HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 1997-10-06SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 10/6/97 Page 1
IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL, MONDAY, OCTOBER 6, 1997 AT 8:20
PM
Regular Meeting: Present: Albert J. Boro, Mayor
San Rafael City Council Paul M. Cohen, Councilmember
Barbara Heller, Councilmember
Cyr N. Miller, Councilmember
Gary O. Phillips, Councilmember
Absent: None
Also Present: Rod Gould, City Manager
Gary T. Ragghianti, City Attorney
Jeanne M. Leoncini, City Clerk
CLOSED SESSION - 7:00 PM
1. Conference with Legal Counsel - Existing Litigation (Government Code Section
54956.9(a))
a. Case Name: Jenkins v. City of San Rafael, Marin County Superior Court
Case No. 170525
City Attorney Ragghianti announced no reportable action was taken.
2. Conference with Labor Negotiators (Government Code 54957.6)
Negotiators: Daryl Chandler/Ken Nordhoff/Suzy Golt/Bill Scharf
a. Employee Organization: MAPE/SEIU Child Care Unit
City Attorney Ragghianti announced no reportable action was taken.
3. Conference with Real Property Negotiator (Government Code Section 54956.8)
a. Property Street Address: (Playing fields commonly known as Bernard Hoffman
Fields) located on Las Colindas Road, San Rafael, CA
Negotiating Parties: City of San Rafael and Dixie Elementary School District.
Under Negotiation: Instruction to negotiator will concern price and terms
of Agreement.
City Attorney Ragghianti announced no reportable action was taken.
ORAL COMMUNICATIONS OF AN URGENCY NATURE:
ENFORCEMENT OF CITY'S NOISE ORDINANCE - File 100 x 115
A•9n DM
Claire Machado, consultant, reported that on October 1, 1997 she sent a letter on
behalf of a client to the City Engineer regarding excess noise being generated by
the Undergrounding Project on Second Street because of the condition of the roadway.
She submitted photographs of the roadway work, along with a video tape which was
filmed at 5:00 AM. Ms. Machado reported roadway traffic is currently hitting a
metal maintenance box outside the front of 1111 Second Street, causing noise ranging
in the 90 to 100 decibel level range, and noted this was in excess of what the City
's General Plan allows. She pointed out the City's Noise Ordinance prohibits noise
between 9:00 PM and 7:00 AM. Ms. Machado also submitted letters from residents
of the area who are being severely impacted by this noise. She urged Council to
look at the project and address this issue, install mitigating measures, and provide
some assurance of future quiet so the residents can get some rest. Mayor Boro
instructed City Manager Gould to take this matter under advisement, and report back
to Council and Ms. Machado.
CONSENT CALENDAR:
Councilmember Phillips moved and Councilmember Cohen seconded, to approve the
following Consent Calendar items:
ITEM
RECOMMENDED ACTION
4. Approval of Minutes of Special Joint and Regular Approved as submitted.
Meetings of Monday, September 15, 1997 (CC)
SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 10/6/97 Page 1
SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 10/6/97 Page 2
CONSENT CALENDAR:
5. Call for Applications to Fill One Two -Year Term on Approved staff
recommendation:
the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito and Vector Control a) Accepted resignation of
District Board, Due to Resignation of John A. Govi; John A. Govi, Member of the
Term to Expire End of December, 1999 (CC) Marin Sonoma Mosquito and
- File 9-2-9 Vector Control District Board; b)
Called for applications to fill one two-year term on the Marin/Sonoma Mosquito
and Vector Control District Board to the end of 12/99, due to resignation of
John A. Govi, with applications due by deadline of Tuesday, October 28, 1997
at 12:00 Noon in the City Clerk's Office, Room 209; c) Set date for interviews
of applicants at a Special City Council meeting to be held on Monday, November
3, 1997, commencing at 6:30 PM.
6. Resolution Supporting Marin Joins Together:
"Stopping Hate Is Up To All Of Us"
Campaign (CM) - File 9-3-11 x 103
RIGHTS ROUNDTABLE ON HATE VIOLENCE.
7. City Work Plan Review (CM) - File 237
8. Resolution of Appreciation to Ken Spray,
Finance Manager for Central Marin Sanitation
RESOLUTION NO. 9923 -
RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE
MISSION OF THE MARIN HUMAN
Accepted report.
RESOLUTION NO. 9924 -
RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION
TO
Agency (PW) - File 102 x 12-7 KEN SPRAY, FINANCE MANAGER FOR
CENTRAL MARIN SANITATION AGENCY (In recognition of Mr. Spray earning for the
San Rafael Sanitation District a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence
in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association).
9. Approval of Contract Amendment With Nichols•Berman RESOLUTION NO. 9925 -
Associates to Prepare an Environmental Impact Report RESOLUTION APPROVING A
for the Dominican College Master Plan (Comm. Dev.) CONTRACT AMENDMENT WITH
- File 4-3-318 NICHOLS•BERMAN FOR PREPARATION OF
AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE DOMINICAN COLLEGE MASTER PLAN.
10. SECOND READING AND FINAL ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE APPROVED FINAL
ADOPTION OF
NO. 1714 - An Ordinance of the City Council of ORDINANCE NO. 1714,
the City of San Rafael, California, Adding "AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY
Chapter 3.34 to the San Rafael Municipal Code COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
Establishing a Fee and Service Charge Revenue/Cost SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA,
ADDING
Comparison System and Amending Related Provisions CHAPTER 3.34 TO THE SAN
RAFAEL
of the Code Consistent Therewith (Admin. Svcs.)MUNICIPAL CODE ESTABLISHING
- File 9-10-2 A FEE AND SERVICE CHARGE
REVENUE/COST COMPARISON SYSTEM AND AMENDING RELATED PROVISIONS OF THE CODE
CONSISTENT THEREWITH".
11. Resolution Authorizing Lease Agreement With RESOLUTION NO. 9926 -
Municipal Leasing Associates, Inc. for One Fire RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING
LEASE
Department Ambulance, Including Signatories and AGREEMENT WITH MUNICIPAL
Notice of Intent to be Reimbursed (Admin. Svcs.) LEASING ASSOCIATES, INC.
- File 4-10-303 x 9-3-31 FOR ONE FIRE DEPARTMENT AMBULANCE,
INCLUDING SIGNATORIES AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO BE REIMBURSED.
CONSENT CALENDAR:
12. Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Sign RESOLUTION NO. 9927 -
Renewal Lease Agreement with the State Allocation RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE
Board for Two Relocatable Child Care Portables SIGNING OF A RENEWAL LEASE
(Pickleweed Park and Glenwood Elementary) (Rec)AGREEMENT WITH THE STATE
- File 4-7-24 x 9-3-65 ALLOCATION BOARD FOR TWO
RELOCATABLE CLASSROOM BUILDINGS (for 5 additional years, from 9/1/97 through
8/30/2002) (Pickleweed Park and Glenwood Elementary).
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro
NOES: COUNCIL ERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
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SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 10/6/97 Page 3
SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:
13. PRESENTATION OF RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO YOLANDA GIBSON, MEMBER OF THE
MARIN COUNTY MEDIATION SERVICES ADVISORY COMMITTEE (CM) - File 102
Mayor Boro presented Yolanda Gibson with a Resolution of Appreciation for her fine
work with Marin County Medication Services, particularly her work in the Canal
recently during Operation Pride Clean-up Day. Mayor Boro stated the City
appreciates the work she personally contributes to the organization, and thanked
her on behalf of the City of San Rafael.
Ms. Gibson noted that when Police Chief Sanchez first asked Marin County Mediation
Services to prepare for this event, there was approximately two weeks until
the event, and she looked upon it as a total impossibility. However, because
of Chief Sanchez' tenacity and encouragement, they managed to pull the event
together, noting she really enjoyed putting in the time. Ms. Gibson also
reported TCI Cable has agreed to do a Mediation Services Tenant/Landlord video
in English.
14. PRESENTATION OF RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO KEN SPRAY, FINANCE MANAGER FOR
CENTRAL MARIN SANITATION AGENCY - File 102 x 12-7
Mayor Boro stated the City of San Rafael has an agency called the San Rafael Sanitation
District, noting he and Councilmember Cohen serve on that Board of Directors.
He reported they have a series of revenues they collect and expend, and that
particular agency, representing the City, has contracted with the agency Mr.
Ken Spray works for, the Central Marin Sanitation District, to maintain the
books and records of account, and keep them in good shape for the internal
and external auditors. Mayor Boro reported that because of Mr. Spray's fine
work, a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting had
been presented to the San Rafael Sanitation District. Mayor Boro presented
the plaque to Mr. Spray, along with a Resolution of Appreciation from the City
Council, thanking him for the great work he does on behalf of the City.
Mr. Spray explained the Certificate of Achievement in a Financial Reporting Program
is awarded not only because the information is prepared correctly from a
technical point of view, but also because they are prepared in accordance with
format and presentation, noting it has reader appeal as well as technical
presentation. He stated it was very difficult to receive one of these awards,
and he was very pleased to receive one.
PUBLIC HEARING:
15. PUBLIC HEARING - TO CONSIDER ZONE CHANGE TO A PLANNED DISTRICT, MASTER USE
PERMIT, ENVIRONMENTAL AND DESIGN REVIEW PERMIT TO ALLOW DEVELOPMENT OF THE
SHAMROCK CENTER, A 48,350 SQUARE FOOT RETAIL BUILDING AND A 12,050 SQUARE FOOT
AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP LOCATED AT 655 IRWIN, SAN RAFAEL, CA; APN #13-032-01,
02, 04, 05, 06; LA TRIFOGLIO, LLC, OWNER; MATTHEW CAPPIELLO, REPRESENTATIVE
(Comm Dev.) - File 10-3 x 10-5 x 10-7
Mayor Boro declared the Public Hearing opened.
Community Development Director Robert Leiter reported the proposed project has been
reviewed by both the Design Review Board and the Planning Commission, noting
the Design Review Board did not recommend approval of the project, indicating
they did not feel the basic site plan was appropriate, and they also felt the
project should provide an orientation onto Lincoln Avenue. They did state
that the buildings were well designed, the colors and materials were of high
quality, and the landscaping and orientation toward the creek were well done.
Mr. Leiter reported the applicant then requested the project be forwarded
to the Planning Commission, and the Planning Commission recommended approval
of the project to the City Council. The Planning Commission did address several
technical issues, specifically the requirement that the Sign Program be returned
to the Design Review Board for further review, as they had concerns regarding
the overall design of the Sign Program. However, with those issues that were
addressed, both the Design Review Board and the Planning Commmission did look
favorably upon the design, and the Planning Commission is recommending Council
approve the project.
Matt Cappiello, Manager for the Shamrock Center Project, introduced Gene Ceccotti,
President of Shamrock Materials.
Gene Ceccotti, President of Shamrock Materials, stated he was representing the owners
and the Shamrock Project, reporting Shamrock was founded in 1954, and through
the years the character of the neighborhood has changed. He stated that for
some time the owners have wanted to develop the property more in character
with the current state of the City, and while they first thought they would
be unable to do this, several years ago they were able to acquire the McPhails
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interest, which freed up the property. He stated they have worked through
the design problems, and feel they have something that can really benefit the
City, as well as the owner.
Matt Cappiello stated he and Mr. Ceccotti had begun discussing this site not long
after the acquisition of the McPhails Company, trying to decide how they could
best use this site. He reported they invited six or seven Developers to meet
with them, to see what their ideas were for this site, and every one of them
suggested a retail project that could take advantage of the Highway 101 frontage.
He reported that at approximately this same time, Mr. Roland Bacci from RAB
Motors approached them about a Land Rover dealership site on a portion of the
property, and a couple of representatives from the City approached them to
suggest they give the proposal strong consideration, as it is a bit unusual
to mix Retail with Automotive. However, Mr. Cappiello believed they have been
able to do that with their design, stating it has evolved into a hybrid center
now being presented to Council.
Mr. Cappiello stated their goals in the beginning were to try to plan a center that
would attract tenants who would add to the San Rafael community, and he believes
they have done that with this center. He stated they wanted to design a center
that was attractive, and would be functional by having adequate parking, which
they believe they do, and by having loading where one can drive forward off
of the City street into a loading zone, and back into the docks, and not worry
about passing pedestrians or cars. He stated they also wanted a center that
would be economically feasible, not only for the City of San Rafael, but for
their investment considerations, as well.
Mr. Cappiello reported their team consisted of CSW Stuber/Strogh, who are their
Civil Engineers; Miller Pacific, Soil Engineers; DKS Associates, Traffic
Engineers; Robert LaRocce & Associates, Landscape Architects; and PBM
Architects, the Planners and Designers. Mr. Cappiello introduced Tom Harry,
who presented the project.
Tom Harry Architect, stated that when Mr. Cappiello presented the project with
these tenants his firm was very excited, because while it is not a common thing
to have a Land Rover, CompUSA and Staples together, they are three great tenants
that bring a lot of people to a project. He noted one of the interesting things
about this project, from an architectural point of view, was that the space
needs of tenants such as CompUSA and Staples are quite large, and the challenge
for the Architect was to bring down the scale of larger buildings so they feel
more in keeping with the human scale of the project, noting especially since
it is retail, it should be comfortable to the people who are going to be shopping
there.
Mr. Harry stated that with the freeway access and freeway exposure being a prime
part of how the buildings present themselves to the community, the challenge
was to carry that retail exposure around to the back of the site, and make
Lincoln Avenue as appealing as possible. He reported they had looked at various
configurations that moved the buildings around the site, and they felt that
by combining everything into one compound between CompUSA and Staples the main
entrance to the project from Lincoln Avenue could benefit from the Mahon Creek
exposure, and that is why the main access to the project is from Lincoln Avenue,
right next to Mahon Creek.
Mr. Harry noted, as Architects, they liked the original batch plant that had stood
there, and with some of the original items, and the fact that they had sold
concrete goods there for such a long time, they felt it was interesting to
harken back to a little bit of what was there. He stated they picked up on
a bit of the steel and industrial look in detailing, and have used them in
items around the building such as arcades, trellises, and signage elements,
items that cover over the pedestrian walkways to lend human scale to the
development. He noted they felt the landscape plan, especially with what
happens along Lincoln Avenue where the buildings are split, provides for large
areas of landscape that will soften and be complimentary to the style of the
building itself. Mr. Harry pointed out even though the building is facing
the freeway, they have brought pedestrian paths through in front of the building,
to connect through to Mahon Creek, and to provide ways that people coming from
Lincoln Avenue to the north, from the future Fair,Isaac development, will be
pulled into the front of the building and through the site. He stated they
have
tried to highlight those areas by placing colored concrete and stamped concrete
bands at the vehicular entrances, so people will see that as an entry signal
where they can enter the project there.
Councilmember Cohen noted the Sign Program had been back to Design Review, and asked
if that included the site pylon sign? Mr. Harry responded that it did. Mr.
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Cohen asked how integral a part of the project that sign is? Mr. Harry stated
signage is integral to any retail project, acknowledging it is always a difficult
thing because everyone has an opinion about it, such as the tenants and the
Developers, who want their exposure. Mr. Harry noted the pylon sign has been
interesting because members of the Design Review Board and the Planning
Commmission were intrigued by the idea of having it be part of a direct
interpretation of some of the batch plant elements that had been there.
However, everyone also has an opinion on how large the letters should be and
how prominent the sign should be, and the request is that this be reviewed
again with the Design Review Board after they have been able to document that
element, in the same way they have documented some of the key elements of the
building itself.
Mr. Cohen stated that while this is a great project, he understood the Design Review
Board concerns about where it should front. Mr. Cohen stated he would come
to this development and shop at CompUSA, but he did have a problem with this
sign, noting he was not sure that discussing the size of the letters was going
to resolve his concerns about a forty foot monument sign on the freeway at
the entrance to San Rafael. Mr. Cohen referred to the conflict in Novato over
the sign for Hamilton Field, stating this might give us a taste of how the
community at large is going to react over this sign. Mr. Cohen stated the
City has not generally taken this kind of approach before, noting it smacks
of "billboard", and was not the kind of thing usually found in Marin County.
Mr. Harry stated they were not particularly "married" to that kind of pylon sign,
noting they presented that in response to the reaction they had received at
some of the earlier meetings, where the feeling had been to try to bring in
a little more of the history of the former site, noting the pylon is an exact
replica of one of the original silos that was lit up every Christmas as a candle.
He stated now that they are receiving these comments, they were very receptive
to them, and were at a stage where they will likely be redesigning the pylon
sign. Mr. Cohen stated he was not reacting to either the design of the pylon,
or the size of the letters; he was reacting to the concept. He stated if the
City were going to have such a sign, he did not particularly see anything wrong
with this design, noting he understood what the intent was with the design,
and what it was speaking to, and it made sense to him. However, the problem
he was having was with his reaction to the notion of having a sign like this
on a prominent entrance to San Rafael, and what he anticipates the community's
reaction will be to having Council approve this kind of monument sign. Mr.
Cohen stated he believed the Council would hear an awful lot about it, and
he did not think any of it would be positive. Therefore, Mr. Cohen felt it
was important that this issue be put out on the table now, so that even if
the Sign Program is going to be something that they address later, the property
owners and the Developer know that at least one Councilmember has a severe
problem with the sign, at least at first glance.
Mayor Boro stated his reaction upon first seeing the plans for this sign was that
we do not have signs like this in San Rafael anymore. Mayor Boro referred
to the drawing on Page 11 which showed a sign on the front of the building,
and he felt that looked great. Mayor Boro stated we have gone through a lot
of effort in the Redevelopment of our Downtown, as far as the entrance to our
City, noting there was a property adjoining the Shamrock property that will
soon come forward with a very large office complex for Fair, Isaac. He stated
one of the things that was heard when the City went through its Vision was
the fact that people really want to have something that is very telling about
our community, and to have landmark buildings. Mayor Boro stated the whole
nature of the Fair, Isaac site was designed so we could achieve that, noting
the Shamrock site is adjacent to the Fair, Isaac site, and is very visible.
Mayor Boro stated he fully supported the application; however, he felt the
Developer would want to heed Council's discussion regarding the sign, and Mayor
Boro suggested the sign be brought back for Council' s review once they go through
the Design Review Board and the Planning Commission. Mayor Boro stated he
agreed with Councilmember Cohen, noting the Council understands what the
community is looking for, and he wants to make sure they do not wake up surprised
some morning.
Councilmember Miller recalled that when the Lucas Green Building began to be
redesigned, signage was a very key issue in the development. He stated the
citizens of San Rafael feel very strongly, and are very staunch about having
signage fit in with the design of the building and not be sitting there like
a billboard.
Councilmember Heller recalled that when Toys 'R Us came to San Rafael, when she
was liaison to the Design Review Board, they originally started out with a
very large monument sign, but what they have now is very tasteful and fits
within the whole concept of that street. Councilmember Heller asked who was
responsibe for Mahon
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Creek, was it Fair, Isaac or Shamrock? Community Development Director Leiter stated
the City was actually developing the Master Plan for that area, which would
include the creek.
Councilmember Phillips noted the Design Review Board had a problem with the frontage
on Lincoln Avenue, and asked for an explanation to Lincoln Avenue receiving
a "back door" treatment, and why that is necessary with this project. Mr.
Harry stated some of that had to do with what they felt made sense from a Planning
standpoint, and some of it had to do with what the tenants were saying as they
approached the Developer to become part of this project. He stated he could
not think of one tenant who would have settled for an orientation toward Lincoln
Avenue, so they concentrated on the orientation as shown here, and it then
became more of a situation of how to soften the Lincoln Avenue side of the
building. He stated they attempted to do that by first moving the building
a little bit east, away from Lincoln, so they could add more landscaping and
berming. Next they off -set half of the building forward, which gave them the
ability to condense the loading zones, so that instead of having to run the
entire length of the building, they condensed it down to the southern portion
of the building. He stated that is actually an even better approach,
functionally, noting it also gave them the ability to add not only a right
turn lane into the Center, going north on Lincoln Avenue, but also a lot more
landscaping at that end of the building, which they feel really softens the
whole entrance area, and makes the walk along Lincoln, behind the building,
much more attractive. Mr. Harry pointed out the buildings on the other side
of Lincoln were no picnic to look at, and noted he has spoken with the owners
of some of those buildings, reporting the economics of the ownerships of those
buildings are such that the rents generated in those buildings do not make
it very economically attractive to buy them and tear them down to do something
else with them. He believed what you now see along Lincoln Avenue on the other
side of the property is likely to be pretty stable for a long time, and they
feel their approach to Lincoln Avenue is upgrading it as much as they can.
He pointed out they had also added glass on the corners to break up the "walled"
look, and they have trellises along the back walls of the building, along with
screens so the docks are not visible. Therefore, he pointed out they had
attempted to soften the look of Lincoln Avenue as much as they could.
Mayor Boro stated he understood and supported the idea of the frontage being on
the freeway, noting that is what this site is all about. However, he asked
if someone lived in this neighborhood and came down Irwin Street toward the
project, what would they see? Mr. Harry stated they would first see the Bertolli
building on the corner, and then they would see the Land Rover building, and
they would have some of their cars on display, facing Lincoln Avenue. There
would be a tree -lined sidewalk along Irwin Street, an entrance to Land Rover,
just beyond that there would be an entrance to the retail center, and there
would be a pedestrian walkway just before Irwin Street, so pedestrians could
walk through the center over to Mahon Creek.
There being no further public comment, Mayor Boro closed the Public Hearing.
Councilmember Heller moved and Councilmember Phillips seconded, to adopt the
Resolution certifying a Negative Declaration for a Zone change, Master Use
Permit, and Environmental and Design Review Permit for the Development of a
48,350 square foot retail building and a 12,050 square foot automobile
dealership known as the Shamrock Center.
RESOLUTION NO. 9928 -RESOLUTION CERTIFYING THE NEGATIVE DECLARATION FOR A ZONE
CHANGE (ZC97-1) , MASTER USE PERMIT (UP97-1) , AND ENVIRONMENTAL AND DESIGN REVIEW
PERMIT (ED97-3) FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A 48,350 SQUARE FOOT RETAIL BUILDING
AND A 12,050 SQUARE FOOT AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP KNOWN AS THE SHAMROCK CENTER,
655 IRWIN STREET; (APN 13-032-01, 02, 04, 05, 06 AND A PORTION OF 13-021-38)
AYES: COUNCIL ERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro
NOES: COUNCIL ERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCIL ERS: None
The title of the Ordinance was read,
"AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AMENDING THE ZONING MAP OF THE CITY OF SAN
RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTED BY REFERENCE BY SECTION 14.01.020 OF THE MUNICIPAL
CODE OF SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA, SO AS TO RECLASSIFY CERTAIN REAL PROPERTY FROM
THE GENERAL COMMERCIAL DISTRICT TO THE PD (PLANNED DEVELOPMENT) DISTRICT (RE:
ZC97-1, 655 IRWIN STREET, AP NOS. 13-032-01, 02, 04, 05, 06 AND A PORTION OF
13-021-38) (SHAMROCK CENTER)"
Councilmember Cohen moved and Councilmember Phillips seconded, to dispense with
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SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 10/6/97 Page 7
the reading of the Ordinance in its entirety and refer to it by title only,
and pass Charter Ordinance No. 1715 to print, by the following vote, to wit:
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
Councilmember Miller moved and Councilmember Cohen seconded, to adopt the Resolution
approving the Master Use Permit, and Environmental and Design Review Permit
for the development of a 48,350 square foot retail building and a 12,050 square
foot automobile dealership known as the Shamrock Center, as amended to include
a provision that final approval of the signs be brought to the City Council
for approval.
RESOLUTION NO. 9929 -RESOLUTION APPROVING THE MASTER USE PERMIT (UP97-1), AND
ENVIRONMENTAL AND DESIGN REVIEW PERMIT (ED97-3) FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A 48,350
SQUARE FOOT RETAIL BUILDING AND A 12,050 SQUARE FOOT AUTOMOBILE DEALERSHIP
KNOWN AS THE SHAMROCK CENTER; 655 IRWIN STREET; (APN 13-032-01, 02, 04, 05,
06 AND A PORTION OF 13-021-38) ( As Amended - Final approval of signs to be
brought forward to City Council for review).
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro
NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
MONTHLY REPORT:
16. DEPARTMENT REPORT: POLICE DEPARTMENT - RE: COMMUNITY POLICING (PD) - File
9-3-30
Police Chief Cam Sanchez introduced Police Officer Charles Samuels, who assisted
Chief Sanchez in his slide presentation. Chief Sanchez referred to his report,
Community Policing and Problem Solving in the City of San Rafael, noting he
would explain the strategy being developed on the part of the Police Department
to discuss and implement this program.
Referring to the issue of increased fear and violence, Chief Sanchez stated the
new FBI statistics show that during the past two and a half to three years
crime throughout the Country has actually been decreasing. He reported crime
in San Rafael is definitely decreasing; however, whether it is on a temporary
basis or not, there still is the fear of crime and violence, acknowledging
we do still have those things occurring.
Addressing the lack of trust in Police and Government, Chief Sanchez reported that
during the Canal Voice meetings held throughout the community during the past
year or so, the issue that continually came up before the Community Policing
Committee was that some individuals, especially young people, have a lack of
trust in the Police. He stated this was something the Police Department needed
to work on, and something that was part of the strategy for Community Policing.
In addition, the Police have been seen as being concerned only with enforcement.
Chief Sanchez stated Community Policing was a problem solving strategy, and
was not a project or program, it was a philosophy, explaining it was about
customer service, and about trying to improve things and improve communication
with the community, and not just about being enforcers, but about being
pro -active participants.
Chief Sanchez reported the Police Department does an outstanding job of dealing
with our community, handling crimes and following-up on crimes, and dealing
with all those things that Police Departments do from coast to coast. He pointed
out that what Community Policing and problem solving will do is enhance what
we already have, and definitely increase the partnership we have with the
community. Chief Sanchez stated the Department has a Vision Statement, which
is a community oriented philosophy that will guide their thinking. Chief
Sanchez stated this is a problem solving approach which focuses on community
involvement, explaining one of the goals is for the Department to join the
community as equal partners, reporting they have already begun some of those
partnerships. He noted the Department's focus
will be on service and customer satisfaction, and on solutions, not symptoms. He
explained that over the years, and in his experience, we have continued to
respond to the same locations for the same problems over and over again. What
Community Policing and Problem Solving will do is assist the Police Department
in solving the problem, so they do not have continual issues at the same
locations, noting the Police Department will begin to develop the Department's
employees as problem solvers, not just enforcement people.
Chief Sanchez stated Community Policing would require a deeper focus to attack root
cause, rather than symptoms, pointing out they need to get away from that.
He noted often times when Community Policing is discussed by various Police
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Departments, the veteran Police Officers respond that their Department is
getting away from "traditional" policing. His question to those Officers is,
when they signed up for this job and had their oral interview before the panel
and were asked why they wanted to do Police work, did they state it was because
they wanted to do traditional Police work? Chief Sanchez noted it was not,
the answer was always that they wanted to help their community. He stated
the Police Department needs to get back to basics, and that was what they were
going to be focusing on. Chief Sanchez noted Community Policing would change
the role of the Police Officer, acknowledging it will be his big challenge
to develop the employees to become facilitators, coordinators, activists, and
partners, and to really get involved in the community, whether they live in
the City or not.
Referring to New Resources, Chief Sanchez listed partnerships with schools, civic
groups, allied agencies, other City Departments, and new skills for Department
members. He pointed out Community Policing was something all departments in
the City would be challenged with, to assign at least one person from each
department to be a part of Community Policing, so the Police Department can
become involved with the other departments such as Planning, Public Works,
Recreation, and the Library. He stated we need to form this partnership to
allow our citizens to see that we are very serious, as a City, about serving
them better.
Regarding goals, Chief Sanchez stated the biggest goal was to reduce crime, noting
that while crime is on the decline, there is still a big fear of crime, and
there is still violence, which are things the Police Department must deal with.
Another goal is to improve communication with the community, and within the
Police Department. He noted they have begun to do this, but need to make it
better, through partnerships. Chief Sanchez stated another important goal
is to increase trust and respect in City institutions, noting this will be
a success for the entire City, and something all the departments will have
to become involved in.
Chief Sanchez reported that improving the quality of life for our citizens will
be a philosophy that will go Citywide, noting it was critical to reducing crime.
He pointed out we will need to do something about abandoned buildings and
abandoned vehicles, explaining this was something, as a Police Department,
they would have to look at very seriously. He reported he had told his Officers
that they had to stop waiting for the "big one", meaning the big robbery or
the big burglary, stating they need to remember to prioritize what the City's
needs are, and if abandoned vehicles are the number one issue in a certain
part of the community, then the Police Department will address that as the
number one issue. He stated if the issue is an eyesore building, which breeds
crime, then as a Police Department they will have to get involved in doing
something about that building, and not put it off on someone else and say it
is not a Police Department problem. He stated this would all be a part of
improving the quality of life for our citizens.
Outlining the situation as it is today, Chief Sanchez reported the Police Department
is fully staffed with quality people, and poised for change. He noted the
Police Officers have told him they are ready for change, are eager to learn,
and have told their supervisors they are excited about what the Department
is planning to do in changing their role.
Chief Sanchez pointed out the City enjoys a sophisticated population who is eager
to embrace the Police Department. He noted the Department has conducted
meetings throughout the community, and the citizens are ready for a different
type of policing, not only reactionary, but problem solving, which is what
Community Policing will do for us.
Outlining the Police Department's current programs, Chief Sanchez referred to the
footbeats, noting many in the community would like to see more footbeat patrols,
and stating the Department will begin working on more footbeats in the Canal
area. He pointed out that in March, 1998 the Department will have two more
Officers out of the Police Academy, and it might be an option to use them for
footbeats. He stated the Department is considering bike patrols from time
to time in the Canal and other parts of the City, other than just the Downtown
area. Chief Sanchez stated the special enforcement will continue, pointing
out the Street Crimes Unit was doing a good job, but noting the Department
needs to better that, and make them even more a part of the process, not just
reactionary policing. Referring to Crime Prevention, Chief Sanchez stated
the community oriented policing and problem solving philosophies would entail
Crime Prevention, and would become part of the Department's Crime Prevention
Unit, currently headed by Officer Kim Dufficy-Brown and some volunteers, which
will soon be expanded.
Chief Sanchez reported the Police Department currently collaborates with Code
Enforcement on problem buildings, stating the Police Department needs to do
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not only more with Code Enforcement, but also with the Fire, Building, Planning,
and Public Works Departments, collaborating with the various departments and
attending their meetings. He stated they currently have a School Liaison,
and this is working out
fairly well, noting they are currently working on the unfortunate recent incident
involving an attack on a ten-year old girl, attending meetings at the school
with the parents of the children.
Chief Sanchez stated the Chaplaincy Program has begun, noting they have been a great
help in responding to calls with the Police Officers, and doing some really
great things. He stated their biggest success to date is that they have begun
to talk about Community Policing in their congregations, disseminating a lot
of information to a lot of people on the same day, which really helps out the
Police Department. Chief Sanchez stated that is Community Policing, and noted
the Police Department will become more involved with them.
Chief Sanchez reported on some of the new programs. Referring to long-term beat
assignments, he explained the Officers currently patrol specific beats for
from two to three weeks to a couple of months. He noted that from time to
time they change beats even more frequently than that; therefore, they really
do not get the chance to take "ownership" of their beat. Chief Sanchez stated
this will change in March, 1998, noting the Department will begin to have the
Officers work a beat for perhaps a year. He explained that even if the Officers
switch hours in the day, they will continue to work the same area, so the
community will get to know them, and they will get to know the community at
all hours of the day, and take some ownership in that community and start being
a problem solver. Chief Sanchez explained that currently if the Department
asks the Officers to be problem solvers, they will do the best they can, but
how successful they are is really an unknown, because they do not stay in the
same area long enough to get to know the root of the problem. He pointed out
that when the Department begins to place them in steady beats, to go to the
meetings, to meet with the owners of the businesses, and go to the schools,
the Officers are going to need time to do that, and the Department is going
to restructure the beat assignments, beginning with the rotation in March,
1998. He noted March is also when the Department will have full staffing,
and the two Officers currently at the Police Academy will be out on Field
Training.
Chief Sanchez stated another important issue was that the Department needs to
prioritize calls to reflect community needs. He reported the Department will
be designing surveys to send to out to the community, discussing what their
priorities are, and in the next few weeks the Department will begin to discuss
how we currently respond to calls, and how the Officers can better the response
time by prioritizing what they do first, thereby hopefully getting that
"customer service" feel at every call.
Chief Sanchez stated his plans are to establish another Sergeant position, which
would go to Patrol, and then one of the existing Sergeant positions would be
assigned as Community Policing Coordinator. He explained part of that person's
job would be to act as liaison between the Police Department and the other
departments in the City, to attend meetings with or for Chief Sanchez, to be
the contact person throughout the City for Community Policing. He explained
this Sergeant would be in charge of the Crime Prevention Officer, as well,
and stated this was one of the plans he would like to implement soon, hopefully
by November.
Chief Sanchez explained "Multi -disciplinary Teams" meant including all departments,
noting he would be presenting this in more detail to the department heads,
encouraging them to become part of Community Policing, and to assign one person
from their department to be on this committee, to meet whenever the need arises
to address specific problems, such as an abandoned building, an eyesore where
crime breeds, not just as a Police Department issue, but as a Fire Department,
Building Department, or Health issue, or whatever it takes to address that
issue. Chief Sanchez felt it was going to take the Community Policing
Coordinator to put this together on a daily basis. He noted the Coordinator
would also meet with all the Police Officers, on all of the different shifts,
to discuss problem locations they should continually be aware of, emphasizing
that it is a problem for all of us. He pointed out the Sergeant/Coordinator
would really assist the Police Department in doing this.
Referring to Increased Officer Responsibility for Problem Solving, Chief Sanchez
stated the Police Department would really have to "bite the bullet" on doing
this, noting the Department would have to encourage the Police Officers to
not be the "hit and run" Officers who drive up, handle the problem as quickly
as possible, and then go off to the next call. He stated they would have to
stay there longer, be more responsive to the community, and actually try to
assist them in handling the problem once and for all, at least directing the
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person to a solution.
Chief Sanchez stated Opportunities include a large civic population ready to actively
help the Police Department; engaging Homeowner Associations in civic groups,
which is a big plan to include Homeowner Associations, the Chamber of Commerce,
the business community, and the schools; expand current programs, such as the
Citizens Police Academy, Chaplaincy Program, and Neighborhood Watch; the Police
Department's first all Spanish language Citizens Police Academy at Pickleweed
Park in January, 1998, which had been a request from the community when he
first arrived in San Rafael; use existing channels for outreach to identify
and validate community needs. Chief Sanchez reported the Department's Outreach
Program is going to be very intensive, noting the four Captains and two
Lieutenants are preparing their thoughts on Outreach, such as surveys, community
forums, and other special events, which they will do as a Command Staff.
Chief Sanchez stated future challenges would include buy -in and participation at
all levels, noting this really dealt with the people he was responsible for.
He reported they would soon begin intensive training with every employee,
both sworn and non -sworn, to discuss Community Policing and Customer Service;
adequate systems for review and accountability for all ranks was something
the Police Department was really stressing to all employees; Meet and Confer
issues with the Police Association, noting some of the issues such as beat
structures, work hours, and those types of issues are already being discussed
with the Police Association to make sure they go smoothly and to determine
if there are any concerns with regard to the MOU; to gain and maintain momentum,
which Chief Sanchez stated was one of the biggest challenges, along with keeping
everyone enthused.
Regarding the timeline, Chief Sanchez reported the Management Retreat had already
taken place, at which he met with the Captains and Lieutenants, and told them
that the number one priority was Community Oriented Policing. Chief Sanchez
reported supervisory meetings had also begun, noting he felt it was critical
that we have the front-line supervisors involved in this. He stated they would
be meeting with all of the supervisors during the next six to eight weeks,
for three or four hours a day, to discuss what Community Oriented Policing
is, and how the Department can do this. He reported they would train all members
and add new ideas, noting Council would have a new white paper at the meeting
of November 3rd, and training for all employees would run from November through
January.
Chief Sanchez reported that by the end of October the Police Department would have
community members on the Community Policing Committee to provide input.
Chief Sanchez stated a survey will also be designed for all residents and business
owners, which should be mailed by late November, and by late January they will
complete the survey reviews and begin to prioritize targets. He noted March
15, 1998 will be the first day of the new rotation of shifts, and with the
Department's two new employees out of the Police Academy and those employees
currently on probation coming off probation, the Department will begin to
implement the plan.
Chief Sanchez reported expectations would include a short-term increase in calls
for service because of improved communications. He explained the Department
was expecting their calls to go up because of Community Policing, but the
long-term decline in calls for service would result because of increased
effectiveness. He also expects this program to result in less crime and less
fear of crime, and renewed respect for institutions such as the Police Department
and City Government.
Member Miller stated the emphasis in this draft was in terms of organizational
strategy, and noted that in the next draft he would like to see more emphasis
in terms of the philosophy, as Community Policing is philosophy as well as
organizational strategy. Mr. Miller stated the organizational strategy as
laid out in this draft was quite good and well developed; however, he did not
see as significant a development of the community aspect of it, although there
was a fine development of the policing. He would like the white paper to show
the various aspects of policing as they relate to the different areas of the
City, noting "policing" is meeting the actual needs of the community. Mr.
Miller stated the constant strategy should be the feedback loop into the
community, so we know what we are doing is meeting actual community needs,
and not what the City perceives as the needs. Mr. Miller stated he would like
to see this right from the beginning of this process, noting it would really
tie it into the community, making a nexus with the policing activities and
the community.
Councilmember Phillips agreed the Police Department was moving in the right
direction, stating this was somewhat of a milestone, and he was looking forward
to the journey. However, as a member of the community he was not sure what
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he is supposed to do, although he was ready to take Chief Sanchez' leadership
in that regard, and help in any way he can. He believed that if Chief Sanchez
would tell them what to do, he would get a lot of cooperation. Referring to
basic issues on which he was unsure of how to proceed, Mr. Phillips mentioned
drug issues, particularly with our younger population, and asked how he, as
an individual, should participate, what was expected of him, and how he should
proceed? In addition, he stated he was curious to know how the Department
was going to change in regard to some of the "socially" related issues. He
noted the Police Department deals with a lot of social problems, and as we
are not all psychologists and sociologists, having those special abilities
as they might apply to the street, he asked if the Police Department was going
to ask for special training for the Department, and if the community could
expect substantial differences in the way the Police Department deals with
those kinds of problems?
Chief Sanchez stated that in these areas, particularly in very deep areas of child
psychology, the change would be for the Police Officers to be able to become
resource people, and to have a direction to give the individuals. He pointed
out that with most Police Departments their focus is to write citations and
arrest people, and then move on to the next big call. Chief Sanchez stated
we need to get away from that, and begin to develop some problem solvers.
He pointed our there are some fine individuals in our Police Department, and
he felt we needed to empower them to be able to take this on and, if not be
the expert, at least know where to send individuals for professional help and
direction. Chief Sanchez reported that is the big key right now, and noted
our Officers are currently doing that. As an example, with juvenile calls
they turn in the names of the families to our Juvenile Division, and the families
begin family counseling and all sorts of other programs. However, they need
to expand on that and be able to talk about such things as Code Enforcement
issues, or at least be able to know who to send the people to and where to
begin the issue.
City Manager Gould noted an article in the local newspaper over the weekend, which
stated some are seeing a rise in heroin use among our teens, and stated this
might be an area where Community Policing would employ different tactics than
we have in the past. He pointed out Chief Sanchez had already mentioned some
of the interventions in the schools, and noted we would have to analyze whether
or not this is working, or whether we might want to try something different.
He stated that by working more closely with the teachers and administrators
we would find whether or not there are things we should be doing in the schools
that we are not doing now, as well as find out if they are doing all they can
to help influence this issue. He also noted that perhaps there should be parent
training, where the parents could be taught to recognize the signs of drug
dependency in their children, and what to do if they think there kids have
a problem. Mr. Gould stated that if we think the kids are obtaining the drugs
in a certain place in our City, then we could target that area for special
enforcement, and try to root it out and stop it. Mr. Gould noted it might
not be localized to just one location, it may be a broader problem that is
identified by the community as something that needs to be addressed, and the
Police Department will employ resources beyond its usual strategies to try
to get at that problem and reduce it, if not eliminate it.
Chief Sanchez stated that during the next six months, from now through the end of
March, the Police Department will be addressing what he believes to be the
most critical part right now, and that is the buy -in from all the employees.
He noted that was really the Department's goal between now and March, and
also to get that buy -in from the community and get their input.
Councilmember Heller referred to citizens joining the Department's Community
Policing Committee, noting we would likely find very enthusiastic community
volunteers among the Police Academy graduates, pointing out that group feels
our Police Department is the best Police Department in the entire world. Chief
Sanchez reported this had been discussed at the first supervisor's meeting
last week, noting the Department would be sending out letters next week to
see who would be interested. He stated it was his belief that the Department
needed to contact people from other parts of the community as well, perhaps
from the different civic groups, non-profit groups, and the Chamber of Commerce.
Referring to new programs and prioritizing the calls to reflect the community's
needs, Councilmember Heller noted one of the issues she hears about over and
over is traffic, and she felt this was an issue we really needed to look at
within the entire community. She asked Chief Sanchez to look at some form
of traffic patrol to be really enhanced under the Community Policing, because
that is really a quality of life issue that many of the people in this City
are looking at. City Manager Gould stated the Officers would be assigned to
a particular beat or service area for a period of time, and will also attend
the neighborhood meetings, and they will find out where those intersections
are where everyone thinks people are going too fast or failing to stop or yield,
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and they will then begin to do some pro -active patrolling at those areas, because
they will know they are hot spots with the neighbors, and they will have to
be able to follow-up with the neighbors. Mr. Gould stated it was hoped that
by taking ownership and accountability of the situations in the neighborhoods
we will get better results and greater satisfaction.
Councilmember Cohen referred to Councilmember Miller's comments regarding the
community aspect of the plan in the next white paper, and noted Chief Sanchez
had made a very good point in talking about increasing fear of crime. Mr.
Cohen stated one of the things that must be a component of Community Policing
is better communication. He noted we have a tremendous opportunity to improve
communication between the Police Department and the community, and the benefits
are enormous. He pointed out two recent events; one in Gerstle Park, where
someone took it upon themselves to broadcast information that was incorrect,
thinking that the Police Department was sitting on something, and really stirred
up a lot of fear, which basically dissipated when the Police Department held
a community meeting and presented the facts. The second was a meeting held
in the Council Chamber, at which they discussed the incident at Sun Valley
Park. Mr. Cohen noted his only regret about that meeting was that we could
not have had it sooner, stating that in the future we need to find ways to
do that without impeding the privacy of the investigation. Mr. Cohen noted
the people who came to that meeting were very respectful of the lines that
were drawn as to the things the Police Department could and could not talk
about during the meeting. He stated we had to find ways to have these meetings
earlier, because once the Department did that, the level of concern in the
community settled tremendously. Mr. Cohen acknowledged the meeting did not
get the Police Department any closer to catching the man who pulled the trigger
in the park, but the community' s reaction became one of "What can I do to help?"
Mr. Cohen noted he had attended a meeting of a group of people who are attempting
to put together a Neighborhood Association in Sun Valley, and noted they are
looking for an opportunity to become pro -active, and a chance to participate
with the Police Department is something that they really want to jump on, to
become partners with the Department and do something positive.
Councilmember Cohen noted that when the Police Department discusses involving people
in this, they should go outside the circles we normally deal in, because there
are a lot of people out there who have no interaction with the City at all,
except when they need something, and if we can, we need to find a way to reach
some of them and ask what they need from the City, and how we can work with
them.
Mayor Boro stated what Chief Sanchez was doing was wonderful, and he has worked
very hard at this. He noted Police Department staff is beginning to coalesce
with Chief Sanchez, and the idea of getting the people's buy -in is critical
and important. However, Mayor Boro stated Chief Sanchez had to make sure that
he is the "change master" in this, and make sure the people who are going to
carry out this change truly understand it.
In commenting on the plan itself, Mayor Boro stated the Department should not develop
a solution until we identify the problem, which is why he likes Chief Sanchez'
comment about knowing what he and his Department want to achieve, but also
having the inclusion of citizens, not later, but at the same time. Mayor Boro
stated it was important that we do not get to the point of telling people what
they want versus we, up front, understanding what their needs are. Mayor Boro
stated he looks at this as a Citywide program to address citizens' concerns
about crime, and about quality of life. He felt we needed to have a statement
of what we are trying to do, right up front, and then keep testing once we
agree, and as the white paper is developed, try to be as concise as we can
from the beginning, and have some value statements we can test back to.
Mayor Boro noted Chief Sanchez had mentioned people's concerns, such as public
drinking, abandoned vehicles, panhandling, graffiti, and litter, noting that
when looking at those, for the most part they are not crimes against people,
they are things that people are doing against our quality of life. He noted
that if someone is drunk, they are not necessarily hurting someone else, but
they are impacting someone else's quality of life, and graffiti is really a
rebellion against society. Therefore, the issues Chief Sanchez brings out,
for the most part, are societal issues that people are most concerned about,
which are the most difficult to deal with, and the kinds of issues, such as
panhandling, where the City's hands are tied in how we attempt to deal with
them. Mayor Boro agreed these kinds of things are critical to people, but
they are not crimes in the sense of crime, they are more the quality of life
issues. Mayor Boro stated it would be very interesting to see how we deal
with these issues, and how we correct them and get the kind of quality of life
people are looking for.
Council accepted report, without motion.
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OLD BUSINESS:
17. CONSIDERATION OF AMENDMENT TO 1997/98 BUDGET (CM) - File 8-5
Mayor Boro asked City Manager Gould to address these items in two categories; first,
those with recurring and ongoing obligations, and then the one-time items.
City Manager Gould reported that even though Council adopted a balanced budget by
June 30th, as required by law, they did some further work on the Business Cost
Study, resulting in decisions made two weeks ago, and reaffirmed this evening,
which freed -up approximately $464,000 of General Tax dollars on an annualized
basis, which now the Council has an opportunity to program for enhanced service,
investments in technology, our critical infrastructure, or to save for a rainy
day.
Mr. Gould noted he had made a number of suggestions for an amendment to the 1997/98
Budget, which he believed were consistent with the Council's priorities, and
reflected requests or suggestions by the Department Directors. First, from
the Recreation Department, consistent with Council's interest in seeing the
Pickleweed Community Center fully utilized and more tightly linked with the
community it principally serves, he stated it has been a goal for quite some
time to see Pickleweed Community Center open on weekends and evenings. He
noted staff is responding to that, and we are seeing more activity there on
nights and weekends. Mr. Gould recommended a $3,000 budget adjustment for
the Recreation Department to keep the Community Center open on weekends,
especially for those uses that are "grass roots" oriented, and do not generate
much revenue, such as Canal Arts, Triunfo, Mediation Services, County Health.
CHEDA, and Girl Scouts.
In addition, he reported staff was beginning to develop some ideas based on input
from the residents through the Canal Voice, regarding some type of youth and
family programming at Pickleweed, which might cost an additional $5,000. Mr.
Gould stated the idea is not firmly developed as yet, but he felt it would
be prudent for Council to earmark the amount as a place holder, so staff can
bring back the suggestions after having tested them fully with the residents,
to make sure they are indeed what the community is looking for, and then have
Council approve them and move forward.
Mr. Gould stated a larger adjustment he was suggesting is to round out the staffing
in the Community Development Department. He noted it has been recognized for
some time that the Planning Department and Land Development suffered some severe
cutbacks during the recession, with three positions cut out due to the decrease
in workload and applications. He stated we are now experiencing a very robust
economy, and staff is working a lot of hours just to keep up. He was concerned
that there is so much volume going through our new Community Development
Department that unless we staff accordingly, we could be open to mistakes and
undue delays, and other difficulties down the road. Mr. Gould stated Bob
Leiter, the new Community Development Director, has put together an
organizational plan for the new Community Development Department, noting the
increased staffing he is calling for would be a Senior Planner in the current
Planning section; a new Counter Technician, a multi -skilled player who could
help people with issues of Planning and Building Inspections; a half-time
position for clerical support; and some reclassifications that would create
essentially two divisions within Community Development, one for Planning and
one for Building and Safety. He stated this would allow them to upgrade two
Division Managers by upgrading two existing positions, as well as a Senior
Planner on the Advance Planner side. Taken together, this would necessitate
an annual budget adjustment of $160,000, which Mr. Gould acknowledged was a
great deal of money; however, the great majority of fee and charge increases
approved by the Council are in the Planning and Development areas, and Mr.
Gould felt this would be a prudent investment in the Department.
Regarding Information Systems, Mr. Gould stated he and Administrative Services
Director Ken Nordhoff were making two recommendations. The first refers to
our investment in personal computers, noting the City has purchased personal
computers in an ad hoc way over the past ten or fifteen years, and we are badly
behind the curve in this area. He stated our contract with Business Records
Corporation was for mainframe support for Police, Fire, and Finance, with
virtually nothing for any of the City's other departments. He believed one
of the areas ripest for the greatest and most rapid productivity gains and
increase in customer service is if we begin to use the technology that is right
there on the shelf at CompUSA and elsewhere, by updating our investments in
personal computers, training our people in the use of these productivity tools,
buying the licenses for the software that will provide the real computing power,
and linking them together so we can use them in tandem and in groups. Mr.
Gould stated they were suggesting an investment of $50,000 per year, just in
the personal computers, training, and the networks, and they suggested charging
these back to the Departments as a way to keep track of that investment, and
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as a way to make the Managers that much more cognizant of the investment.
Regarding Network Solutions, Mr. Gould noted these were in more macro investments,
having to do with the cabling and networks, both the local area networks and
the wide -area networks, and the development of satellite sites. He stated
one of the areas of greatest potential for the City was in the expansion and
better use of our Geographic Information Systems, which may end up being the
underpinning of most of our applications in the future. He also noted the
software we are currently using to dispatch Police and Fire and run our
accounting systems is 70's era software, and we need to start setting aside
now to replace it with modern 90's software, and then completely divorce
ourselves from the Business Records Corporation. He stated that even though
the contract lapsed with them in July of this year, we still pay BRC for the
right to use their proprietary software, which is antiquated. However, it
is extremely expensive to move off of it, and we need to start setting aside
for that.
Referring to Public Works, Mr. Gould stated, with its number of assets and community
facilities, our City needs a Facilities Maintenance Fund. He stated staff
believed we needed to correct this oversight, noting one of Council's priorities
was to fully maintain the infrastructure, and this was a glaring need in the
City. Mr. Gould noted that currently we wait until there is a serious problem
or an emergency before allocating funds for a fix, and he believed we need
to set aside money annually to begin to better maintain our facilities. He
stated staff was suggesting $70,000 per year to begin to establish a Facilities
Maintenance Fund, noting that although this
was not nearly adequate, it was a good downpayment, and he believed we would begin
to see improvements very quickly if we begin to invest that way in our critical
facilities.
Mr. Gould noted there had been a suggestion by the Public Works Director that Council
might want to increase the staff support for Graffiti Abatement and Street
Sweeping by making our half-time Graffiti Abatement Officer full-time, and
assigning him more in the Canal to supervise the San Quentin work crews, and
to help better clean the park. Mr. Gould stated he did not believe this
warranted Council's additional financial commitment at this time, noting there
might be other ways to get this done. Therefore, he was not recommending it
at this time.
Mr. Gould stated he was recommending an increase in the Emergency Tree Maintenance
contract, noting we have a very extensive urban forest in San Rafael, and
currently we only contract for emergency tree service, meaning that when a
tree comes down we can have it removed fairly quickly. Therefore, staff is
suggesting Council augment the emergency contract by $30,000 so we can begin
low-limbing, which is necessary to limit pedestrian and vehicle liability,
as well as allowing our street sweeper to get closer to the curb and do a better
job of sweeping, which is something the City hears about fairly regularly.
Mr. Gould stated the Fire Department has been aggressively taking on new and
additional service as part of the Community Fire Service idea originated by
Chief Marcucci. Mr. Gould noted this has created an additional need for
administrative support, and Chief Marcucci has indicated that while a full-time
position supporting both short and long-term administrative efforts would be
very desirable, he would really like a part-time position that could either
be a stand alone for the Fire Department, or shared in conjunction with another
department. Mr. Gould reported this might cost somewhere between $10,000 and
$25,000, and while he would recommend that, he believed this could be absorbed
within the Fire Department's current budget. Therefore, he would not recommend
Council amend the budget accordingly at this time. Similarly, the Police
Department has suggested the creation of an additional third Lieutenant position
to become the community mobilizer, and the ramrod for Community Policing.
He noted Chief Sanchez had asked Council's permission to instead upgrade an
Officer position to a Sergeant position, to become this community liaison,
and Mr. Gould strongly recommended this. He believed the additional cost could
be absorbed within the existing Police Department budget, and he did not suggest
a budget amendment for that, although he would like Council's approval for
the reorganization to help implement Community Policing.
Mr. Gould reported there were two suggestions from the Library, one that he would
really like Council' s consideration on, and another that he would like to bring
back at a later date. The first is an enhancement of the children's staffing
and Children's Library Services, noting this would allow the Children's
Librarian to get out into the school districts and do more of the reading for
young kids, as well as support the neighborhood -based effort at Pickleweed
to provide a children's homework and learning center at Pickleweed Park. Mr.
Gould stated there has been a lot of interest expressed in this, and was something
staff was very excited about, and believed would be a very valuable enhancement
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to Children's Services, not only at Pickleweed, but also at the school sites.
Mr. Gould stated this would cost approximately $24,000 per year, and he highly
recommended this.
Regarding expanded Library hours, Mr. Gould reported there had been an original
proposal to expand the hours on Sundays, and then the suggestion was made to
possibly modify that and go back to providing Library hours on Mondays. After
discussions with Library Director Vaughn Stratford and his staff, Mr. Gould
felt we needed more time to work through this issue before presenting Council
with a proposal; however, Mr. Gould did believe there were some opportunities
for Council to expand the Library hours, if they so choose.
Mr. Gould stated he would not recommend Council program all the additional available
General Tax dollars, noting he felt it would be prudent, and consistent with
Council' s goals of having General Fund reserves, to hold some funds in abeyance
for a "rainy day" Therefore, he was suggesting Council not program $49,000
of these funds at this time, which represents approximately the 10% General
Fund Policy that has been part of the City's Financial Management Priorities
for the past few years.
Councilmember Phillips stated these were on-going recommendations, and noted that
as soon as Council approved these, we would begin expending the funds almost
immediately. He asked if there would be a lapse in the timing of the revenue
generation, and if, in fact, we were certain of the revenue that is going to
be generated under the new cost recovery? Mr. Phillips stated he was reasonably
comfortable with this, but noted we would be spending the money right away,
and he was a little uncomfortable with that approach. Secondly, he noted that
for a number of years we have been talking about long-range needs for Capital
Improvements, and he was somewhat concerned that we have identified a valid
source of funding, but we seem to be spending that money for something other
than the significant amount for
Capital Improvements. He wondered if we were ever going to catch up with our need
for Capital Improvements, and asked if perhaps we should be considering the
Capital needs?
Referring to the timing of the expenditures and the revenues, City Manager Gould
reported if the Fees and Charges increases are approved by the Council, they
will be implemented within the next thirty to sixty days, noting Administrative
Services Director Nordhoff believed we would generate approximately $265,000
within the remaining months of this fiscal year. Mr. Gould stated if Council
were to approve some of these enhancements, the expenditures would not begin
right away, but would be implemented over time, noting in some cases they involve
the hiring of additional staff, so there would be the time to recruit, select,
and hire the new personnel, and there would be a lag time. In other cases,
they would be augmenting budgets, and the expenditures would not occur right
away. Mr. Gould stated part of the reason he was not recommending Council
program every dollar was because staff wants to be absolutely certain that
their estimates of the number of services to be provided are accurate, and
that they are indeed generating the kind of money they have projected.
Regarding critical infrastructure and the City's huge unfunded Capital Improvement
needs, Mr. Gould pointed out the Council has also made some real progress in
this area during the past year by adopting the Waste Franchise Fees for the
southern part of the City, noting the City has been able to add almost $500,000
worth of Street Maintenance that the City had not been able to do before.
By the actions Council has taken on Storm Drain charges the City was able to
approach an additional $250,000 of storm drainage work each year that we had
not been able to do in the past. Mr. Gould noted that in his current
recommendations he was suggesting $100,000 for Facilities and Street Trees,
which are called out in the City's Capital Projects as Currently Unfunded.
However, if the Council wished, there were other items on the Unfunded Capital
Improvement list, and the Council could choose from those, and direct staff
to pursue them instead of these ongoing investments.
Councilmember Phillips stated that would be difficult as a practical matter at this
point, noting he was relying on staff having taken those points and issues
into consideration, and carefully weighing and giving consideration to those
needs. Mr. Phillips stated he was hoping to hear that this has been carefully
weighed in staff's deliberation. Mr. Gould stated the Facilities Maintenance
dollars are very much along the lines Mr. Phillips has described, noting it
was staff's feeling that by doing a better job of maintaining the critical
systems of our structures, we will postpone, and in some cases enhance, the
costly replacement that ultimately becomes the crisis that then drives the
budgetary decisions. Mr. Gould stated staff wants to act more like a private
sector owner of these assets, and maintain them periodically, rather than by
crisis, and at much greater cost. Mr. Gould stated it was the same for the
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Street Trees, noting staff knows the City has liability here, and we can pay
now or we can pay later; however, he believed that if we pay a little bit now,
we will avoid greater costs later.
Referring to the Capital Improvement needs, Mr. Phillips asked how far $70,000 would
go? Public Works Director David Bernardi stated the City had approximately
$18 million in assets in buildings they are responsible for. Using City Hall
as an example, Mr. Bernardi noted the building was built in 1968 or 1969, and
nothing has been done to the air conditioning system. As the building has
been remodeled over time, the zones and flow of air have not been adjusted,
making the building's system very inefficient and costly to run. Mr. Bernardi
stated the system needs to be analyzed and recalibrated to reflect whatever
the current situation is once the remodeling is done in Public Works and
Community Development, and noted this would be a perfect opportunity to look
at the system and get it to work. Mr. Bernardi noted Council had budgeted
for a new boiler this year, and the next step in that progression would be
to look at the air conditioning, and how the heat and cold air get distributed.
Mr. Bernardi stated this was just one example, noting there are also Fire
Department roofs that need to be replaced, and he would like to be able to
replace them before Chief Marcucci has to put tarps over the roofs for a year
while we are talking about it. He stated those are the kinds of issues we
are talking about.
Mr. Phillips stated this $70,000 was not going to take care of all these things.
He asked if the Budget Oversight Committee, who plays a large part in
prioritizing Capital Improvements, has considered other recommendations? Mr.
Gould noted this had been discussed at the BOC meeting last Thursday. Mayor
Boro stated Council is looking at $434,000, and the City has a Capital
Improvement need of approximately $86,000,000, including streets and storm
drains. He stated we are still going to have to deal with the Capital needs,
and we are not going to find it in savings, or from generating revenues by
adjusting fees, noting we would have to look at some long-term solutions.
Mayor Boro stated he liked the idea of the $70,000 per year, and would like
to see it changed to $100,000 per year, if possible. He noted we have put
more money through the Storm Drainage fees into Street Maintenance, so that
will start to help, but we do have a big problem, and this $400,000 is not going
to help; therefore, he agreed we were going to have to look at other alternatives,
and we will need a major effort to address that.
Councilmember Phillips stated he was a little disappointed with what we were
addressing with these funds, noting he felt it was an opportunity lost.
Councilmember Cohen asked Councilmember Phillips which proposals he believed
Council should cut in order to supplement the Capital Improvement expenditures?
Mr. Phillips stated he was surprised we were not getting more requests from
the Department of Public Works and the City Manager in this area, asking where
it was going to come from? He stated he was at a loss as to how to adjust
this, and was not sure whether the BOC had addressed this or not. Administrative
Services Director Nordhoff reported the Budget Oversight Committee had looked
at this during their meeting last week. Mayor Boro acknowledged the City had
a major Capital need, but he did not believe this $400,000 was the way to solve
it. Therefore, he felt we would have to find a very creative way to go to
the community, tell them we have these Capital needs, and see if they are willing
to fund them. City Manager Gould stated what Mayor Boro was saying was very
valid, noting the City could earmark every dollar of this additional revenue
for infrastructure need, and it would be money well spent. He noted that in
less than a year's time we have been able to increase our Capital spending
by over $750,000, thereby making some substantial progress in this year.
Therefore, he felt it was reasonable to suggest some other service enhancements
and advancements, as well as additional funding for the infrastructure.
Councilmember Phillips stated he had great respect for Public Works Director
Dave Bernardi and City Manager Gould, noting that if everyone is content with
this recommendation, then he would be, as well.
Jack Devlin, Chair of the Budget Oversight Committee, stated the BOC did review
this list in some detail with Administrative Services Director Nordhoff, and
they had discussion regarding some of these same issues. He stated it was
their conclusion that the amount of money being discussed in this case was
not going to have a significant effect on the unfunded Capital Improvements,
noting they also acknowledged that we had made some headway in that respect.
Mr. Devlin stated another factor to keep in mind was that we have just begun
a journey that has been laid out by the Business Cost Study, noting we have
made some good headway, but have just scratched the surface on the possibilities
of recovering costs elsewhere in the City operations, which in due course will
contribute a considerable amount to reducing the unfunded Capital Improvements
backlog. Mr. Devlin stated he had a lot of optimism, and the Budget Oversight
Committee supports this optimistic view that there is a lot of potential out
there, noting we already see it, and all we have to do is tap it and put those
funds in the proper direction to really make some headway. In addition, Mr.
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Devlin stated some of the innovations in service, such as those represented
by Chief Sanchez and those being worked on by Chief Marcucci in the Fire
Department, are also very worthy of these kinds of considerations, and the
BOC would like to see the City support those efforts as well, noting they believe
the community would be well served in that way.
Consensus was reached on the following recommendations:
• Approval of Saturday hours at Pickleweed Community Center ($3,000);
• Approval of the Youth and Family Programming at Pickleweed ($5,000);
• Approval of additional staffing in the Community Development Department, and
reclassification to provide for a Planning Division Manager, Building and Safety
Division Manager, and a Senior Planner in advance planning ($160,000);
• Deferred request for PC Replacement Program ($50,000) and Network Solutions
Funding ($50,000). City Manager Gould to return to Council in November with
a more detailed report regarding productivity and service enhancements, what
they would cost, when it is expected that these could be implemented, which
would justify this kind of investment; report will also examine past
expenditures and future ones;
• Approval of Annual Facilities Maintenance Fund ($70,000);
• Agreed that making the Graffiti Abatement Position Full -Time was not a priority
at this time;
• Approval of Enhanced Emergency Tree Maintenance Contract ($30,000 annually);
• Fire Department Administrative Support to be accomplished within the resources
of the existing Fire Department budget;
• Approval of the upgrade of a Police Officer position to a Sergeant's position,
with the increase to be absorbed within the Police Department's Operating
Budget;
• Approval of Library - Enhanced Children's Staffing ($24,000);
• Library - Expanded Hours on Sunday for the Library was deferred. City Manager
to come back with a detailed report, defining expanded hours on Mondays vs.
Sundays, and investigating the use of a kiosk in the Northgate Mall where people
could order and pick-up books, and providing one or two terminals where students
could access information. Item may be brought back at meeting of 10/20/97;
• Approval of increasing Operating Reserve by Ten Percent ($49,000).
Public Works Director Bernardi reported he had spoken with Albert Barr, member of
the Budget Oversight Committee, who suggested Council consider enhancing the
island maintenance by allocating a certain amount of funds to weed the islands.
Mr. Bernardi noted the City currently sprays the islands, but the weeds still
grow. He estimated that it would cost approximately $10,000 to have four summer
youth for approximately two months to go over all the islands, and we could
then have all the islands cleaned up at least once a year.
Albert Barr, member of the Budget Oversight Committee, stated the City should at
least do that much, and the sooner the better, as the islands look very bad.
He noted the residents would be assuming that responsibility once their program
was completed, but he hoped the City would at least begin with the San Pedro
Road project. Mr. Barr also stated he shared Councilmember Phillips'
reservations regarding the use of these funds, asking what would happen if
all of the pessimists in the world are correct, and E1 Nino hits the City very
hard, where would the money come from to clean out the catch basins and drains
if we have a series of repetitive storms? City Manager Gould reported the
money would come from the City's Operating Reserves, which are set aside for
just this type of thing. Mr. Barr asked if there were sufficient funds in
Reserves to do that? Mr. Gould stated it would depend on the severity of the
damage. Mr. Barr stated most people are predicting a very severe winter, and
he suggested the City take that into account, and phase the implementation
of some of the proposed projects, particularly the one-time resource funds
that are coming in, so that if we do have a severe winter, we can clean out
a catch basin and preclude damage to a portion of the community. Mr. Gould
stated the City would spend the money as necessary to mitigate damages if the
storm season is as severe as some think it will be.
• $10,000 was allocated for four summer youth to weed and clean-up the medians.
Additional one-time uses were prioritized as follows: 1) $60,000 for intensive
Community Policing Training; 2) $21,000 for the Boyd Gate House re -roofing;
3) $5,000 as a source of funds for the Community Development Director to use
to provide more in-depth training for his staff in the areas of permit
streamlining, customer service, interdepartmental communications, and uses
of technology; and 4) approval of $5,000 for purchase of office furniture for
the Community Development Department. Additional recommendations to be held
in abeyance until funding is found for the Macy's Plaza project.
Councilmember Cohen moved and Councilmember Heller seconded, to approve the ongoing
and Capital expenditures, as discussed.
AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro
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SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 10/6/97 Page 18
NOES: COUNCIL ERS: None
ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None
City Manager Gould stated the Information Systems Master Plan will be brought to
the City Council at the second meeting in November. The report on Expanded
Library Hours will be presented to the Council at either the meeting of 10/20/97
or the first meeting in November.
18. STATUS REPORT ON TENNIS KEY PROGRAM (Rec) - File 9-3-65 x 9-3-66
Recreation Director Sharon McNamee reported the Tennis Key System has been very
successful, noting the Department has managed to make enough money to cover
their costs for the first year.
Ms. McNamee reported there are a few people at the tennis courts who are still
complaining and a few are still sneaking in, and also some vandalism problems,
noting some are very intentional. For example, last week the Parks Department
went searching for a new way to design the closure to the gate, which they
have already had to redesign a couple of times, because people are managing
to bend the gate enough so it does not close all the way. Ms. McNamee did
note that the problems seem to be diminishing as the summer goes along, and
she felt that by next year, people will get used to the system and realize
it is part of the tradition now for San Rafael, and that it is going to make
money and is going to help fund improvements and ongoing maintenance for the
courts.
Referring to a question of the usage at Freitas Park, Ms. McNamee stated it was
hard to judge because it is such an isolated area; however, she noted she would
talk to the children out there and see if they would like to assist in a project
to count the number of people using the court there.
Ms. McNamee stated there are a lot of courts Citywide that are still available and
being used, and the Park and Recreation Commission is very pleased with the
reports they have received. She noted the keys are now on sale at 50% off
for the rest of the season.
Councilmember Heller asked if in the future we might look at locking up any of the
other tennis courts after we renovate them? Ms. McNamee reported the Park
and Recreation Commission had discussed doing that at Glenwood School, stating
she felt the neighborhood would view this favorably. She noted Peacock Gap
might also be included, but probably none of the other courts, as they are
very isolated and are single courts.
Councilmember Phillips noted he has not seen many people at the courts in Freitas
Park, and asked how many keys had been sold to those who might use the Terra
Linda Courts? Ms. McNamee stated staff had taken an informal poll, and while
they do not have actual numbers, the majority of the key purchasers were players
at Albert Park, and there were not many who stated they played exclusively
at Freitas Park. Ms. McNamee believed the City had drawn mostly the Downtown
people who tend to circulate at Albert Park, noting it has more of a social
setting, and draws a lot of people who drop in to play tennis. Ms. McNamee
pointed out the Recreation Department is offering tennis lessons at Freitas
Park, and the tennis pros have told Ms. McNamee that there are people playing
there, but she agreed it was probably not as busy as Albert Park.
Councilmember Phillips questioned whether the key system was a good policy at Freitas
Park, asking if a public facility is not used, regardless of whether it is
kept pristine, what are we accomplishing? Ms. McNamee stated one of the goals
at Freitas Park, because it was experiencing more vandalism by skateboarders
and soccer players, was to have it locked to deter the vandalism. She stated
we have experienced less vandalism, and the courts are not being destroyed
as often; however, she does not know if the use has increased or decreased,
as they are not very heavily used courts.
Mayor Boro asked if the problem in tracking the players at each of the parks was
that the tennis keys worked at both courts? Ms. McNamee stated that was correct,
but noted they could take a more detailed poll. Mayor Boro felt that would
be helpful.
Councilmember Miller asked for the figures on the different types of keys that have
been sold, showing the number of family, individual, junior and senior keys,
so we can get a profile of who we are serving, and who is really utilizing
the courts.
Council accepted report, without motion.
19. CITY COUNCIL REPORTS:
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SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 10/6/97 Page 19
a. TOT LOT AT ALBERT PARK - File 9-3-65 x 9-3-66
Councilmember Miller stated the fence, which had been in storage for the past three
years, has been erected around the Tot Lot at Albert Park. He reported Rich
Nave, Tom Obletz, and a number of the neighbors from around Gerstle Park assisted
in having the fence put up, noting it was a nice situation of a professional
doing the job with the assistance of the volunteers.
b. MCCMC REPRESENTATIVE TO THE METROPOLITAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION
- File 113 x 9-1
Councilmember Cohen stated he was putting his name forward as a candidate for MCCMC' s
(Marin County Council of Mayors and Councilmembers) representative to the MTC
(Metropolitan Transportation Commission) and asked the Councilmembers for their
support. Mr. Cohen stated he believed San Rafael deserved to have that seat,
as we are going to be the most impacted of any of the cities in the County.
He noted he would like the opportunity to make a contribution, and would
appreciate the Councilmembers' support.
C. SONOMA/MARIN TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE - File 170
Mayor Boro stated a poll was taken in Sonoma County, funded by the Board of Supervisors
of Sonoma County, which shows that 77% of the people in Sonoma County favor
the proposed Calthorpe solution, which is a combination of rail, bus, highway,
and trail improvements, and 70% stated they would support a 1% Sales Tax to
do that. Mayor Boro reported another interesting question had been whether
the people had heard about this issue before, and 70% of the people stated
they had, noting this was a very positive poll in Sonoma County. He noted
that in Marin County a Committee of twenty-four members has been formed, and
they have developed the questions for the poll this committee is going to take
during the month of October. He stated the results would come back in November,
and the intent is that the results will determine how they shape the ballot
measure that will then be put together.
Mayor Boro noted there had been a lot of discussion in Marin County regarding Land
Use, and members of the Marin Conservation League are pushing for questions
to be included on the questionnaire that address monies going for acquisition
of Open Space, specifically St. Vincent's/Silveira as the first choice. He
noted we would be hearing a lot about whether, in addition to supporting the
money for transportation issues, the voters will also support an increase in
those monies for Open Space acquisition. Mayor Boro stated the goal is that
by the end of the year the Committee will put together a proposal, reflected
in the results of the poll, and then those results will go back out for a second
poll to see if the voters will support it. It will then go to the cities and
the Board of Supervisors for final approval to be placed on the 1998 ballot.
Mayor Boro also reported CalTrans had identified $25 million for the northbound
reversible lane GAP closure over the next couple of years, so that will be
a reality sooner than we had expected.
d. PROPOSED "DEL GANADO DITCH" ASSESSMENT DISTRICT - File 6-53
Councilmember Phillips asked if the results were known regarding the Del Ganado
Ditch. Administrative Services Director Ken Nordhoff reported the surveys
would be counted on Wednesday, October 8th, at 10:00 AM in the Council Chamber.
There being no further discussion, the meeting was adjourned at 11:00 PM.
JEANNE M. LEONCINI, City Clerk
APPROVED THIS DAY OF 1997
MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL
SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 10/6/97 Page 19