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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSPJT Minutes 1998-07-09SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 1 IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL, THURSDAY, JULY 9, 1998, AT 7:30 PM Special Joint Meeting: Present: San Rafael City Council/ Councilmember/Member San Rafael Redevelopment Agency Councilmember/Member Cyr Miller, Councilmember/Member Gary O. Phillips, Councilmember/Member Albert J. Boro, Mayor/Chairman Paul M. Cohen, Absent: None Barbara Heller, Others Present: Rod Gould, City Manager/Executive Director Lee Rosenthal, Redevelopment Agency Attorney Gary T. Ragghianti, City Attorney Jeanne M. Leoncini, City Clerk/Agency Secretary REPORT FROM THE ST. VINCENT de PAUL AD HOC DINING ROOM COMMITTEE (CM) - File 9- 2-49 x (SRRA) R-140 #8 Chairman/Mayor Boro described the procedures for this meeting, explaining the Agency/Council would initially hear a report from the Committee Facilitator, Judge Eugene Lynch, after which they would hear from the representatives from St. Vincent de Paul, and then from the City Attorney and Police Chief, who represented the City on the Committee. The meeting would then be open to public comment. Judge Eugene Lynch, Facilitator for the Committee, formally presented the Committee's report, thanking the members of the Committee, and the two Attorneys who represented each side. Judge Lynch reported the Committee meetings had been excellent, and although not everyone agreed on every issue, the meetings were conducted with great dignity, and with courtesy for each person's view. He felt this had been a real learning process, not only for the members of the Committee, but also for the members of the public who attended the four meetings. He stated this had been an excellent group, noting we were all lucky to have had these members on the Committee. He particularly praised City Attorney Gary Ragghianti, and the two Attorneys for St. Vincent de Paul, Rollin Chippey and Kent Roger, noting agreements on mediation require compromise, in which people change very strongly held positions, on the basis that other people are willing to change, too. He pointed out the efforts to reach compromise and peace are often very fragile and delicate, and very hard to hold together until enough time has passed and people have learned to live with them. Judge Lynch stated the recommendations in the Committee report represented a very strong majority of the Committee members, noting both Attorneys agreed with it, as did City Manager Gould. Sue Brown, Executive Director of the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room, thanked the Ad Hoc Committee for their hard work. She noted the Committee had discussed the issue of St. Vincent's outreach program, and would like to define that program, and make it clear to the entire community of San Rafael. Ms. Brown explained St. Vincent de Paul had embarked upon, and was committed to, creating a model program of community outreach to generate trust, communication, and cooperation among all of the neighbors and stakeholders in San Rafael. She noted that just as feeding the hungry was but one response to the challenge of poverty and homelessness in our midst, so too, could St. Vincent's only provide part of the greater cooperative effort required for a total community response, and noted St. Vincent's had pledged to be the catalyst in providing the leadership for such an effort. Ms. Brown reported the St. Vincent's Community Outreach and Advisory Program was based upon three important principles: 1) St. Vincent's will engage, and reach out to the entire community, to the exclusion of no responsible individual who wishes to participate; 2) St. Vincent's will be proactive in soliciting both concerns and constructive recommendations. St. Vincent's will attempt to identify and address small problems before they become large ones, but just as important, they will also seek to launch creative and constructive initiatives; 3) St. Vincent's will seek to build working partnerships between their staff, their clients, the community, local businesses, and others, recognizing that in unity there is understanding and strength. Ms. Brown stated these principles would be embodied in the following actions: First, St. Vincent's will, or has, invited to its Community Outreach and Advisory Committee at least the following: representatives of Neighborhood Associations, the Business Improvement District, the Chamber of Commerce, their immediate neighbors, faith -based organizations, the San Rafael School District and/or PTA, social service agencies, and SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 1 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 2 community builders throughout San Rafael. Second, St. Vincent's will invite all participants to select their own representatives. Third, St. Vincent's will sustain an organized program of outreach, with reasonable goals, for contacting and interviewing a specified number of immediate neighbors and stakeholders each month. She reported this program had already been initiated, and to date St. Vincent's representatives have interviewed twenty-six businesses along "B" Street. She pointed out the key to this program is sustainability. Fourth, St. Vincent's will take a pro -active approach to conflict resolution, that includes the following steps: 1) Within a reasonable time, develop a plan of response for each problem or issue brought to their attention, or which they identify; 2) Share this plan with the individual or group who identified the problem; 3) Modify the results; 4) Should the problem or challenge prove stubborn, they will apply the greater resources and expertise available from their Board of Directors, and from the business and community members of St. Vincent's Community Outreach and Advisory Committee; 5) St. Vincent's will communicate regularly with the Community Outreach and Advisory Committee, and with the community at large, about its programs, outreach efforts, and progress in relocating to a new home, so as to create a greater sense of St. Vincent's participation and contribution to the San Rafael community. Rollin Chippey, Attorney representing St. Vincent de Paul, stated St. Vincent's fully recommended and endorsed the report that had been submitted to Council. He expressed his own, personal appreciation to the members of the community for allowing him to participate in this process. He stated that on the evening of the first Ad Hoc Committee meeting, he had felt they were all in a good position, because there had been a lot of energy, intelligence and emotion, and believed that during the five or six meetings of the Ad Hoc Committee they had been able to bring those resources to bear. Mr. Chippey stated he was very appreciative of the efforts of City Attorney Ragghianti, and for Mr. Ragghianti having had an open mind, and allowing Mr. Chippey to speak his mind. He noted that as a result of their discussions, they had generated a sense of trust, which they hoped would continue, and also reached a fair and just compromise, which Mr. Chippey believed would serve both the City and St. Vincent's, as well as the community. He thanked the Agency/ Council for allowing him to participate in this process. Mr. Chippey urged Council to consider that the Outreach program, as defined by Sue Brown, be adopted immediately, and included as part of any Resolution on which Council takes action tonight. Councilmember Cohen noted the Committee had recommended a Neighborhood Advisory Committee, and asked if the Outreach program was intended to take the place of the Neighborhood Committee, or if that would still be created in the future? Mr. Chippey stated the Outreach program would be a precursor to the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, noting it would basically do the same things, without some of the formalities, and it would be a much more expansive group. Mr. Chippey stated that as St. Vincent's got closer to occupying the site in the future, the Neighborhood Committee would be created. City Attorney Gary Ragghianti, who represented the City of San Rafael during the discussions, also urged adoption of the Resolution. He acknowledged Sue Brown, Kent Roger, and all the members of the Committee who undertook to grasp and deal with some very difficult issues. Mr. Ragghianti stated that in the thirty years he had been engaged in the practice of law, there had been few issues in which he had been involved, fraught with such political and social overtones, and none that had been the recipient of such intelligent, creative, imaginative, professional lawyering. He stated these were some of the very best lawyers he had ever worked with, and it had been a privilege to work with them. Mr. Ragghianti also thanked Judge Lynch for his patience with the Committee members. He pointed out the attitude in the Council Chamber tonight was far different than the attitude that existed in March, which he believed was as it should be. Mr. Ragghianti thanked Council for his opportunity to serve, and also thanked Rollin Chippey, Kent Roger, Judge Lynch, Sue Brown, and the Committee. Police Chief Cam Sanchez reiterated what he had been stating since these meetings began in March, regarding the goal of the Police Department, and its role in this process, a role he reported would not change, which was to ensure that all of the City's residents, all visitors to our community and clients to certain services, and all business people, children, and youth, are treated equally and fairly, and that they feel safe, with no fear of crime, and feel good about being in our community. Chief Sanchez noted that while the Police Department had a role that was not to everyone's liking, from time to time, it was the Police Department's role, and his role as the Chief of Police, to see that they maintain their obligations to the entire community, in making certain it is as safe as possible for everyone. He pointed out that this included the clients at St. Vincent's, and the neighbors and future neighbors of St. Vincent's, so the City can go forward knowing we did the right thing with this SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 2 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 3 seventeen member Committee. Therefore, he noted the Police Department would continue to strive to do a better job, to serve, and to be a listening aspect within the City and its government. Chief Sanchez thanked Council for allowing him to be involved in this process, stating the Police Department was looking forward to continued dialogue with St. Vincent's, noting they had begun some very positive dialogue with the Board of Directors, and would continue with that. Chief Sanchez pointed out this was not an aberration, as the Police Department did this with all entities, and wished to make it clear to the entire community that the Police Department would continue its obligation in serving everyone. He thanked everyone involved with this process, noting it had been a great growing experience, and showed the type of positive attitude that had brought this agreement to fruition. Mayor Boro noted that over the past week there had been an article in the Marin Independent Journal which addressed the state of San Rafael's Redevelopment Agency, and due to a miscommunication with the newspaper's reporter, there was a misunderstanding regarding the state of our Redevelopment Agency. He asked Assistant City Manager Ken Nordhoff to clarify this issue. Assistant City Manager Nordhoff stated the Redevelopment Agency has had, and continues to have, adequate reserves within the Redevelopment Agency accounts to move this project forward, explaining that whatever the Agency's contribution turns out to be, funds had already been put aside to meet that contribution, as well as to meet other obligations. Mr. Nordhoff believed the confusion arose because the Agency had not specifically appropriated any money during the current year's budget for this project, pointing out that was because there were still negotiation processes that needed to be completed. He explained that once those are confirmed, and we have actual amounts, the budget will be amended, and those reserves will be used accordingly. Chairman/Mayor Boro invited public comment, explaining the issue before the Agency/Council at this time was the report from the Ad Hoc Committee, and its three main points regarding the Use Permit, the location, and Community Outreach. Chairman/Mayor Boro stated the Agency/Council would not be addressing specifics, such as what would be in the Use Permit, the specific portion of Lindaro Street, between Second and Third Streets, on which the new building would be located, nor the issues that needed to be answered by St. Vincent's when they go through the Planning process of submitting their application. He noted those issues, as well as the issues of the site itself, and the toxicities on the site, would all be addressed during the Planning process. He stated the comments during tonight's meeting should be focused on the report from the Ad Hoc Committee. Kit Cole, businessperson in San Rafael, commended the City Council, St. Vincent de Paul, and the Ad Hoc Committee for coming up with an extremely elegant solution to a tremendously divisive problem in the community, noting this was a model other communities could adopt to address this kind of problem. She urged Council's support of St. Vincent's Outreach Program, noting she felt it was a very proactive way for them to gain consensus as they go forward with the redirection of their Board of Directors. She stated everyone had done an outstanding job in resolving this problem. Richard Park, Co -Chair of the Social Concerns Committee of the Unitarian Universalists Congregation of Marin, stated he fully concurred with the comments that had been made thus far, and asked that as the Councilmembers adopt the Resolution before them, in the second line of Section 2-B the word "immediate" be omitted. Mr. Park believed St. Vincent's had already demonstrated its willingness to move ahead in this direction, as a precursor to the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, and to insert the word "immediate", as has been done in this section of the Resolution, flew a little in the face of the trust that had been developed among the City and St. Vincent's. Mr. Park stated what the City and St. Vincent's had done regarding this issue had shown democracy in action, and proven that given a chance, it does work. He congratulated all those involved in the process. Theresa Allen, 14 San Francisco Boulevard, San Anselmo, member of the Steering Committee of the Marin Gray Panthers, and an interested community member, stated she was very happy they had been able to find a piece of property everyone could agree upon. She stated her only concern was that everything go as quickly as possible, and if for any reason this property could not be used, she hoped the Committee would meet again, as it had before, and choose another property very quickly, with the location close to the Downtown. Patty Burke, 5 Madera Avenue, Ross, reported she worked with homeless clients at Ritter House and at the Day Service Center, and was now on St. Vincent's SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 3 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 4 Community Advisory and Outreach Committee. She stated that over the past week this Committee had been interviewing all the merchants and business owners on "B" Street, and around the proposed new site. She stated it had been an enjoyable experience, and she met many wonderful people, and although the merchants were busy, they gave the Committee members ten to twenty minutes of their time. Ms. Burke reported they had been delighted to hear that the majority of the merchants had no criticisms of the Dining Room itself; however, they did have problems, to varying degrees, with some of the homeless. Ms. Burke stated they interviewed twenty-six owners and managers of businesses on "B" Street, and four expressed they were either strongly opposed to St. Vincent's, and/or experienced numerous problems with homeless people; the remaining twenty-two had no criticism of St. Vincent's, and of those twenty-two, seven were very supportive of the Dining Room and its management. She noted they had been happy to hear the perception was that Sue Brown had made a difference. Ms. Burke reported the major complaints they heard were loitering, littering, panhandling, and parking, and quoted some of the suggestions they had received, "The patrons of the Dining Room could be given some kind of responsibilities so they would be part of the community"; "The Outreach people should not only take our word, but come and look, especially at the end of the month"; "St. Vincent's should not say to their clients that the merchants want them not to loiter, but that St. Vincent's wants them not to loiter"; "More continuity and cooperation between social services"; "People recovering from drugs and alcohol should not have to encounter people still involved with drugs and alcohol. They should be fed separately". Ms. Burke stated one of the closest neighbors summed it up best by stating, "We are all in it together. We need to see how we can work together. Let's not split the community". Ms. Burke stated she believed this process of Outreach would be far more successful than a purely advisory committee, and felt we should continue to build on the success of the Ad Hoc Committee, noting those who had witnessed its progress saw how the group grew together. She thanked Police Chief Cam Sanchez, who she believed played a key role in that process, noting that at the first meeting he had spoken to the reporters in the audience, telling them he did not want them to leave the meeting and interview Committee members who had differing views, and then print their remarks. She noted that because the Committee was not polarized, it worked together, and she thanked the City Council and the Ad Hoc Committee for their work, and for working so well together to help St. Vincent's move to a new location. In closing, Ms. Burke pointed out the "B" Street merchants had some great shops and restaurants, and she encouraged everyone to visit the businesses on "B" Street. Bob Brandt, resident of San Rafael, stated he was a member and former Co - President of the Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Chair of the Marin County Mental Health Board, and first and foremost, the parent of a daughter with a serious mental illness. He reported some years ago his daughter disappeared from the place she was living, and after filing a missing persons report, the detective assigned to the case found her at St. Vincent's Dining Room. As a result, Mr. Brandt stated he and his wife have had a personal interest in the well being of the Dining Room, and those it serves, for many years. Mr. Brandt stated one of the important activities of the Mental Health Board is to identify the needs of those with a serious mental illness, and to determine how effectively those needs are being met. He stated there was a lot of prejudice against them, noting many of the homeless have a serious mental illness, and pointing out the Dining Room provides a safe haven for them, as well as serving meals to them. Mr. Brandt noted researchers inform us that community support for those with neuro/biological illness is an important part of recovery, and as Chair of the Marin County Mental Health Board, he was delighted the Ad Hoc Committee had done such a fine job in presenting this Resolution, which he urged Council to support. Roger Smith, Chamber of Commerce representative to the Ad Hoc Committee, stated he was very pleased to have had the opportunity to serve on the Ad Hoc Committee, noting it was always a great pleasure for him to work with a sincere group of people who have the best interest of the whole community in mind. Mr. Smith reported there had been a wide variety of viewpoints on this Committee, and he was comfortable everyone had sufficient opportunity to express their individual opinions. He thanked Judge Lynch for all his work, pointing out it had been done gratis, and noting there had been a lot of hours. Mr. Smith stated Judge Lynch was clearly experienced and skilled in mediating these kinds of complex situations. However, Mr. Smith did not believe the final report gave Council the benefit of the full diversity of the opinions of all the members of SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 4 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 5 the Committee, pointing out it was a brief report, written by just one person; therefore, he expressed his concerns regarding three areas. Mr. Smith noted one issue had to do with design, and while he respected Mayor Boro's comments that the design would be addressed at a later date, Mr. Smith wanted to make clear that even though the design was not mentioned in the report, and was not a topic of discussion, he felt it was as important as location in this issue, as many problems associated with a less than perfect location could be mitigated by good design. He strongly believed the Dining Hall's success could be tied not only to how the building looks, but to its orientation to the site, how individual building components might work together, what those components are, and how the location can be accessed by its patrons, staff, and suppliers. Mr. Smith acknowledged St. Vincent's likely had its own list of requirements, but pointed out, so did the community, and he hoped there would be some community-based process for exploring the various elements of design, well before anyone becomes locked into a specific plan that is unworkable. Being in the Real Estate business, Mr. Smith hastened to add this was not necessarily an invitation for design by committee, which usually does not work very well; however, he felt there should be a way for everyone to work together to explore their respective goals, and find a design solution to best meet those needs. Mr. Smith stated his second concern had to do with the timeline. He felt the Lindaro Street P.G.& E. site was very intriguing, with a lot of possibilities, and was very hopeful; however, he would like to see this project underway as soon as possible, within the next couple of years, as opposed to five years. He stated that while everyone would agree the Lindaro Street site had many possibilities, like all Real Estate projects it had a lot of unexplored issues that could delay or kill a project. He noted this was true of all Real Estate developments, even those having far less controversy attached to them. Mr. Smith pointed out that P.G.& E. was a large company, and might move more slowly than we would like; in addition, the toxics issue might cause the budget to be out of whack, or may take years to resolve. Therefore, he felt there should be some definite time limits placed in the Resolution, and those time limits, if not met, should trigger some sort of action to revisit new locations, so we are not dragged through a long process for something that never comes to fruition. Mr. Smith stated his final area of concern had to do with the Neighborhood Advisory Committee. He reported he had been one of those who held the apparent minority opinion that the Neighborhood Advisory Committee (NAC) should be formed as soon as possible, pointing out the NAC was another opportunity for St. Vincent's to work with the rest of the community in order to achieve the best possible results, and a chance to face differences in the beginning, and find solutions before those differences become irreconcilable differences. As an example, he felt the design issues he had already mentioned would be an excellent topic for early discussion. Mr. Smith also believed he was hearing a reluctance on the part of St. Vincent's to start the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, in that format, as soon as possible, noting he was surprised, because he had also heard from St. Vincent's that they were interested in working with the community. Mr. Smith stated another suggestion for the NAC was that its definition be much more specific. He noted one of the issues the Ad Hoc Committee had dealt with was that their charge was not specific enough, and as a result, a number of the members were uncertain as to what, exactly, they were trying to achieve, and it led to a lot of confusion. Mr. Smith stated he would like to avoid that kind of confusion on the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, noting it should be clear, for example, who the NAC reports to, whether it is to St. Vincent's Board of Directors or the City Council. He felt it should also be clear who provides such things as staff reports, minutes, agendas, and any research that may be necessary, as well as who does the work, who organizes it, and who pays for it. Mr. Smith stated the Resolution seemed to indicate this would be St. Vincent's responsibility; however, he felt it should be the City's responsibility, because the City was the representative of all the people, not just one fragment or faction of the community. Referring to the make up of the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, Mr. Smith stated he did not believe the Committee should include four members from St. Vincent's, noting he felt their membership should be limited to two; most appropriately, one member being the Executive Director of the Dining Hall, and another being one of the members of St. Vincent's Board of Directors. He believed this would give the Dining Hall sufficient representation so their voice would certainly be heard, and heard clearly, as it should be, but not enough to dominate or control any of the proceedings. Gar Stanton, resident of San Anselmo, and a volunteer at St. Vincent's for the past six years, stated he had attended most of the Ad Hoc Committee meetings, which inspired the following lines of verse, which he had entitled "Ad Hoc SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 5 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 6 Soup", "Recently there was a Committee of some renown, formed to look at St. Vincent de Paul's future Downtown. Seventeen stalwart souls were assembled from the community mix, It's Charge, simply put, for God's sake, find us a fix. So what do we call this assemblage, this gaggle, this flock? I know a perfect description, we'll call it Ad Hoc. For it has no power, no decision making capability. What did develop was goodwill, respect, cooperation, all the things that are free. Presiding over the Ad Hoc was the inimitable Judge Lynch; he pulled this off, and everybody owes him a lot, that's a cinch. Under his tutelage, and tagged to his lesson, respect gained ground; working in goodwill, miraculously, solutions were found. It's wonderful to see what goodwill and working together can do; Ad Hoc came up smelling like a rose, not mired in pooh. So here are the results, City Council, a tour de force, from the heart and soul of the community, the best source. Equitable proposals good people can live with roll out of the muck, the message to the Council tonight is, 'don't screw it up'. Finally, my hat's off to each member, and that's no crock, like the Dining Room soup, our community has been well nourished by the Committee Ad Hoc". Linda Bellatorre, member of the Ad Hoc Committee, and representative of the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods, stated she had been in the minority, and while she commended Sue Brown for wanting to implement an Outreach Committee, she still felt strongly about the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, pointing out their Charge was a little bit different, and she believed it would show a good faith effort to begin that now. Ms. Bellatorre stated she did have a concern, whether the Neighborhood Advisory Committee starts now or in the future, about the make up of the Committee, noting, as Mr. Smith had suggested, she, too, would like to see only two representatives of St. Vincent's as members, with perhaps one alternate, and the other members chosen from representatives of the surrounding businesses and neighbors. Ms. Bellatorre thanked Judge Lynch and the other members of the Ad Hoc Committee, expressing her appreciation that they did arrive at a conclusion, pointing out that after many years, they had a recommended site, and acceptance of a Use Permit, which she believed was something everyone should be proud of. Jack Biggs, 204 Corrillo Drive, stated he had once had a business in San Rafael selling shop equipment to automotive businesses in San Rafael. He recalled the businesses had been good to him, and he was happy to see there were still many businesses in San Rafael he liked to patronize, many of them on "B" Street. Mr. Biggs stated his barber was located on "B" Street, noting he did not believe she was too concerned about what goes on out in the street, because she came from Cambodia, and she was glad to be alive and in this Country, worrying only about the rent going up. Mr. Biggs stated another merchant he loved to visit was Villa Romano, telling Council he was grateful these businesses were still here, and had not "freaked out" and left. However, he noted that at the same time, having been a businessman himself, and having to contend with people who interfered with his business out of nastiness, he was sympathetic and concerned for the furniture store on the corner. He reported he had recently gone into that store for the first time, noting it was a marvelous store. However, as something he suggested Council might want to pursue, he reported the section outside this store was beautifully designed for people to sit and meditate, but, unfortunately, also to agitate and urinate. Mr. Biggs did not believe it would even be wise to ask someone like this to change the structure of their building, but he felt Council could pursue this issue through other means, such as the Police Department. Mr. Biggs suggested the City install one or two porta- potties for the short-term, until St. Vincent's has a new location, noting that would be practical, and something the City would be able to do. Mr. Biggs believed Chief Sanchez would be very glad to be relieved of some of the things he has to do in pursuing people who do things they really should not do, but have no place else to go. Mayor Boro reported there was a portable bathroom in the garage on "B" and Third Streets, across the street from the store Mr. Biggs was referring to. Dennis Burke, President of the Board of Directors of St. Vincent de Paul Free Dining Room, thanked the Council, and expressed his gratitude to Mayor Boro, City Manager Gould, City Attorney Ragghianti, and members of the City Council and the Ad Hoc Committee, who had brought everyone to the point where there was a spirit of collaboration, rather than confrontation. He stated St. Vincent's was very hopeful, pointing out that was the result of everyone's support and contribution of time and spirit during the past few months. He reiterated St. Vincent's Board of Directors unanimously approved of the Ad Hoc Agreement. Mr. Burke stated St. Vincent's Board of Directors was a serious Board, noting six of the eleven Board members were successful Founders/Presidents of their own businesses, and two were partners in very distinguished firms. He pointed out the Board members knew and understood business, as well as service, and they see the citizens and merchants of San Rafael as their customers. He stated he SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 6 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 7 wanted to make that point very clear, reiterating that everyone was St. Vincent's customer, and that St. Vincent's was committed to meeting their needs as well as they possibly could. He acknowledged they could not change the human condition, but they would work as hard as they could to improve it where it needs improvement. Mr. Burke stated if there were any criticisms, complaints, or frustrations, they wanted to hear them, pointing out they were running a business, they had customers, and they were eager to hear the most negative criticisms. He stated if there were negative critics, St. Vincent's wanted them to be part of their Outreach Committee, explaining they did not want an Outreach Committee that represented only St. Vincent's interests, which he felt may have been implied earlier in this meeting. He stated that was not so, noting the most critical person in the City was the one they wanted on the Outreach Committee, as that was how customers were won, and that was what they would like to do. Mr. Burke stated they needed involvement, as much as advice and feedback. However, he warned that having lunch at the Dining Room, and getting in touch with the homeless and the disenfranchised, could be a dangerous thing, because it could change your life. Mayor Boro recalled he and Mr. Burke had recently had a discussion concerning the current Board of Directors of St. Vincent de Paul, and another St. Vincent's Board. Mayor Boro asked Mr. Burke to explain the relationship between those two Boards. Mr. Burke clarified the St. Vincent de Paul District Council was in Marin County, and each Catholic Parish in Marin County has a Conference which participates in that Council. Each of the Conferences distributes money to people who are in need, in the Parish and throughout the County, so it is a Countywide type of contribution. Mr. Burke explained the free Dining Room had been set up as another Conference, and operated independently, just as a St. Vincent de Paul Society operates in a given Parish. Therefore, they are a separate Board and make their own decisions, and while they are in communication with the District Council, when someone hears that St. Vincent's has made a decision, it is his Board of Directors that has made the decision. He noted his Board would check with the District Council to make certain they were keeping with the values and spirit of St. Vincent's; however, they would make the decisions and express them, and the City can rely totally on anything the Board might say. Mr. Burke stated the St. Vincent de Paul Free Dining Room Board was different than the St. Vincent de Paul Society, pointing out they were two different Boards. Councilmember Heller noted there had been a Board of Directors in previous years, and asked what had happened with that Board? Mr. Burke stated that Board was made up of representatives from various Conferences within the County. She asked if it was still in place? Mr. Burke stated that it was. She asked what that Board oversees? Mr. Burke stated that Board came together as a central source for all the Conferences, and the St. Vincent de Paul Free Dining Room in San Rafael was one of the Conferences; however, that Board did not make decisions for St. Raphael's Parish, or the Board of Directors of the St. Vincent's Dining Room. He stated there were two members of the Free Dining Room Board of Directors who were also members of the District Council, explaining that was how the communication happened. Councilmember Cohen noted that in the past, one of the things that had been a little different in dealing with St. Vincent's Board, as compared to other Boards of non -profits he was familiar with or served on, was that in many non- profits the role of the Board was to be out in the public, to assist in fund raising, and to put a face on the Agency, so people realized it was their neighbors, colleagues, and friends who were involved with and supported the agency. However, in the past, the former Board of St. Vincent's has been in the background, and the City was never really informed of who was serving on the Board. Mr. Cohen stated one of the things he would ask Mr. Burke and the Board to consider was being public with regard to who serves on the Board of Directors of the Free Dining Room. Mr. Cohen noted they sounded like an impressive group, and he believed it would help to continue the process we were all talking about if, at some point, that Board were to choose to publicly identify themselves as members. Mr. Burke acknowledged this was a legitimate concern. He noted there had been a public announcement of the first five or six Board members, and reported they had since added two or three members, and another one should be joining this week. He stated they would make another press announcement in approximately thirty days. Commenting on the past, Mr. Burke stated the old St. Vincent's Board was primarily interested in distributing funds or charity throughout the County, and they were primarily focused on their own Parishes. He noted they were not really interested in running a kitchen, per se; therefore, they tended to be in the background, because their energy and interest was not in that function. He stated the reason Ms. Brown and a number of them created the new Board was to be SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 7 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 8 present in the community, to help support what is going on, to be responsive to needs, and to have someone to deal with in a substantial way. Councilmember Cohen stated he heard nothing but positives in what Mr. Burke was telling Council, and he was delighted to hear there would be a Board that would be focused on operating St. Vincent's as an agency. Mr. Burke noted that as an agency not funded by the Catholic church, or a government agency, St. Vincent's had to raise money; therefore, one of the key things the Board would focus on was raising money. He stated they were currently trying to be as broadly based as they could, with all faiths, all territories, and a dominant emphasis on San Rafael. Charlie Garfink, former President of the Downtown Business Improvement District (BID), and member of the Ad Hoc Committee, reported he had been involved in this dispute for a number of years, and was very encouraged by the progress that has been made during the past several months. He noted that from the outset, the Downtown Business Improvement District had been against the Dining Hall being Downtown, and although their feeling had not changed, they did feel that given the constraints by the City Council, this location was the best one available. Mr. Garfink noted, from a personal standpoint, he really wanted to see this move forward, stating the past was the past, and it was time for everyone to get going. Mr. Garfink stated he still had some concerns. He agreed the site and design of the new location were crucial, noting the BID was very concerned with the effect the Dining Room will have on the Downtown, and wants to be sure they have an adequate chance for input. Mr. Garfink stated it would be great to see the Neighborhood Advisory Committee formed as soon as possible, perhaps not in an official capacity, but rather as a Committee that could be advising St. Vincent's and the City on how things are going as they move forward. As someone who has been involved with this issue for so long, Mr. Garfink noted he understood that sites fall through, stating he believed it was important for the Council to come up with some kind of contingency plan to examine other sites, and agreed the time limit was a wonderful idea. Mr. Garfink thanked everyone on the Ad Hoc Committee, and the people at St. Vincent's, noting they had come a long way on this, as had the City. Stephen Gale, Senior Project Manager for the Fair, Isaac Office Park, which is currently under construction at Second and Lindaro Streets, addressed the Council on behalf of Fair, Isaac, asking that the information he submitted to the City Clerk be made part of the public record. Mr. Gale stated Fair, Isaac was committed to finding a mutually beneficial, long-term solution acceptable to St. Vincent's, Downtown businesses, neighborhoods, schools, and to their employees. He stated Fair, Isaac continued to support St. Vincent's mission to feed the hungry, and agreed that to do that effectively, they must provide patrons with easy access to meals. He noted Fair, Isaac also understood the City's desire to put a quick conclusion to the last four months of negotiations with St. Vincent's, in order to end the long simmering controversy with the City. Mr. Gale stated Fair, Isaac was offering to participate directly, and to provide a representative of their firm to serve on any planning or oversight committee the City might appoint, with respect to the redevelopment of the property where P.G.& E.'s administration building is now located, whether it is used as a location for St. Vincent's Dining Hall, or otherwise. Mr. Gale stated Fair, Isaac was asking the City to deviate from Judge Lynch's recommendation that the Council limit its direction to staff, to focus only on the planning for St. Vincent's at a corner of the P.G.& E. property, and requested Council begin the process of planning the redevelopment of the entire one -block area where P.G. & E.'s administration building is currently located. He pointed out that under the terms disclosed jointly by the City and P.G. & E., the City must commit to acquire the entire block, in order to relocate St. Vincent's to a corner of the property. Mr. Gale pointed out the property the City is considering is the former site of a gas manufacturing plant, which operated for over a half century, and he believed it was possibly the most environmentally sensitive site in the City of San Rafael. He stated that in order to be safely developed for any future use, a comprehensive Environmental Impact Report would be required, and he felt good public policy dictated the City consider the future use of the property in its entirety. Mr. Gale stated that was Fair, Isaac's request of the City, noting they would be watching the CEQA process closely, and would remain an interested party in any future development at that location. Addressing St. Vincent's, Mr. Gale stated Fair, Isaac applauded their agreement to comply with a Use Permit and a Code of Conduct at the future location; however, they were disappointed they were not acting as if they were under such requirements today. He urged St. Vincent's not to lose sight of the fact that the current controversy with the City, which the City is seeking to resolve, SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 8 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 9 began because of complaints from St. Vincent's neighbors. Mr. Gale noted Fair, Isaac expected that St. Vincent's Dining Hall would be one of their neighbors when they occupy their new headquarters in the year 2001, and stated it was their desire that they both be good neighbors. Addressing the management of St. Vincent's, Mr. Gale reported Fair, Isaac accepted the request to join their voluntary Community Outreach Committee, and offered full support of that effort; however, he asked St. Vincent's to be aware that Fair, Isaac's first priority as a member of that group would be to assure the welfare of their 1,300 employees, and the numerous clients who will visit their headquarters facility. Mayor Boro noted Mr. Gale had stated the agreement between the City and P.G. & E. was that the City would acquire the entire block; however, it was his recollection that in meetings between P.G.& E. and the City, P.G.& E. had agreed it would sell the corner parcel the City is interested in, and then work with the City to develop the entire block. Mayor Boro did not believe it had ever been intended that the City would acquire the entire block. Economic Development Director Jake Ours stated that was correct, noting the City had no agreement to acquire the entire block. Mayor Boro also pointed out, for the record, that P.G. & E. had represented that this site was clean, and if it is not clean they will remediate it. He explained that as the owners of the property, it was P.G. & E.'s responsibility to do that, and if they did not clean it, that would be reflected in the purchase price if someone else had to do that. He stated the City would make sure that site will work. Elissa Giambastiani, President of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, stated she was very pleased with the progress made by the Committee, especially with Sue Brown's comments concerning the community outreach St. Vincent's is planning to do, particularly with its neighbors on "B" Street. She noted this was the first time in a very long time she had heard the concerns of the business people on "B" Street be recognized and taken seriously, and believed this would go a long way in creating trust between St. Vincent's and the business community. Ms. Giambastiani was also pleased to have heard Mr. Burke state the businesses were also St. Vincent's customers, and to hear St. Vincent's was looking at the neighboring businesses in that manner. Ms. Giambastiani stated she was equally pleased to learn St. Vincent's had added business people to its Board of Directors, because it will give the Board a different perspective, believing these were all very positive steps being taken by St. Vincent's. Ms. Giambastiani stated she hoped the Code of Conduct, which will have no tolerance for drugs or alcohol, would be enforced immediately, and not something that would be held until the move takes place later. She also agreed it would be a very positive step for St. Vincent's to establish the Neighborhood Advisory Committee now, along with its Community Outreach. Ms. Giambastiani reiterated the design of the new facility would be extremely important to the neighboring businesses, noting this was an issue the Chamber's Board of Directors had discussed previously. She noted that since a great deal of the opposition to the Dining Room had grown as a result of clients loitering outside the Dining Hall, an inner courtyard where clients could gather would be central to the design. Ms. Giambastiani stated she, too, was concerned about the length of time it might take to develop the P.G. & E. parcel, and while she acknowledged the City was hoping to move this along rapidly, she believed it would make sense for the City and St. Vincent's to have a back-up plan, or at least not eliminate the availability of another Downtown site if the P.G. & E. site becomes unworkable. Ms. Giambastiani reported the Chamber of Commerce was certainly ready and willing to work with St. Vincent's on any of the issues that might come up. Joe Terrian, resident of San Rafael for the past 36 years, noted he had read the report, and urged Council to accept the report as submitted. He believed we had an opportunity, as pointed out by the City Attorney and everyone else who had spoken on this topic, to put an end to the contention that has divided the City on this particular issue, and start it forward on a path of progress. He also urged Council to bear in mind that it was progress, not perfection, that was the goal. He noted that before Council was an instrument that would allow progress to go forward, and all that was required of them now was to accept it as submitted. Leah Madison, resident of San Anselmo, reported she has been both a client and a volunteer at St. Vincent de Paul's. She stated she had been hoping some type of meetings between St. Vincent's and Fair, Isaac's could be continued, noting she had been very interested in hearing Mr. Gale speak earlier. Referring to the needs of the County, Ms. Madison stated that for a long time she had felt the Buck Fund needed to be used for what Beryl Buck intended, SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 9 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 10 pointing out Mrs. Buck left the money for the poor of the County. She felt many of the reasons St. Vincent's came to City Hall with so many differences and problems was because the poor were really not being served as they could be, noting that while Beryl Buck's fund had grown, and not been dwindled away frivolously, the money was not going to the poor. Speaking as a long-term client of St. Vincent de Paul, Ms. Madison reported the first time she went to Dining Room it had been very difficult for her to go; however, due to health and financial reasons, she did go, and has come to love it, and she agreed with the earlier statement that for anyone who goes to St. Vincent's, their life will be changed for the better. Ms. Madison stated the City also needed some form of rent control, noting rents were totally unacceptable. She believed there would be far less homelessness, and far less problems, if we could get people into homes, with agencies providing funds, and some type of rent control. She pointed out we would also be keeping the businesses in business if we had some form of rent control. She stated there were also several clients at the Dining Hall who had alcohol or drug problems; however, Marin County, the first or second wealthiest County in the Nation, had no treatment center, which she felt was absurd. Ms. Madison reported an agency called Marin People Care was attempting to obtain a license to open a treatment center, which she believed would help in many ways. Referring to another area of concern, Ms. Madison stated the City absolutely needed a lot more public restrooms, noting the one public porta-pottie in the parking lot was not enough. Mayor Boro reported the Council was very supportive of an alcohol rehabilitation center, noting City Manager Gould had been instructed to work with the other cities and the County to find one. Mayor Boro felt this was a need that crossed all economic strata of the community, and the City was working to make that happen somewhere in this County. John Quinley, member of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Marin, stated his concern was the language of the Resolution. He noted the Resolution stated the City concurred with the three recommendations made in Section 2 of the Committee Report. However, the Committee Report states that six months before the actual operation of the new building, the Neighborhood Advisory Committee will be formed, yet Council was now stating the Neighborhood Advisory Committee should be formed immediately. Mr. Quinley believed in the spirit of cooperation that had been heard during tonight's meeting, Council should concur with the report, and not go toward the minority position heard from some people during testimony this evening. Mr. O'Loane offered minor suggestions to clarify wording in the Resolution. He referred to Attachment A, recommending that the "Subject" be changed to read, "St. Vincent de Paul Proposed Conditional Use Permit (CUP)", explaining "CUP" was seen throughout Attachment A, but an explanation of its meaning was not provided. He believed that including (CUP) at the end of the Subject description would clarify its meaning. Referring to Section 4 of Attachment A, Mr. O'Loane noted the second to the last sentence states, "In addition, the Code of Conduct shall be posted in conspicuous locations in the Dining Room"; however, since that sentence was repeated as Condition "f", he believed it should be stricken from the opening paragraph. In attempting to determine where the proposed site was located, Mr. O'Loane referred to the second paragraph of Attachment "B" which states, "...have settled on a corner location on Lindaro Street, between Second and Third Streets", noting that was not a satisfactory description. He suggested it be stated as, "...the northeast corner of Lindaro and Second Streets", which he believed would make the location clear. Erik Honour, owner of Erik's Downtown Drive-in, 836 Second Street, stated he was in favor of the St. Vincent de Paul kitchen; however, he urged Council, in choosing an area of Downtown San Rafael for the new location, to be aware of all the businesses and offices located in the area, including his and Fair, Isaac's, and to keep those businesses in their consideration. Mr. Honour also acknowledged certain buildings should be developed, noting he would like to be part of any Board or Committee that is created for such a project. Jean Taylor, San Rafael resident of Palm Avenue, recalled she had stood before Council in February and March with requests, and had been pleased when they listened. She stated she was also pleased with the leadership Council had shown in forming the Ad Hoc Committee, and was grateful to Judge Lynch, the members of the Ad Hoc Committee, and the lawyers representing the City and St. Vincent's. She stated she was a new member of the St. Vincent's Board of Directors, and reported St. Vincent's was currently acting as though they were already under a SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 10 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 11 Use Permit, and also adhering to the required Code of Conduct. She stated they did want to be responsible, which was why they had started with the Community Outreach Committee, explaining the Outreach Committee would be inclusive, stating she was very pleased Erik Honour of Erik's Drive-in wanted to be a representative, and noting they had begun approaching various businesses to help them with the Committee. Ms. Taylor stated they wanted something to happen with St. Vincent's that had never before happened in a faith -based organization, noting they could only do that if they had the input of the entire community. Ms. Taylor congratulated everyone who has been involved in this project, stating she felt it was a cause for celebration, and urged everyone to build on the trust. Mayor Boro noted one of the issues talked about was the timeline. For the benefit of the audience, Mayor Boro explained the Council had goals and objectives, which they tracked each month, and one of their goals was the successful relocation of the Dining Room. Mayor Boro noted that since Council reviews the goals and objectives each month, in an open session with the City Manager, they would have the opportunity to ask questions and observe the progress of the relocation of the Dining Room. If Council felt that either the Dining Room or the Redevelopment Agency were not "stepping up to bat", and not moving forward as they were being asked to do, then Council would have the opportunity each month to pursue that. He stated he knew the Redevelopment Agency was interested in proceeding, and it sounded as though St. Vincent's was, as well; therefore, rather than establishing an arbitrary timeline, he felt we had a process in place where Council could track this, and also be able to request that either the Agency Director or St. Vincent's Director come to a meeting and bring Council up to date if they felt it was not moving fast enough. Mayor Boro stated the City would look for input during the design process, noting this process was something they expected St. Vincent's and the community to work on together. In addition, he stated the City would help St. Vincent's with community meetings, and would get input and reactions prior to the commission of the design, so that everyone had the opportunity to have a "buy in". Mayor Boro referred the third issue to City Attorney Ragghianti, noting it was one that had come up a number of times, and he believed the City needed Mr. Ragghianti's help with the terms. Mayor Boro stated Item b in Section 2 of the Resolution before Council stated, "The City Council supports the concept of the formation of a Neighborhood Advisory Committee and urges immediate implementation of said Committee by St. Vincent de Paul". Mayor Boro pointed out Sue Brown had already come before Council and reported St. Vincent's was ready to immediately implement a Community Advisory and Outreach Program, and he asked City Attorney Ragghianti to clarify these two things, asking how they were different, and how we might modify Item b to achieve our goals? City Attorney Ragghianti asked Attorney Rollin Chippey how these two might be different, noting that while he did not believe they were inconsistent, he would yield to Mr. Chippey's comments. Mr. Chippey stated the difference was merely one of functionality, noting one of the Neighborhood Committee's primary functions is to be a dispute resolution board, and to monitor compliance with the proposed CUP (Conditional Use Permit). Mr. Chippey pointed out the Committee basically had four charges: 1) to create an Outreach Program; 2) make certain there is a person who can be contacted for problems and resolutions; 3) it will be made up of certain identified members; 4) it is going to be the initial place where complaints and concerns about non-compliance regarding the CUP will be heard, for a period of 35 days. Mr. Chippey reiterated Ms. Brown's earlier comments that they were already doing everything other than the last monitoring function, which is basically the principal difference between the Outreach Program and the Neighborhood Advisory Committee that will come into place once St. Vincent's occupies the new facility. Mayor Boro clarified the Advisory and Outreach Program would ultimately be a part of the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, but they were not calling it that now, because of the relationship between the Dining Room, the Use Permit, and this Committee function, noting that until they have the Use Permit approved, it was premature to call it a Neighborhood Committee. Mr. Chippey stated that was correct. Referring to Community Relations, Item 9, Page 3 of Attachment "A", Mr. Chippey pointed out Ms. Brown had stated St. Vincent's Outreach Program was already accomplishing all of the functions identified in subparagraphs "a" through "c", explaining subparagraph "d" was tied -in through the CUP. Councilmember Miller stated he wholeheartedly supported the location of the St. Vincent de Paul Dining Room on Lootens Street, the Conditional Use Permit, and the Neighborhood Advisory Committee. Mr. Miller stated this had been a leap forward, noting he would like to add to that leap by asking that Council consider one other Section of the Resolution. He stated that in the Committee's SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 11 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 12 development of this great work together, for the sake of serving the growing population of hungry people, Mr. Miller asked that they consider the model of St. Vincent's dining services in the City of Phoenix. He explained that model would provide a separate commercial kitchen and storage facility, which could, and would, deliver meals to the Downtown Lootens Street site, to sites in the Canal neighborhoods, where the largest low-income population of our City resides, and to a site in North San Rafael where the client mapping of St. Vincent's shows a significant number residing. Mr. Miller stated that having had experience, through his thirteen years working for the Administration on Aging, which administers the Title VII Elderly Program and Meal Service directly to low-income and minorities, he has had the opportunity to visit the sites, and he believed a central kitchen and storage facility, with satellite sites, was the most cost efficient and economical manner of making accessible and acceptable convenient and customer friendly dining services to the greatest numbers. Mr. Miller explained this satellite strategy meant the Dining Hall on Lootens Street could dedicate a far greater portion of the site to a caring atmosphere for the actual delivery of services and meals, and at the same time, reduce the negative impacts of food storage and kitchen operations on a sensitive business neighborhood. Mr. Miller believed with that consideration we would have full, complete, and active progress going forward, and where, together, we will be a City who cares. Councilmember Cohen addressed the Resolution now before Council, and how we might move forward at this time, stating he agreed with the spirit of Mr. Miller's comments, noting the last issue raised was one that had been discussed in the past, and one which we might discuss further with St. Vincent's in the future. However, while this does have possibilities worth exploring, he did not believe it was something they wanted to add to the mix this evening, and stated he would like to focus on the recommendations of the Ad Hoc Committee, and the City's response to those recommendations. Responding to comments that had been made, Councilmember Cohen pointed out the City's Resolution had been drafted as an effort for action by Council in recognizing the Committee's report, as opposed to just accepting the report, noting the Council wanted to go on record as taking a position on the recommendations. He stated one of the things he and Mayor Boro felt strongly about was that there did not seem to be any reason to wait to implement outreach, getting involved and engaging the neighbors in discussing the operations of the Dining Room, and how they might be enhanced and improved, how the concerns of the neighbors and businesses might be addressed in the operation of the Dining Room, and how partnerships could be built. Councilmember Cohen stated he had carefully read the editorial in the Marin Independent Journal, and recognized St. Vincent's position with regard to not adopting the Use Permit immediately, as that was a component of moving to a new location. He reiterated he did not feel there was any reason to wait until six months prior to that move to begin the outreach; however, in listening to the comments of Sue Brown, and comparing his notes on that to the description of the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, he believed they had many things in common. He reported the recommendation of the Committee was that there should be a forum for discussing the operation of St. Vincent's, and while it specified this to be done at the new location, he felt the spirit of that had clearly been incorporated in the remarks made by Sue Brown during this evening's meeting. He noted the Committee report suggested the Neighborhood Advisory Committee should include representatives of the Federation of San Rafael Neighborhoods, Chamber of Commerce, Business Improvement District, Interfaith Council, and social service providers, and that these groups nominate their own representatives. Mr. Cohen stated he had heard that list of participants, and the point that these groups would be asked to nominate their own participants, in the comments made by Sue Brown this evening. He believed that in many respects, the presentation made this evening by Sue Brown for St. Vincent's had addressed the issues that had concerned him regarding the implementation of the Advisory Committee. He saw no reason, at the present time, for the City to ask for immediate implementation of the Neighborhood Advisory Committee which, as Mr. Chippey had pointed out, had a specific task related to the operation of the Conditional Use Permit. Mr. Cohen noted there was another difference, which Mr. Chippey had not pointed out, but one Mr. Cohen felt was key, which was that the Committee Report calls for St. Vincent's and the City to jointly appoint the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, and while people might expect him to feel that they should jointly appoint the Community Outreach Group, that was not how he felt, as he believed there was a significant and key difference. Mr. Cohen stated if, in fact, St. Vincent de Paul's Board of volunteers and supporters could work together with a committee nominated by people such as members of the Business Improvement SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 12 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 13 District, the Chamber of Commerce, and neighborhood associations, and really build the kind of partnership and trust we contemplate here this evening, then City control, in any sense, was going to be an afterthought, explaining what it was all about was getting everyone moving in the same direction. Mr. Cohen stated he really believed, in his heart, that most people in this community wanted to feed the hungry, and help the poor and needy among us. Mr. Cohen stated he believed that if we could build on the spirit expressed this evening, then the Conditional Use Permit itself, which he believed we needed to go forward with at the appropriate time, was going to be an afterthought, the way it is with most of the other social service providers who do business and serve the needy among us in San Rafael. He pointed out there were many agencies that have a Conditional Use Permit, and when they come up for renewal, no one shows up, because they are not an issue, and operate in a spirit of partnership and community service. He stated that was what he heard clearly expressed by those who had come to speak, and from St. Vincent's. He believed this was the heart of it, and stated he would support removing the language calling for the immediate implementation of the Neighborhood Advisory Committee, and as Mr. Chippey suggested, he would also support language incorporated in the City's Resolution that commends St. Vincent's for the Community Outreach Group, and commits the City to assisting, in any way it can, with that group's work. Regarding the timeline, Mr. Cohen agreed with Mayor Boro that any date the Council might set would be arbitrary, noting he believed the timeline should be as soon as possible. He pointed out, to those who say the current site is going to take longer than any others they have previously contemplated, that every site within the Ritter Street area, as previously defined by Council, was home to an existing business, which raised the issue of not only acquiring the site itself, but relocating the existing business, or negotiating a value for that business, in addition to the value of the property. He stated those negotiations and assistance in finding another site for such a business, so it could be relocated and St. Vincent's could move, took time in itself. Therefore, he was not really convinced the P.G.& E. site, which had no existing operation, would take a great deal longer time than any site they might have found within the triangle previously described as the Ritter Street Area. In response to Mr. O'Loane's comments, Mr. Cohen noted much of the discussion has been about the northeast corner of Second and Lindaro Streets; however, although he was not suggesting this be part of the Resolution, he would like to advocate that when looking at the P.G.& E. property, a more appropriate location, for a variety of reasons, would be the southeast corner of Third and Lindaro. He stated there was time to discuss where on the block it should be located, but he did believe we would all benefit from moving it a block to the north. Councilmember Cohen stated he wished to respond to some of the comments from his friends at St. Vincent's, noting he did consider them friends, and friends can sometimes disagree. He stated he had the benefit of reading the remarks of Mr. Gordon, of Fair, Isaac, prior to their appearance in the newspaper, as Mr. Gordon had been kind enough to send them to him before they appeared in print. Mr. Cohen stated it appeared the newspaper had taken a little "editorial liberty" in laying out the comments, pointing out there was a sub -heading in the editorial which stated the City "took the easy road". Mr. Cohen stated there had been nothing easy about this, noting he had been at this for seven years, and tonight's meeting was the only thing that had been easy. Mr. Cohen noted Mr. Gordon suggested the City had taken what appeared to be the path of least resistance, and he disagreed with that comment. He noted that having been engaged over a seven year period in evaluating a number of sites, with various representatives of the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and for a variety of reasons found those sites to fall short, he did not think it was possible to overstate the difficulty in finding a site that a majority of people would agree was acceptable. He stated there had been nothing easy about this process, pointing out they looked at a number of sites, and this Spring he reversed his strongly held position that the Downtown was not an appropriate location for the Dining Room. He stated, in part, he came to that conclusion because he sat down and thought carefully about the process they had engaged in up until then, and at the sites they had considered and rejected, the reasons why, and the possibilities that really existed for finding some other site outside the Downtown that would not fall prey to those same difficulties. Mr. Cohen did not believe the P.G.& E. site had merely been the path of least resistance, or that it was the "easy place", and so the City jumped on it. He acknowledged it was going to have some difficulties, and those difficulties were going to have to be addressed. However, for the time being, he was satisfied to take P.G.& E. at their representation that this site was practical, and that the toxic issues have been, can be, and will be addressed prior to St. Vincent's locating there. He believed we should proceed, with all due diligence, to investigate those SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 13 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 14 issues as rapidly as possible. Mr. Cohen recommended Council adopt the Resolution and move forward, and if it should prove that the P.G.& E. site is unworkable, we should then move quickly to find an alternate site. Councilmember Cohen sated he appreciated the hard work of the Committee. He noted he would like to see the City and St. Vincent's focus on that. Councilmember Heller thanked Judge Lynch, stating he had done a very nice job for the community. She agreed they needed to keep to a timeline, noting Council would be watching this, and moving it forward as rapidly as possible. She stated the design was essential, noting any time she spoke with anyone about the problems at St. Vincent's they usually agreed that if the design could be changed and improved, a lot of the problems would disappear. Ms. Heller stated she could accept the Outreach Committee, after hearing Mr. Chippey explain the difference; however, she would like to see, in the Resolution, that the City Council supports the concept of the formation of a Neighborhood Advisory Committee, and urges St. Vincent's to implement their Community Advisory Outreach Committee at once, or words to that effect. She also wanted to make clear the differences between the two types of committees, noting when she read the report, she wondered why they had wanted to hold the Advisory Committee off for six months, and wanted to see all the players in the community involved in this. She believed Fair, Isaac needed to sit at the table, and employees from Fair, Isaac needed to understand that their firm was working for their benefit, stating she believed a lot of the fears from the employees would disappear when they get more information, as most of the community will. Councilmember Heller stated she was open on the issue of the location, noting if we were to find that this location was not good, she believed we would find another one within the community. She reported she had spoken with one of St. Vincent's Board Members at length, noting she was ecstatic over the quality of the Board Members St. Vincent's was putting in place, and she would do whatever she could to move this forward. Councilmember Phillips stated there were a couple of issues that were important to him, and given that we already had a good understanding and foundation as to how to proceed, of foremost importance to him was seeing that we now move along as quickly as possible, and he believed we had a site that would facilitate that, noting it would benefit St. Vincent's, "B" Street, and the operation at the new location. Mr. Phillips agreed with Councilmember Cohen that there were several possibilities within a very confined proximity, and agreed to the slight shift in location; however, he pointed out the central spot was a good suggestion by the City Manager, noting it had a lot of merit and would expedite the process. Councilmember Phillips stated he had been delighted to hear Dennis Burke speak about St. Vincent's being run as a business, recognizing we were all customers. He pointed out the Council has had a lot of discussion about customer service and community service, noting it was truly a theme of the Councilmembers to recognize they must serve the community. He agreed with Councilmember Heller regarding the formation of the Committee, stating he felt it was timely, and was comfortable that this had already been addressed, to some degree, within the Resolution. Mr. Phillips noted he shared some of Roger Smith's concerns, agreeing design was an issue, and while it was not something that needed to be discussed this evening, it was important to everyone. He stated appearance and effectiveness, and how the site was utilized, were going to be important to the community; therefore, he hoped there would be a lot of participation in the design, not only from a functional standpoint, but also from an appearance standpoint. He acknowledged it was also going to be quite important to Fair, Isaac. Mayor Boro noted his fellow Councilmembers had expressed his interests and thoughts. He recalled when this item was last before Council he had read a prepared statement, which basically stated we all had to learn from the past and build for the future, and he believed we had come to that point. Mayor Boro noted there were two comments that had been made during the evening which rang a bell with him. First, Sue Brown used a term which he really supported, stating they had to create a model with this project. Mayor Boro stated he had been advocating that this project be done in such a way that it becomes a model which other communities would want to emulate. Referring to Mr. Garfink's remarks about forgetting the past, Mayor Boro stated that while he had not been involved with this issue for as long as Councilmember Cohen, he noted there had been some tough times, and some very difficult meetings and turnarounds; however, he believed this was behind us, and we now had a great opportunity. Mayor Boro believed the site they were looking at, and the development that would go on that site, complimented by what was going on across the street with Fair, Isaac, SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 14 SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 15 would have a wonderful result for the City, pointing out we would be taking care of those who are in need, and at the same time, be developing two major parcels, which had been called "brown fields", turning them around and remediating them, and putting them to good use for the future. Mayor Boro felt the three sites, Fair, Isaac, St. Vincent's, and the rest of the P.G. & E. site, would work well together, noting he really believed that. Mayor Boro reported there was only one other point he would suggest. He reported he had been at St. Raphael's last Sunday for the 7:30 AM Mass, and heard the announcement regarding tonight's meeting. He stated the churches, in all denominations, have been very effective in getting support for this effort, and he encouraged them to continue in this effort, noting it would work if the whole community of Marin is behind it, and works with the City, the merchants, and with St. Vincent's. Reiterating what he had stated a couple of months earlier, Mayor Boro noted it does not work if people just do something at Christmas and Thanksgiving, and perhaps at Easter, it is a day in and day out operation. Mayor Boro congratulated everyone involved with this, noting the Council had invited each member of the Ad Hoc Committee to receive a formal Resolution of Appreciation from the City Council at the City Council meeting on Monday, July 20th, thanking them for their work, and expressing the support of the City. Mayor Boro stated he shared Fair, Isaac's concerns regarding certain issues, noting he had a great deal to do with getting Fair, Isaac to come to the site where they will be operating. He stated Fair, Isaac was a great company, they had a great employee base, and he believed they could be a great help to the Dining Room. At the same time, he believed the Dining Room also understood Fair, Isaac's needs, and stated he would look for St. Vincent's to work with Fair, Isaac, to resolve their concerns and needs. Mayor Boro asked City Attorney Ragghianti to assist in providing language to modify the one paragraph of the Resolution they had discussed earlier in the meeting. Mr. Ragghianti suggested Paragraph B, Section 2, be modified to strike the word "immediate", and further modified to add additional language, so it reads as follows, "The City Council supports the concept of the formation of a Neighborhood Advisory Committee, and urges implementation of said Committee by St. Vincent de Paul, as outlined in Attachment All, (of tonight's staff report). "Pending permanent relocation of the St. Vincent de Paul facility, the City Council accepts and supports immediate implementation of the St. Vincent de Paul Community Advisory and Outreach Program, more particularly set forth in Attachment C", (which is a one page document Mr. Chippey handed to him this evening, the contents of which were read into the record by Ms. Brown earlier in the evening). Mr. Ragghianti asked Mr. Chippey if this was acceptable? Mr. Chippey stated that it was. Councilmember Cohen stated the only addition he would make to the changes offered by Mr. Ragghianti would be to strengthen the language, indicating that not only does Council support the Outreach Committee, but the City also offers its assistance to the efforts of that group. He stated, in the spirit of the discussion this evening, he would like to have that language included. SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL Councilmember Cohen moved and Councilmember Miller seconded, to adopt the Resolution, with amendments suggested by Mr. Ragghianti and himself. RESOLUTION NO. 10249 - RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL ACCEPTING THE REPORT OF THE AD HOC DINING ROOM COMMITTEE. AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS:Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS:None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS:None There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 10:00 PM. SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 15 1998 REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY CHAIRMAN SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 16 JEANNE M. LEONCINI, CITY CLERK/AGENCY SECRETARY APPROVED THIS DAY OF , MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL/ SRCC/SRRA MINUTES (Spec. Jt.) 7/9/98 Page 16