Loading...
CC MINS 20070108 SPC MINUTES RANCHO PALOS VERDES CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MEETING WITH LOBBYIST AND STATE LEGISLATOR JANUARY 8, 2007 The meeting was called to order at 9:27 A.M. at the offices of Conservation Strategy Group, 1100 11th Street, Suite 200, Sacramento, notice having been given with affidavit thereto on file. Present: Mayor Long, Mayor Pro Tem Stern, Councilman Clark and Councilman Wolowicz Not Present: Councilman Gardiner Also present were Assistant City Manager/City Clerk Carolynn Petru, Director of Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Joel Rojas, PVPLC Executive Director Barbara Dye, Conservation Strategy lobbyist Joe Caves and his assistant Tasha Newman. Those present discussed the status of the negotiations to purchase the Filiorum property for open space. Mayor Pro Tem Stern explained that the City was currently looking to purchase the Upper Filiorum property and the Vanderlip parcel, but to exclude the Plumtree parcel. PVPLC Executive Director Dye said that the state was expected to contribute $4,787,000 towards the acquisition of the land. She also indicated that the 191 acres of land, excluding the Plumtree parcel, had been recently appraised. The group discussed the possibility of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy filling any funding gap between the state contribution and the appraised value following the passage of Proposition 84 in November 2006. Mr. Caves noted that the Coastal Conservancy has a new funding stream as a result of the passage of Proposition 84 that may be available to supplement the state's portion of the purchase. In answer to a question from Councilman Clark regarding the timing of the purchase, Mr. Caves indicated that the City and the PVP Land Conservancy should strive to have a viable purchase agreement in place within in the next two to three months before the state funding from Proposition 84 becomes committed to other projects. After further discussion among the group regarding the possible funding sources, Mr. Caves offered . to contact the Coastal Conservancy's Executive Director regarding the acquisition. In answer to a question from Councilman Wolowicz, Mr. Caves indicated that Proposition 84 also included funding for water quality projects and suggested that the City may want to look into the possibility of forming a coalition with other smaller cities to apply for these funds for storm drain improvement projects. He noted that this funding would require a 50% match from the City if it were to be granted. Recess and Reconvene: Mayor Long called a recess from 9:56 A.M to 10:09 A.M. The meeting was reconvened at the Offices of Assembly Member Better Karnette at the State Capitol, Sacramento. Present: Mayor Long, Mayor Pro Tem Stern, Councilman Clark and Councilman Wolowicz Not Present: Councilmen Gardiner Also present were State Assembly Member Betty Karnette, Senior Legislative Assistant Robert Simpson and Assistant City Manager/City Clerk Carolynn Petru. The discussion centered on the City's efforts to modify the boundary between the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD) and the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) in the Eastview area of the City, with emphasis on the fact that the focus had changed from an effort to introduce new state legislation to address the issue to a strategy of working with the PVPUSD and the new administration at the LAUSD to enact a boundary change. The group discussed the desirability of including the children living in the Air Force base in San Pedro in this effort and the difficulties the PVPUSD faced with the high costs associated with the potential of accepting additional special education students. Assembly Member Karnette indicated that she favored federal funding of special education needs rather than placing this burden on local school districts as a way of mitigating this concern. Councilman Clark suggested that the timing may be appropriate for Assembly Member Karnette to act as a catalyst to bring the Rancho Palos Verdes City Council and the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District Board together for a meeting to dialog on the subject, develop common ground and better understand the areas of concern. It was decided that the Assembly Member's staff and City staff would get in contact with one another and attempt to identify the issues during the first quarter of 2007. The Council members present also provided Assembly Member Karnette with an update on the following topics: • The Monks lawsuit involving the vacant property owners in the Portuguese Bend area; • The City's efforts to purchase the last parcels of open space to complete the Portuguese Bend Nature Preserve; • The Palos Verdes Art Center's proposed lease of property at City Hall to build a new facility. City Council Minutes January 8, 2007 Page 2 Adjournment: Mayor Long declared the meeting adjourned at 10:50 A.M Mayor Attest: Ci Clerk W:\City Council Minutes\2007\20070108 CC MINS SACTO SPEC MTG.doc City Council Minutes January 8, 2007 Page 3