has been before the PC several times,
and is a complex topic requiring evaluation and analysis. He stated that a consensus
was not reached regarding the matter. He stated that regarding view restoration, there
is a preliminary consultation process, which if not resolved goes to the PC. He noted
that one area that should be reevaluated is the view restoration policy regarding City-
owned trees. He noted that the City has a policy that if a City tree blocks a view, the
tree is removed. He stated that he would like to explore possible ways to find solutions,
short of removing the trees. He also stated that applications for cell towers often come
before the PC and he suggested the exploration of code regulations regarding the
expansion of cell towers in the public right-of-way.
Mayor Misetich called for the public speakers on this agenda item.
Ken Dyda, Rancho Palos Verdes, stated that he was pleased to see the City received a
grant for the beautification of Western Avenue and reminded the Council that there is
another gateway to the City on Hawthorne Blvd., which he opined is currently the ugliest
gateway on the Peninsula. He suggested using the recycling beautification monies to
improve medians along Western Avenue and Hawthorne Blvd., which would be a
benefit to the entire community. He added that HOAs and individual homeowners might
be able to share, through some process, the cost of beautifying the pilasters and chain
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 21 of 29
link fences falling down along Hawthorne Blvd. He noted that the improvements did not
have to be uniform, but could be certainly a lot better. He stated that there has been a
great deal of discussion regarding the San Ramon Canyon improvements, but he
reminded the Council of the need for technical and funding strategies towards an
ultimate solution to resolve the landslide issues in Portuguese Bend area and along
PVDS.
Dave Tomblin, Rancho Palos Verdes, stated that the Planning Commission and City
Council used to hold joint workshops so that the PC could understand the direction that
the Council desired to go with their policies. He suggested that it would be a helpful
collaboration between the bodies so that the PC could assist the Council in
accomplishing the goals of the City.
Tom Redfield, R & R Coalition, Rancho Palos Verdes, stated that he was pleased with
the work of the Sheriff's Department over the past years. He stated that he was
concerned with the comments regarding the suggestion to switch the emphasis of the
Sheriffs Department to crime, noting that there was no question that there should be a
focus on that area. He stated that the elimination of the one dedicated Traffic Deputy by
the previous Council has been detrimental to the City. He noted that there are three
shared deputies now serving the three Peninsula cities. He stated that the traffic
situation with speeding on PVDE is a real issue and there is not effective traffic
enforcement in the City as a result of the change. He added that the Sheriff Deputies
do not issue tickets to drivers going 5-7 miles per hour over the speed limit. He stated
that the Sheriffs Department has information available so that the Council can
understand where the resources are being utilized and whether the City is receiving its
fair share.
Dr. Edwards stated that the Council was able to move through the designated
categories this evening, but there was also a miscellaneous category suggested.
Miscellaneous Goals
Beautification Grants
Councilwoman Brooks stated that the City's Beautification Grant Program was formed in
1989 and was a very effective program, although over time there may have been
disproportionate use by the different HOAs. She reported that the situation with the
fences falling down in the public right-of-way on Hawthorne Blvd. has been an issue for
over 20 years, and she considered this area blighted. She stated that all visitors who
pass through this area comment on the unsightly state of that stretch of road. She
stated that she would like to reinstate the use of the beautification recycling funds
without necessarily identifying that it would be for HOAs, but that the Council would look
into what would be the best use of those funds.
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 22 of 29
Mayor Pro Tern Campbell asked if she was talking about not allowing the HOAs or other
organizations to use the beautification grants.
Councilwoman Brooks clarified that she was willing to make a motion to reopen the
process to examine the idea of the use of the recycling funds for the beautification of
both the HOAs and public right-of-ways as part of the Beautification Recycling Grant
Program.
Mayor Pro Tern Campbell stated that he is very aware of the state of the fences along
the stretch of Hawthorne Blvd. that is being discussed, but noted these fences and walls
are privately owned by over 100 homeowners. He noted that to get them to agree on a
consistent look, design, and payment for the fences will be nearly impossible. He stated
that his HOA put together a three-year plan to plant foliage and install irrigation against
the wall along Hawthorne Blvd. He added that this project began from a few thousand
dollars through the Beautification Grant Program and that putting the money into the
hands of a few local HOAs that have a plan for improvements is a good practice. Mayor
Pro Tem Campbell stated he was in favor of reinstating the Beautification Recycling
Grant Program the way it was and modifying it to address some of the other concerns.
Mayor Misetich inquired of City Attorney Lynch regarding the issues of concern that
arose last year when this matter was discussed regarding the appropriate use of public
funds as part of the program.
City Attorney Lynch stated that the issue was where the funds could be properly utilized
in areas that would benefit the general common public, for example on arterials or major
collector streets. She noted that the original policy so stated, but there had been some
deviation over time from that policy by past Councils' directions. She reported that the
Council had gone back to the policy stating that the funds did need to be used in areas
that would benefit the whole public. She noted that she was not certain if the program
was suspended, but did recall that the legal issue was about the expenditure of monies
in a private neighborhood in a location where there would be no public view and no
general public benefit.
Mayor Pro Tern Campbell stated that he did recall the situation, noting that he was on
the Beautification Grant Subcommittee, which was to explore how to bring the
Beautification Recycling Grant Program back and expand it to be available for a wider
range of organizations from small to large. He noted that he did not agree with one of
the criticisms of the program, which was that some HOAs were coming back year after
year to seek funding, while other HOAs that did not apply were somehow characterized
as victims. He stated that the whole program was suspended by a former Council
Member due to that issue, noting that the Beautification Grant Program Subcommittee
never met to actually make that happen.
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 23 of 29
Councilwoman Brooks stated that she was talking about a program such as this where
her HOA made improvements along Crest Road with plants covering the fence. She
stated that Council could work with staff to get the Beautification Recycling Grant
Program going again and she would he willing to make a motion to that effect.
Councilwoman Brooks moved, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Campbell, to reinstate the
Beautification Recycling Grant Program and look at modifications as it goes forward.
City Manager Lehr stated that this issue had progressed in its development and
reached a point where the two-member Beautification Recycling Grant Program
Subcommittee was established, but never met. She stated that the Subcommittee was
going to assist staff in identifying priorities regarding improvements along major
corridors and collector streets. She stated that staff had completed quite a bit of work
on this program already and work could resume by convening the new Subcommittee.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell suggested adding Councilwoman Brooks to the Beautification
Recycling Grant Program Subcommittee.
Mayor Misetich noted that he had not yet made the Subcommittee appointments, but
thanked Mayor Pro Tem Council for his suggestion.
Councilman Knight suggested that Council could work with staff from a planning
perspective to develop uniform building standards for the walls that are along the City's
major corridors, such as those along Hawthorne Blvd., to address the aesthetics so that
there is visual uniformity along the corridors.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell concurred regarding the development of aesthetic standards,
but stated it should be a separate motion.
Councilman Knight agreed that it could be a separate motion.
The motion passed on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Brooks, Campbell, Duhovic, Knight and Mayor Misetich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Councilman Knight moved, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Campbell, to direct staff to
research the feasibility of establishing a uniform Development Code standard to
address aesthetic appearance of the walls and fences along the City's major corridors,
with the suggestions to be brought back for Council consideration.
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 24 of 29
Mayor Pro Tern Campbell offered an amendment to include input from the Planning
Commission regarding the ideas and design with staff, before the matter is brought back
to the Council for consideration.
City Attorney Lynch and Director Rojas stated that the matter would have to go to the
Planning Commission as a Code Amendment.
Councilman Duhovic reminded Council and staff that there was a resident who
volunteered her services earlier in the meeting.
The motion passed on the following roll call vote:
AYES: Brooks, Campbell, Duhovic, Knight and Mayor Misetich
NOES: None
ABSENT: None
ABSTAIN: None
Councilwoman Brooks stated that she has concern over the backboard supports for the
display of banners that the Council recently approved. She stated that they are box like
structures that have no design standards or architectural criteria. She reported that at
the Miraleste location, there are two signs next to each other that are not straight with a
banner next to it advertising Girls Softball. She opined that the design of the backboard
supports should have gone to the Planning Commission for architectural review. She
questioned the reason for having two banners at the same location and noted that the
banner is not the same size as the backboard support. She stated that the Temporary
Banner Policy should be revisited and the matter sent to the Planning Commission for
review.
Councilwoman Brooks moved that the Temporary Banner Policy should be revisited and
the matter sent to the Planning Commission for review and design criteria.
Mayor Pro Tern Campbell asked if the Temporary Banner support signs should be taken
down in the interim.
Mayor Misetich suggested that staff return to the next Council Meeting with an item
under the City Manager's Report to discuss the aesthetics of the Temporary Banner
Sign backboards.
Council discussion ensued regarding the content of the item for the City Manager's
Report and the amount of public feedback regarding the Temporary Banner Signs prior
to the construction of the backboard supports.
Mayor Misetich suggested that the City Manager discuss this item under the next City
Manager's Report with some recommendations regarding sign alternatives.
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 25 of 29
City Manager Lehr stated that perhaps staff could look at the possibility of making minor
modifications to the signs to improve the aesthetics without the matter requiring Council
action.
Councilman Duhovic stated that he would like to know the cost of the signs since they
appear to be sheets of plywood on 4 by 4 posts, noting that they are unsightly and he
has received much negative feedback on the banner backboards. He added that even
those who were in favor of the banners have stated that they would prefer to have two
posts to hang their banners.
Council and staff discussion continued regarding the topic.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell suggested that there be a short agenda item at the next
Council Meeting so that Council could act on the banner sign issue.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that her next item is revisiting the City's Solicitation
Ordinance. She noted that since the last review of the ordinance in 2007 many
changes have taken place and more solicitors are in the City's neighborhoods, with
people being dropped off at Marymount College and being distributed to three
neighborhoods at the same time. She stated that the Council needs to revisit the
ordinance and the requirement for a Solicitor's Permit for solicitation activities and
recommended the item be placed on a future agenda.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that the City was founded on conservative fiscal policies
of needs versus wants and inquired as to the how the City Council got involved in the
funding of philanthropic organizations through the Grant Program. She stated that
funding of philanthropic organizations is an individual's responsibility and right and that
the City is not in the position to be granting funds to organizations. She stated that any
additional revenue should be utilized to benefit the residents of the City on public safety
and the City's infrastructure, with some exceptions. She noted that if there is
determined to be an excess of funds, in the Storm Drain User Fee Fund, that the money
should be returned to the taxpayer. She added that she had a concern regarding the
growth of the Grant Program.
Mayor Misetich stated that the Council has the discretion not to grant any money if it so
chooses, during the annual budget sessions.
Councilwoman Brooks stated that regarding the City's Committees and Commissions,
all members serve at the pleasure of the Council majority and the appointees should be
representing the best interest and overall philosophy of the City. She added that
historically, there is a code of public policy with the other Peninsula cities and although
there is not always agreement on the policies, very often the four Peninsula cities
represent a political front, and it is important that the appointees are representing the
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
Page 26 of 29
best that the City has to offer in terms of not creating distance with the neighboring
cities.
Mayor Misetich asked City Attorney Lynch if the committee members serve at the
pleasure of the Council.
City Attorney Lynch stated that they do serve at the pleasure of the Council, noting that
the Planning Commission appointment process is set forth in the Municipal Code, but
many of the other commissions are not specified in the Municipal Code, and if the
Council decides to change the rules and reappoint any or all members at any time, they
can do so.
Councilman Knight requested that an item be placed on an upcoming City Manager's
Report providing information regarding the spraying of chemical components on the
street median areas.
Councilman Duhovic suggested that each committee should have a Council liaison to
allow maximum utilization of the committee. He stated that this is the mechanism for
citizen involvement and the Council could direct the Committee through a Council
liaison with each specific committee. The liaison could share with the Committee what
the Council wants it to do and could act as a conduit to bring information back to the
Council.
Mayor Misetich stated that the Council, as a whole every year, sets a written priority list
and Work Plan for each committee.
Councilman Duhovic noted that he was aware of that, but was not in favor of this
process.
Councilwoman Brooks discussed the Council-Manager form of government, but noted
that she liked the suggestion that the Council Members get involved as liaisons to the
committees and commissions.
Councilman Duhovic stated that he was interested in the discussion of a public website
or form of media where the City can gain input from the community in an efficient
manner. He inquired as to the protocol and coordination of responses to the members
of the general public who regularly email the Council, noting that there should be some
consistency regarding responses to the residents. He added that a long-term goal of his
is to resolve the sense of disenfranchisement that many in the Eastview section of the
City feel regarding School District issues and the right to vote on matters in the School
District's elections. He stated that he concurred with Councilwoman Brooks' suggestion
that the Council should hold Town Hall Meetings in the future.
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
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Dr. Edwards stated that the following actions need to be taken: 1) the information that
has been generated has to be placed in an appropriate format so that it can be
reviewed and analyzed by Council; 2) the separation of short-term and long-term goals
has to be processed; and 3) the goals that have been identified need to be compared to
the current projects list that was created by staff.
Mayor Misetich asked for a mechanism to be used to rank the numerous goals and
streamline the suggested goals.
Mayor Pro Tem Campbell inquired if this exercise was meant to be the comprehensive
list of the Council's goals.
Mayor Misetich clarified that this exercise and creation of the list was meant to be a
road map of common goals, but during the course of the year many other items will
come up and this was not meant to limit the topics to be agendized by the Council.
Councilman Knight stated that it would be important to see how the goals suggested by
Council this evening integrate with the current project list of 98 items provided by staff.
Dr. Edwards stated that the next step would be to identify the items as either short-term
goals (1-2 years) or long-term goals (2-4 years) and then rank or prioritize the goals.
He noted that as the Council Members individually review and prioritize the goals, the
Council will have to create a consensus as to which items need action more quickly.
Councilman Duhovic inquired as to the logistics of the lists and notes that have been
compiled this evening.
City Manager Lehr stated that staff will assist by taking the lists created this evening,
along with notes taken by staff and the City Clerk to create a matrix for Council to work
with so that each Council Member can individually prioritize the goals.
Mayor Misetich stated that the Council Members can utilize the resulting matrix so that
they can each rank the goals and add comments and modifications.
Dr. Edwards stated that Mayor Misetich had requested the creation of a Strengths,
Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) analysis, noting that there were
several issues raised this evening that could easily be incorporated into the SWOT
analysis.
Mayor Misetich stated that he would like each Council Member to create a SWOT
analysis from his or her perspective, so that the Council can understand each others'
thoughts and enable the Council to work more effectively as a team.
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
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Dr. Edwards stated that the SWOT Analysis segment could be incorporated in the next
Council Meeting on January 31, 2012.
Councilman Knight inquired as to how the Council did regarding the Appreciative Inquiry
Process Model.
Dr. Edwards stated that that Council did very well, completing the discovery portion and
beginning to move into the design portion, which will be continued during the January
31, 2012 Council Meeting.
RECESS TO CLOSED SESSION:
At 9:47 P.M., the Council recessed into Closed Session.
City Attorney Lynch reported that the Recess into Closed Session is for the
Performance Evaluation of the City Manager and City Attorney.
RECONVENE TO OPEN SESSION:
At 11:32 P.M., the Council reconvened into Open Session.
CLOSED SESSION REPORT:
City Attorney Lynch reported that the Council conducted a performance review of the
City Manager and City Attorney and continued the performance reviews subject to
written criteria and evaluation for both the City Manager and the City Attorney to be
completed by May 31, 2012. She noted that this direction was unanimous with all
Council Members present.
ADJOURNMENT:
At 11:33 P.M., Mayor Misetich adjourned the meeting to an Adjourned Regular Meeting
to be held on Tuesday, January 10, 2012, at 2:00 P.M. at the League of California Cities
Offices located at 1400 "K" Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.
layor
Attest:
City Clerk
W:\City Council Minutes\2012\20120103 CC MINS.doc
City Council Minutes
January 3, 2012
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