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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 1998-03-16 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 1 IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL, MONDAY, MARCH 16, 1998 AT 8:00PM 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 OPEN SESSION - 7:00 PM Mayor Boro announced Closed Session items. CLOSED SESSION - 7:00 PM 1. Conference with Legal Counsel - Existing Litigation (Government Code Section 54956.9(a)) a. Case Name: Oungoulian, Semik v. City of San Rafael, Marin County Courts, Case No. 17119 b. Case Name: Suarez, Rod Manuel (Guardian for Kevin) v. City of San Rafael, Dixie School District, et al, Marin County Courts, Case No. 170780 City Attorney Ragghianti announced no reportable action was taken. OPEN SESSION: ORAL COMMUNICATIONS OF AN URGENCY NATURE: 8:02 PM None CONSENT CALENDAR: Councilmember Phillips moved and Councilmember Cohen seconded, to approve the following Consent Calendar items: ITEM RECOMMENDED ACTION 2. Approval of Minutes of Special Joint and Approved as submitted. Regular Meetings of Tuesday, February 17, 1998 (CC) 3. Resolution of Appreciation to Phyllis Huffman, RESOLUTION NO. 10030 - Personnel Technician, Employee of the Year RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO 1997 (CM) - File 102 x 7-4 x 9-3-86 PHYLLIS HUFFMAN, PERSONNEL TECHNICIAN, EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR 1997. 4. Summary of Legislation Affecting San Rafael (CM) Approved staff recommendation: - File 9-1 AB 1243 (Grandlund), Use Tax Allocation, SB 110 Technical Cleanup, (SUPPORT); ACA 30 (Murray), Protection of Gas Taxes, Public Transportation Account Funds, and Local Transportation Funds (SUPPORT); AB 1691 (Prenter), Exemption of vehicle trade-in value from sales tax (OPPOSE); AB 2065 (Cardenas), Cities, License Fees (OPPOSE); AB 1776 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 1 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 2 (McClintock) & SB 1723 (Haynes), Vehicle License Fees (VLF), Repeal, (OPPOSE); SB 2001 (Hurtt), Vehicle License Fees, Repeal (OPPOSE); SCA 30 (Lockyer), Public Safety Services (OPPOSE). 5. Monthly Investment Report (Admin. Svcs.) Accepted report. - File 8-18 x 8-9 6. Agreement for Refuse Rate Review with Hilton, RESOLUTION NO. 10031 - Farnkopf and Hobson, LLC (Admin. Svcs.) RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE - File 4-3-306 x 4-3-32 SIGNING OF AN AGREEMENT WITH HILTON, FARNKOPF & HOBSON, LLC FOR REFUSE RATE REVIEW FOR THE 1998/99 FISCAL YEAR. 7. SECOND READING AND FINAL ADOPTION OF Approved final adoption of ORDINANCE NO. 1723 - An Ordinance of the Ordinance No. 1723. City of San Rafael Amending Title 4 of the Municipal Code of the City of San Rafael, Sections 4.08.060 and 4.08.070, Prescribing Revised Regulations Governing Conditions for Above Ground Storage of Flammable and Combustible Liquid and Liquified Petroleum Gases (FD) - File 9-3-31 8. SECOND READING AND FINAL ADOPTION OF Approved final adoption of ORDINANCE NO. 1724 - An Ordinance of the Ordinance No. 1724. City of San Rafael Amending Title 11, Chapter 11.28, Section 11.28.090, of the San Rafael Municipal Code, to Add New Subparagraphs (c), (d), and (e), Authorizing the City To Do Underground Utility Connections to Private Property Where the Owners of Such Property Have Failed to Make Such Connections, and Authorizing the City to Levy Assessments and Lien Such Property for the Cost of the City's Work (PW) - File 4-1-488 x 12-18-12 9. Resolution Approving the Final Map of RESOLUTION NO. 10032 - Woodland Terrace Homes (PW) RESOLUTION APPROVING FINAL MAP - File 5-1-326 ENTITLED, "MAP OF WOODLAND TERRACE HOMES", SAN RAFAEL, CALIFORNIA. 10. Request to Approve Recruitment for Engineer I Approved staff recommendation. (Traffic) (PW) - File 9-3-40 11. City Hall Boiler Replacement - Resolution Adopt Resolution. Adopting a Proposal for a Complete "Turnkey" Project for the Replacement of the Existing Kewanee Boiler at City Hall (PW) - File 4-1-492 This item was removed from the agenda at request of staff. 13. Resolution Accepting San Anselmo as a Member RESOLUTION NO. 10033 - of the MARINet and a Signatory to the MARINet RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE Joint Powers Agreement of July 8, 1997 (Lib) MAYOR AND CITY CLERK TO - File 4-13-100 X 9-3-61 X 12-8 EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT ADMITTING SAN ANSELMO PUBLIC LIBRARY TO MEMBERSHIP IN MARINet AS A SIGNATORY TO THE MARINet JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT. 14. Resolution Approving BMR (Below Market Rate) RESOLUTION NO. 10034 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 2 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 3 - Agreement for Woodland Terrace Homes Located RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE at 157 Woodland Avenue (CD) SIGNING OF A BELOW MARKET - File 229 x 5-1-326 RATE HOUSING AGREEMENT BETWEEN WOODLAND TERRACE, LLC, A CALIFORNIA CORPORATION AND THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL RE: WOODLAND TERRACE. 15. Appointments to the North San Rafael Approved staff recommendation. Vision "Guardians Committee" (CD) Appointed Jim Atchison, Ann - File 9-2-52 x 238 Crew, Shirley Fischer, Lenore Junker, Cecil Nielsen, Kay Noguchi, Larry Paul, Fred Pfeifer, Kacy Quinley, Mark Reagan, Leandro Soto. A Terra Linda High School student will also be selected for appointment. AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips and Mayor Boro NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None The following item was removed from the agenda for further discussion: 12. NINTH ANNUAL FARMERS MARKET FESTIVAL REPORT AND REQUEST FOR STREET CLOSURES (RA) - File 11-19 x (SRRA R-181) Councilmember Cohen welcomed Market Manager Brigitte Moran, who is now an employee of the City. Mr. Cohen asked if there was anything more Council could do in working with the County regarding the food vendor issue until there is legislative relief? He also asked if there was any appeal to the ruling regarding the food vendors, and if, perhaps, Council should attempt to communicate with the County Board of Supervisors? Ms. Moran noted the County Board of Supervisors could encourage Health Director Ed Stewart to let us go forward for the year, until legislation is passed. However, at the present time, the legislation is being passed from Senator to Senator, to see who will write the Senate Bill; therefore, there is no one specific to write to in an attempt to determine whether new legislation is definitely going to be passed. She noted if we could get the Supervisors to encourage Mr. Stewart to let us go through this year, until 1999, it would be helpful. Mayor Boro noted three of the five Supervisors represent San Rafael, and he suggested Council write to the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, with copies to the other four members, explaining the situation, pointing out this has worked for years, that new legislation is going to be passed, and telling them that in order not to jeopardize our Farmers Market, we would appreciate it if they would urge Mr. Stewart to grant an exception this year. Councilmember Cohen moved and Councilmember Heller seconded, that a letter be written on behalf of the City Council to the Chairman of the County Board of Supervisors regarding this issue. AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None Councilmember Cohen noted our State Senator, John Burton, President Pro Tem, might be able to assist us, and suggested Council write a letter to Senator Burton to make sure he is aware of the situation, and ask him to find an appropriate Senator to sponsor this legislation. Councilmember Heller asked if Ms. Moran had spoken with Senator Burton's local staff? Ms. Moran stated she had not. Ms. Heller suggested Ms. Moran make an appointment with his local staff. Mr. Cohen asked if Council should begin, informally, by writing a letter? Ms. Heller felt it would be good to make the appointment with Senator Burton's staff and write a letter. SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 3 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 4 Councilmember Cohen moved and Councilmember Heller seconded, to write a letter to Senator Burton asking for his assistance in this matter. Mayor Boro suggested the letter be hand delivered to Margie Goodman, Senator Burton's Administrative Assistant at the local office in San Rafael. AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None Councilmember Cohen moved and Councilmember Phillips seconded, to approve operation of the Farmers Market Festival and the street closures, as requested. A) Approved operation of Downtown Farmers' Market Festival from Thursday, April 16, 1998 through Thursday, October 22, 1998. B) 1. Approved closure of Court Street from 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM on Thursdays, from April 16 th through October 22nd. 2. Approved closure of Fourth Street from "B" Street to Cijos from 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM on Thursdays, from April 16th through October 22nd. 3. Approved closure of "A" Street between Fifth Avenue and the entry to the Parking structure and Lootens between Fifth Avenue and Commercial Place from 5:00 PM to 9:30 PM on Thursdays, from April 16th through October 22nd. AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None SPECIAL PRESENTATION: 16. PRESENTATION OF RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO PHYLLIS HUFFMAN, PERSONNEL TECHNICAL, EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR, 1997 (CM) - File 102 X 7-4 x 9-3-86 Presentation to be made at State of the City dinner. PUBLIC HEARINGS: 17. PUBLIC HEARING - DISCUSSION OF ONE-WAY TRAFFIC PLAN FOR EAST SAN RAFAEL AND REPORT ON TRAFFIC WORKSHOP COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS (PW) - File 11-1 x 11- 8 x 11-10 x 11-11 x 9-3-40 Mayor Boro declared the Public Hearing opened, and asked for the staff report. Public Works Director Bernardi reported approximately a year ago Council directed staff to investigate traffic operational strategies in East San Rafael, after staff analysis indicated the Irene Street Overcrossing, as described in the General Plan, was unachievable in terms of funding. Mr. Bernardi noted the assumptions in the General Plan had been that the State and Federal governments would fund two-thirds, and the City, through development fees, would fund one-third of the $19 million project. Mr. Bernardi stated that because of State funding issues, funds from the State and Federal governments were not going to be available, and Council directed staff to look at the following goals: 1) provide additional capacity for development on the remaining undeveloped properties in East San Rafael; 2) maintain General Plan Level of Service (LOS) standards at all intersections; 3) improve the east-west progression along Bellam Boulevard; 4) traffic solution should be equivalent in benefit to the Irene Street Overcrossing, and costs for those improvements should not exceed the funds available in the East San Rafael Traffic Mitigation Fee fund; 5) be able to implement the proposal within a one to two year time frame; and 6) hold public workshops with the businesses and residents to present the proposal, discuss concerns, implement, where feasible, their suggestions, and reach consensus, if possible. Mr. Bernardi reported staff did a lot of analysis and spent much time looking at the various alternatives and possible solutions. He stated late last year they held several meetings with the residential and business communities, noting the business community felt "okay" about all the improvements, except the one-way proposal. He reported staff brought the SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 4 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 5 issue back to Council in January, and Council approved the entire plan in concept, including the one-way proposal. Council then directed staff to again meet with the business community, and anyone else who might be interested, and report back to Council. Assistant Public Works Director Matt Naclerio reported that when staff initially conducted their studies, analysis of the traffic conditions in East San Rafael indicated the major cause of congestion for the residents, businesses, and customers was the poor traffic flow along Bellam Boulevard, pointing out this poor traffic flow actually restricts the amount of future development possible in East San Rafael. He recalled four ancillary improvements were recommended: 1) to make the exclusive right-turn lane into the Marin Square Shopping Center a combined through- and right-turn lane; 2) to upgrade the traffic signal and controllers to be traffic responsive; 3) to widen and lengthen the southbound right-turn lane at the intersection of Bellam Boulevard and Francisco Boulevard East, which would require the acquisition of Scotland Yard (car lot); 4) on a case by case basis, at the request of the business owners, remove parking on Francisco Boulevard, for safety reasons. Mr. Naclerio stated providing those four ancillary improvements does improve traffic flow, and does result in some improvement for future development, noting staff's estimates indicate future development potential is approximately 100 to 150 PM Peak Hour trips in the East San Rafael area. Mr. Naclerio stated if the City is to provide for further development, including the development that is anticipated in the General Plan, we would need to implement what has been called the "interim solution", which is a one-way street cuplet. He reported staff calculated that with the four ancillary improvements and the one-way street cuplet, 800 new PM Peak Hour trips could be accommodated for future development, which was more in line with what the existing General Plan anticipates for the East San Rafael area, and would be an increase of approximately four and a half times the development potential. Mr. Naclerio explained the reason for the great increase in development potential was due to the fact that we would be eliminating traffic movements at two of the crucial intersections, the intersections at Bellam and Francisco Boulevards, and at Kerner and Bellam Boulevards. He stated that by removing those turning movements, we are able to provide more "green time" for other traffic movements, in turn providing for better traffic flow along Bellam Boulevard, and enabling us to provide better coordination between the signals. He stated it will, as an end result, provide for less queues on all the approaches of the intersections. Mr. Naclerio reported, at Council's direction, staff held two additional workshops in February, noting the attendees favored the four ancillary improvements, but still had objections and concerns about the one-way cuplet. Based on concerns they received, staff was recommending ten additional mitigation measures be provided with the one-way street solution, pointing out this was different from the one-way street proposed in January. He defined the ten mitigations as: 1) extend the center median approximately 6 to 8 feet along Bellam Boulevard, at westbound 580. He stated the reason for this was to discourage the on and off occurrence that is happening by people who are trying to bypass some of the queues on 580; 2) provide guide signs along Bellam Boulevard, to better direct customers to the businesses along the one-way cuplet. This was primarily proposed to help reduce the inconvenience the businesses felt their customers would have by implementing the one-way cuplet; 3) modify the medians along Bellam Boulevard, between Francisco and Kerner Boulevards; this would address access concerns raised by the businesses; 4) provide mailings to customers identifying the new circulation improvements, and provide information in the local newspaper and television channel. He stated this was also an attempt to reduce the inconvenience customers might feel with the one-way cuplet; 5) provide for curbside loading zones in centralized areas along Kerner Boulevard. This was to address safety concerns of the businesses; 6) work with the neighborhood, and develop neighborhood traffic control management techniques. He stated this was to address concerns regarding diversion of traffic into residential neighborhoods, and traffic safety concerns for children in the neighborhood; 7) ensure there are no impacts to public transit, although it was pointed out that bus routes would need to be re-routed, bus stops relocated, and new signage provided; however, no significant impacts to transit would occur, and the City would allow all the transit routes to continue; 8) provide ongoing enforcement at the 580 westbound off-ramp at Bellam Boulevard; 9) provide additional signing and "keep clear" pavement markings. This was to address the concern that many vehicles actually stop in the middle of an intersection, and after a signal cycle has been completed, gridlock results because no one can move; 10) work with Caltrans to see if we could provide a second lane for the on-ramp at westbound 580. He noted this additional lane would be available with SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 5 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 6 the acquisition of Scotland Yard. Mr. Naclerio reported another concern heard at the two additional workshops was that there would be a negative impact to businesses, and a decrease in property values. He stated staff had indicated the 1992 edition of the Traffic Engineering Handbook states, "Studies made in various parts of the United States have tended to disprove claims from business owners that one- way streets will adversely affect their trade". Mr. Naclerio noted that although the intersections currently meet Level of Service standards, there is no provision for additional development, which is one of the goals Council set for staff's work. Mr. Naclerio noted there has been concern in the past about how previous mailings had been done, and he described the steps taken for the mailing of this staff report. He stated a public notice of this meeting had been published in the Marin Independent Journal, and individual mailings of the public notice were not sent, explaining that at the two workshops in January, staff told those in attendance they would, instead, mail them a staff report. He reported everyone who signed the attendance list received a staff report, and 172 staff reports were sent out. He noted there had been some objection to the timing of the mailing; however, staff stayed within existing City policy, which is to ensure that staff reports to the public coincide with the time the City Councilmembers actually receive their packets. He noted they were all sent out on Thursday, March 12th. He pointed out staff had received a petition with 714 signatures, which is also included in the staff report. Mr. Naclerio stated there had been additional comments and concerns at the workshop, and explained that rather than addressing each one, staff folded them into nine alternatives: 1) implement the four ancillary improvements, provide for the one-way street cuplet, and include with the one-way street cuplet the ten mitigation measures described earlier; 2) postpone the one- way street alternative at this time. He stated if we were to do this, it might impact existing applications that are currently pending in the Community Development Department, including the BMW dealership. Also, if we were to wait a year, which is approximately how long we would have to wait for traffic to stabilize, there would still be no guarantee the objections to the one-way street option were going to subside or be reduced; 3) change the Level of Service standard. He noted the City currently has a Level of Service "D" at the intersections in East San Rafael, and one of the suggestions had been to change the Level of Service to "E" or lower. Mr. Naclerio stated if we were to do that, minimum development would be possible, noting staff estimated approximately 20 to 30 PM Peak Hour trips would be accomplished by this; 4) revise the existing sign Ordinance. He noted one of the impacts would be to the Community Development Department and their work load; 5) refund all the businesses that report a business loss. He stated, based on staff's research, there did not appear to be any studies that indicate there would be a business loss; 6) provide for an advertising allowance. It was suggested this allowance equal .50% of the business' gross receipts, and that it be extended for a five-year period; 7) prohibit the northbound left-turn lane at Bellam and Francisco Boulevards. Mr. Naclerio noted if this were to be implemented, staff's calculations indicate only 40 new northbound left-turn trips could be accommodated. Acknowledging questions had been raised about this, he explained that if we were to remove only one of the turning movements at Francisco and Bellam Boulevards, we would still retain all the other conflicting turning movements at Bellam and Kerner Boulevards. As he indicated earlier, the key to providing for the new development, to the extent the General Plan expects, is to reduce the number of conflicting turning movements along Bellam Boulevard. He stated the only way to really provide for that is with the one-way cuplet; 8) construct a Kerner Boulevard extension. He stated staff estimated that if the City were to do this, and retain the left-turn at Francisco and Bellam Boulevards, an additional 100 trips could be provided. However, if we were to prohibit the left-turn, only 40 trips would be provided. He noted it was also estimated that to go through the environmental process, do the plans, and construct the extension, would take approximately three years, and that would not meet the goals initially set out by Council; 9) amend the General Plan to permit the 800 new trips, but not create the one-way loop. He stated if we were to do this, gridlock would occur along Bellam Boulevard; therefore, this was not something staff could recommend. Public Works Director Bernardi stated, given the criteria Council established for this particular area, and the goals identified by the SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 6 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 7 General Plan, staff recommended Option #1, which is to complete all the improvements, as described in the report, including the one-way cuplet, plus the ten mitigations Mr. Naclerio identified earlier. Councilmember Miller noted staff cited Page 333 of the Traffic Engineering handbook, but there was only a brief reference, and he asked if there was more to that reference which should have been included? Mr. Bernardi explained staff had taken only the pertinent section that addressed the issue at hand, which was the economic impact to the businesses. Mr. Miller noted reference had been made to economic advantages of the one-way, and asked if that was also included in the handbook? Mr. Bernardi reported that in terms of economic development, the manual states that studies made in various parts of the United States have generally tended to disprove such claims; moreover, once one-way systems have been implemented, many business owners formerly opposed to the one-way street plan have become supporters. Councilmember Cohen noted Council had received a letter from residents of Spinnaker Point, and asked if the Spinnaker Homeowners Association had been included in the mailing? Mr. Naclerio stated the only mailing that went out for this meeting was to the attendees of the workshops. He stated in the past there had been mailings for residential meetings that were held, noting four meetings specifically for the residents were held November 8th at Baypoint Lagoons, November 12th at the CCA Board room, November 15th at Pickleweed Community Center, and November 17th at 400 Canal Street. Mr. Cohen asked if we had done any mailing into the Spinnaker Point area with the mailings for those four meetings? Mr. Naclerio stated there was no focused mailing for residents. He noted staff had attended the Open House at Pickleweed Park, and gave out fliers describing the different workshops that would be held. He reported staff also targeted all the residential community voice leaders for some additional workshops, noting ten residential leaders were identified, and asked to get the word out to their neighbors and friends. He stated staff was trying to get this started as a "grass roots" effort. Mayor Boro referred to the meeting held on November 8th at Baypoint Lagoons, noting that was in the Spinnaker area, and asked how that meeting had been advertised? Mr. Bernardi reported John Cerrine, who is the contact person for the management company, was contacted by staff, and he indicated he would put the word out in the neighborhood, to those properties his company was responsible for managing, and try to get those people to attend the meeting for staff's presentation. In addition, a full explanation was included in the City Newsletter, which is sent to every house in the City. Mr. Naclerio pointed out there had also been a story in the Marin Independent Journal, with diagrams that included the one-way circulation. Councilmember Cohen stated the same letter received by Council also alleges the circulation pattern is going to cause Bellam Boulevard, from Kerner Boulevard to the East Francisco Boulevard intersection, to be filled with traffic at all hours, and bumper to bumper traffic at peak traffic hours. He asked if staff concurred, and if that was a reasonable expectation of the outcome of this traffic pattern? Traffic Engineer Nader Mansourian stated they did expect some traffic, noting there would be queuing for the westbound/eastbound traffic, and the northbound traffic on Kerner Boulevard could get heavy. However, with the coordination of the signals, they would all get through. Mr. Cohen asked, since we would not be using a delay, what Level of Service was expected? Mr. Mansourian reported they expected Level of Service "D" at the intersection, while some movements, such as left-turns going northbound on Kerner Boulevard, would be Level of Service "D" and "E". Mr. Cohen asked if Mr. Mansourian thought that any area would be worse than that Level of Service? Mr. Mansourian stated he did not. Councilmember Cohen noted some areas ban certain turning movements at specific times of the day, and asked if staff had analyzed the possibility of banning conflicting left-turns at peak periods, to see what kind of impact that would have, and if it would have the same effect as the one-way streets? Mr. Mansourian reported that when the study was begun last year, they looked at those options; however, in discussions with the Police Department, staff was told that if they abandon certain movements between 4:00 PM and 6:00 PM, we would have accident problems, and it would be unsafe. Mr. Naclerio noted that in restricting turn movements to certain times of the day, in addition to the enforcement problem, a mixed message was sent; for instance, if we were to keep the left-turn lane striped, but prohibit a SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 7 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 8 left-turn, people would automatically get into that left lane and make the left-turn. He noted in most communities where those turns are restricted during peak periods, there are no left-turn pockets. Councilmember Cohen referred to the suggestion of a revision to the sign Ordinance, acknowledging this would increase the workload of the Community Development Department staff. However, his concern was that it would have to be applied Citywide. He noted the impact of the change in traffic circulation pattern was not going to apply Citywide, and the one-way streets were not going to apply Citywide, they were only going to apply to those businesses within this immediate several block district. He stated it was not immediately clear why the City could not make a modification to the sign Ordinance for the affected businesses within this one-way district, to allow them to have a little extra signage to overcome the difficulties they must face in moving to one-way streets. He asked if staff had researched the legal basis of this? Mr. Naclerio stated the existing sign Ordinance was applied Citywide, therefore, staff had looked at how the current sign Ordinance applied. Mr. Cohen believed an argument could be made that it would be justifiable to revisit the sign Ordinance in this particular area, to see whether or not amendments for modification of the sign Ordinance, to allow a little more signage to offset the impacts of the one-way streets, would be justifiable in this one area. City Attorney Ragghianti stated there was nothing he could immediately think of that would prevent that from happening, although he would want to pay careful attention to the Findings made to support the conclusion, so one could argue there was a reason, in this area, that would separate it from other areas in the City that might want similar treatment. However, he saw nothing wrong in entertaining this idea. Regarding the issue of advertising, staff noted one of the comments received at a follow-up meeting was the suggestion the City hire a professional advertising firm to create an atmosphere to bring customers back. Mr. Naclerio reported staff's response was that the hiring of an advertising firm would have to be considered by Council. Councilmember Cohen asked if staff had looked at what it would cost us to even begin some kind of advertising campaign, putting out a map, showing the locations of all the businesses, and whether we had a sense of what a reasonable, minimal advertising budget would be? Mr. Naclerio stated staff had not done any research for an advertising budget, although it was staff's recommendation that we do a map showing the circulation plan. He stated staff would develop this with the business owners, and then the business owners would give us mailing lists of their customers. Councilmember Heller asked if information had been mailed out to individual Neighborhood Associations in the Canal last year? Mr. Naclerio stated they had last year, but not for this meeting. Ms. Heller noted that meant that when we first started the hearings, all of the Neighborhood Associations were informed that we were beginning this process, and Spinnaker Point would have been notified at that time. Mr. Naclerio pointed out John Cerrine was notified, and it was Mr. Naclerio's understanding that Mr. Cerinne was in charge of both Spinnaker Point and Baypoint Lagoons. He stated Mr. Cerinne had been given many flyers, which he stated he would post at both locations. Ms. Heller noted the residents of Spinnaker Point felt as though they had been excluded, and she suggested perhaps we could send them a letter explaining this process was begun last year, noting each and every Neighborhood Association had been invited, so they do not believe they were isolated on purpose. Councilmember Heller referred to the issue of additional signage because of the one-way streets, and noted she felt we might run into a little trouble, because we have one-way streets Downtown, and those streets could also ask for additional signage as mitigation for their businesses being on a one- way street. Ms. Heller also referred to the suggestion of extending the center median, noting this would require Caltrans' approval. She asked if staff had any hint from Caltrans as to whether they would accept this, or reject it? Mr. Naclerio pointed out Caltrans has been very cooperative and supportive of the City's changes, and this seems so doable, he could not imagine they would object to it. Councilmember Phillips stated he was sympathetic to the advertising, and informing the public of the change, because there may be a short-term impact on businesses, and he felt we should mitigate that to the extent possible. SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 8 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 9 Referring to the suggestion of changing the sign Ordinance, Mayor Boro pointed out we had other one-way streets in the City, and if this was not going to be much of an impact, he wondered why we would want to do something permanent? He believed Council could create the ability to have temporary signage for a specific period of time, such as concurrent with the trial period, which would either be renewed or suspended after a year, when we had some indication as to where the businesses are and how to get to them. He felt there were a lot of approaches the City could take toward the signage. Regarding the criteria for evaluating this, Mayor Boro stated that while we talk about this as being an interim solution, we also know the construction of the Irene Street Overcrossing is highly unlikely because of the $17 million cost. Therefore, if we go forward, he understands the term "interim" to mean that during the next year we would evaluate this process at the end of a certain period of time, and then decide if it has worked or not. Mayor Boro stated he was interested in the criteria we would be using during this period to evaluate whether this was working or not. Mr. Bernardi reported it would be traffic based, explaining Mr. Mansourian and his staff would essentially monitor and observe the traffic, and prepare a report based on those observations. Mayor Boro asked if this would then be brought back to Council at a Public Hearing for review? Mr. Bernardi stated that it would. Mayor Boro invited public comment. Steve Merryfield, owner of Demo Sport on Francisco Boulevard, stated the bottom line for most of them was that they did not need extra vehicle trips in that part of the neighborhood. He noted there is a huge amount of traffic that goes past his store, and he did not believe the traffic patterns were that bad. He understood the City wanted to get more vehicle trips into that area so there can be more development in the area around Home Depot. However, he felt that without the maximum amount of traffic increase, we could salvage a lot of the businesses. He stated the one-way circle was not like bringing one-way streets through a thoroughfare, as it is in Downtown San Rafael. Mr. Merryfield stated he was not against the synchronization of the new lights or the new lane changes, noting he believed the problems the one-way street is meant to solve will be solved just by putting lights on Francisco Boulevard, and cutting off some of the people during the worst peak hour who try to cheat down the street, making that area more crowded. He suggested testing the program without the one- way street. He noted the signage Downtown might not be affected by the suggestions made earlier, because the businesses have been there so long, and perhaps that would take precedence. He appreciated the signage and advertising adjustments that have been suggested, but felt they were band- aids. He stated the economic impact was not his real concern, rather he felt the one-way was a crazy notion, and would cause a lot of problems. Mr. Merryfield did not believe there had been adequate notification to the business owners and residents in the Canal, noting there would have been a lot more people attending this meeting if they knew how this was going to impact them. He stated people are very critical of the Council because of this issue. Councilmember Phillips stated it seemed that most businesses in the area were destination points, and the customers of those businesses were going to find a way to get there, because they are not "impulse" customers. Mr. Merryfield noted there was a psychology when you have a retail store that you do not block the traffic flow, or block people with a big wall when they walk in, as it stops their perception. He stated driving to a situation of one-way streets, unless it is part of a very solid thoroughfare, such as in San Francisco, is a hassle, and it will always be a hassle. He noted if Council were to interview people in the area, they would find they do not feel this plan makes sense. He did not understand why the City could not proceed with all the other changes, stating it was ironic that this would be the first thing implemented, putting in the one- ways before the new traffic lights are synchronized. He believed it would make more economic sense if this could be changed. Fred Fendler, resident of Spinnaker Point, stated that while the City may have made a good faith attempt at notification, the Board of Directors of the Spinnaker Point Homeowners Association had not been notified. Mr. Fendler reported he and several of the Spinnaker Point Board members quickly put together a petition, and hand delivered it to all of the homes in Spinnaker Point, and of approximately 425 homes, they received responses against the one-way changes from 178. He believed if there had been more time, they would have had 100% of the homes responding. Mr. Fendler pointed out they had yet to receive a response from anyone who supported SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 9 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 10 the one-way change. Mr. Fendler reported, as a group, they felt the one-way change was detrimental to the businesses. As an example, he noted that coming out of Spinnaker Point, if he wants to make a left on Kerner Boulevard to approach those businesses, but finds he must go all the way down to the intersection of Bellam and East Francisco Boulevards, then go up to Irene Street and loop back, he probably would not do that. Mr. Fendler believed businesses were going to be adversely affected, noting it is not the same as Downtown San Rafael, where there is cross-street intervention that allows vehicles to access one-way streets, pointing out this was a closed one mile loop, with no way to access it except at the ends of the loop. Regarding the homeowners, Mr. Fendler stated they believed the segment of Bellam Boulevard, which they use to enter and exit their community, was going to be adversely affected. He stated the homeowners felt the new stop light has been detrimental, noting they found traffic flowed better before the stop light was there. He pointed out that when the stop signs were there, all cars had to stop, but now that there is a stop light, people get a running start, and when the light is green, they hurry through. He stated it has increased the speed, and even though it is supposed to make it safer for the crosswalks, he believed it had made it more dangerous. Mr. Fendler stated he understood the City's desire to increase traffic flow, in order to continue with development around the area of Home Depot; however, they disagreed with the idea of increasing the traffic by 800 trips, and believed dumping that traffic onto Kerner Boulevard, and then dumping it at the intersection of Kerner and Bellam Boulevards, in front of Spinnaker Point, was not an adequate solution. He believed common sense showed that if the traffic was increased by 800 cars, there was going to be a serious problem. He stated we already have a serious problem with traffic entering in the direction of Spinnaker Point, noting the north/south and east/west directions on those streets was a little confusing. He pointed out that on Bellam Boulevard, heading toward Circuit City, especially at commute time, there is a large number of automobiles entering the Canal by turning left on Belvedere and Lisbon Streets. He believed those intersections must be guarded, noting that while there are no stop signs there, there are left-turn indentations, and those indentations are filled with traffic that backs up trying to make a left on Kerner, because they are stopped at the new stop signal. He believed traffic was going to continue to back up, and would now fill the segment coming the other way, and further reduce the ability of the cars to make a left-turn across the traffic onto Belvedere and Lisbon Streets at peak times. Furthermore, there will be two lanes of traffic going down Bellam Boulevard, jogging for position, and trying to decide if they are going to go onto Francisco Boulevard and up onto the Highway 101 on-ramp, or left onto I-580 toward the East Bay. He stated the residents of Spinnaker Point believe it will be a nightmare, and seriously affect their property values if it becomes a problem for people to enter and exit the Spinnaker Point and Baypoint Lagoons, and the other townhouses located there. Rob Johnson, of Johnny Franklin's, presented a petition with an additional thirty names. He reported the San Rafael Police Department and the California Highway Patrol have been on the I-580 on- and off-ramps, working very hard giving tickets for the past month and a half, and the time it takes him to get from his shop onto the freeway at Bellam Boulevard has been cut at least in half. Therefore, he would appreciate Council considering some of the other improvements, without putting in the one-way. He noted this one small thing, having the police ticket those people going on and off the freeway, has made a huge difference, from sitting through two to three lights during the 5:00 PM traffic, to going through in one shot, with no problem at all. Rick Beeman, CEO and Managing Broker of Kimber Commercial Brokerage Services, Inc., noted they currently have projects in Sausalito, Mill Valley, and Ft. Worth, Texas. In addition, they are working with the City of Cotati, developing and implementing a Redevelopment Plan for its 16 acre La Plaza Downtown Core, including re-routing traffic in order to allow more efficient flow, with greater exposure to retail, and generating more pedestrian friendliness. He stated prior to joining Kimber, he spent six years as a retail tenant representative, which meant he had to become an expert in the demographic and traffic requirements of each business he represented. Mr. Beeman stated that re-directing East Francisco Boulevard to a one-way configuration was a bad idea, noting improving traffic flow may seem more efficient, but for a retailer, this plan makes no sense, and can only hurt SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 10 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 11 business. He pointed out many, if not all, of the businesses on East Francisco Boulevard are neighborhood and/or service retail, defining service retail as convenience stores, florists, cleaners, deli's, banks, restaurants, video stores, coffee centers, gas stations, and car washes. Mr. Beeman stated the East Francisco Boulevard retail businesses were unique, because they are dependent both on local, daytime traffic, and the evening commute traffic passing by their storefronts every day. Given the density of the area, he doubted many owners were getting rich through their businesses, rather he suspected most were just making ends meet. He stated the numbers may not sound like much, but if a business owner's traffic is reduced by 10%, and that owner is already clearing only a 5% to 15% margin, that could easily be the difference between profitability and bankruptcy; in other words, even a small decline in business could have a significant impact on an enterprise's ability to stay solvent. He believed moving or re-directing the traffic element to these retailers' market, however innocuous and short-lived it may seem to the outsider, is to threaten these businesses' very existence, because some of their customers will opt to go elsewhere, rather than trying to find and learn a new traffic and parking configuration. Mr. Beeman stated the staff report has tried to debunk this concern by quoting, at every objection, Page 333 of the Traffic Engineering Handbook, noting staff's quote is, "Studies made in various parts of the U.S. have tended to disprove claims from business owners that one-way streets will adversely affect their trade". However, he noted that statement is actually made contingent upon several other comments. The first is that it assumes a configuration change from two-way to one-way has enough cross- easement to it, in order to allow quick and easy transit to the two sides. He referred to Third and Second Streets in Downtown San Rafael, noting approximately every 250 feet there is an option to turn left or right, and then go in the other direction. However, with this plan there will be in excess of 2,000 feet, ten times the length, before someone can make the left and go on a return trip. Mr. Beeman acknowledged most of the businesses probably will not be tremendously affected, but the retail service businesses, including Orchid Cleaners, Viking Subs, and the Video store, among others, will definitely be affected, as will Marin Dodge. He explained that is because the bulk of the businesses are located on Francisco Boulevard East, pointing out those businesses are located there precisely because it is the "going home" side of the commute. He stated the minute we re-route the traffic around Irene Street and up Kerner Boulevard, we will have removed the "going home" traffic from these businesses, and in doing so, will have made it extremely difficult for them to attract additional business. He noted these were businesses that are dependent on the impulse ability of people sitting in traffic, who are not willing to overcome a one mile lap during rush hour to go pick up a video on the way home, or get an extra can of soda, or possibly stop and look at a Dodge Durango. Brendan Nelson, resident of Pt. San Pedro Road and student at Marin Catholic High School, agreed with the previous speakers. He stated, as a teen-ager driving in this area for various reasons, the street was already complex enough, and people were used to the gridlock. He felt that by changing it to a one-way, it was going to be hard for people to get used to, and there would be a lot of potentially dangerous situations. In addition, he felt this was a bad idea for the businesses, because people are used to being able to reach the businesses on a specific side of the road, and not have to drive a mile and a half loop to get to them. He noted having a two-way street ensured getting to the businesses easily. Mr. Nelson noted staff had stated they used the attendance sheets from the traffic workshops in the notification process, and asked how the workshops had been advertised or noticed? He stated he would be interested to know the number, and how diverse the cross-section was, of those attending the workshops. Assistant Public Works Director Naclerio reported close to twenty workshops were held, noting that during the initial workshops, businesses were targeted based on active business licenses; therefore, any business with an active business license in East San Rafael was mailed a notice. In addition, notices were mailed to residential leaders identified through the Canal Voice, and staff had a table and handed out literature at the Open House at Pickleweed Park. Jim Cameron, owner of Midas Brake and Muffler Shop on Francisco Boulevard, stated everyone in the area appreciated the fact there have been a number of additional meetings since the last public hearing, and that they have SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 11 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 12 been given a chance to speak. He believed it was important to state that most of those in the area have supported the Shoreline Development, as opposed to some of the other businesses, because they felt bringing additional business into the City not only helped the City, but also helped them. Mr. Cameron stated none of the business owners were opposed to any of the other elements of the plan, only the one-way change. He stated the reality is that some of the business owners are operating on very thin margins, and if they take away the incremental customers, which is where the profit margin is, then it hits the bottom line very hard. Referring to Councilmember Phillips' remarks regarding "destination" businesses, Mr. Cameron believed, to a large extent, automobile repair and some of the other businesses were destination businesses, although there are other businesses in the area that are not, and are more "impulse" businesses. He stated the "destination" businesses are not competing for people who live in the immediate area, they are competing for people coming in from Mill Valley, Tiburon, and Novato, and even San Francisco and other places. He pointed out there are a lot of competitors in other locations, and if the customers cannot get in and out of these businesses easily, they will go to other locations, even though they know they are coming in for an hour, or to drop their vehicles off. Mr. Cameron stated, after speaking with other business owners in the area, that their position is to go with Option 2, which they felt was most reasonable for them, and for Spinnaker Point and the other residents in the area. He noted Option 2 suggests implementing the other phases of this plan, and once Andersen Drive, the changing of the signals, and the other items are in place, then they can see what happens to the traffic flow, and what happens to the businesses. He believed if, after six months to a year, we do not find that the traffic flow is being mitigated and changed, then they would be among the first people to step up and say, "Let's try the next step"; however, they are terribly afraid that if the City implements it all together, it is not going to be an interim solution. He noted the response in the document he received Saturday, regarding the business owners' concerns about the interim solution, was that it was interim until the Irene Street Overpass was done; however, Mr. Cameron stated everyone knows that is not going to happen. He stated the business owners want to work with the City, noting they had been patient, and would like to believe they were getting a fair hearing from the City. Mayor Boro noted the speakers kept referring to Shoreline Park, but it was his understanding there was much more property down there beside Shoreline Park. He asked staff to recap this for the benefit of the audience. Public Works Director Bernardi reported Shoreline Industrial Park was only one piece of property that could be developed, noting further to the south and east there is property owned by Mrs. Faskins, who bought the Ghilotti property, and other properties adjacent to Kerner Boulevard and Morphew Street, which comprise approximately 50 acres. He stated there was also additional property owned by Fred Grange, and Mr. Bernardi estimated total property in that area, exclusive of the Shoreline property, was at least another hundred acres of land that could be developed. Lee Jordan, Attorney, stated he was addressing Council on behalf of the owners of Shoreline Industrial Park. Mr. Jordan urged Council to adopt Option No. 1, which is also staff's recommendation. He stated he had read the staff report and the attached items of correspondence, and listened to the comments of the previous speakers, and it seemed the principal focus of the opposition to the one-way street proposal was the perceived adverse impact on other businesses in the area. Mr. Jordan acknowledged that was an understandable concern, but reiterated it was only a perceived impact, and was a perception which is unfounded. Mr. Jordan stated it was understandable for the businesses to be in opposition to the one-way street proposal, because when we reach a zone of comfort, it is human nature to resist change, just because it is change. He pointed out there was always a fear of the unknown, and he believed that was behind a lot of the opposition. He pointed out that while many of the businesses in this area were doing quite well, other businesses, as some of the speakers have indicated, were operating somewhat marginally. However, he believed the concern that this one-way street proposal would adversely impact those businesses was unfounded for several reasons. First, staff has indicated, through its studies, that this would increase the circulation capacity of the entire street system in that area, and noted he had not heard anyone indicate this was not correct. He pointed out this meant it would increase the carrying capacity of that street system. Mr. Jordan acknowledged there was presently an unreasonable degree of congestion in that area, and he believed that if the congestion is sufficiently severe, the affected SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 12 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 13 businesses will stagnate, and stated we were now getting very close to that situation in East San Rafael. Mr. Jordan stated he also believed that whenever we take a congested business neighborhood, and do something to facilitate the movement of traffic in that neighborhood, businesses benefit and prosper. He stated one could look at the neighborhood now and believe it was as busy as it could possibly be, noting the streets were always full of traffic. However, that does not mean traffic is moving, that means those streets are operating at less than capacity, they are jammed with cars, and they are not moving at an adequate rate, so the street system is being utilized below its normal capacity. He noted if we could "uncork the bottle", that would facilitate the movement of traffic, and benefit the other businesses that currently exist there. Addressing the issue of future development, Mr. Jordan referred to the remarks of a previous speaker who stated that while a lot of people may be fearful of competition moving into a given business neighborhood, it was almost an irrefutable principle that if the business neighborhood increases its overall business capacity, almost always, the other businesses in that area will increase and prosper. Mr. Jordan noted the previous speaker felt it was best to go with Option 2, to proceed with all the improvements except the one-way system, and see what affect that would have on the existing congestion. Mr. Jordan stated there were a couple of problems with that. First, he was inclined to believe staff's conclusion that the alleviation of the existing congestion would be minimal at best, it would not solve the problem, and would not achieve the goals the City Council set for staff when they asked for recommendations. However, it would, in the interim, very possibly have the effect of stymieing or terminating the possibility of some very desirable businesses that have expressed strong interest in locating in East San Rafael. He believed it might well mean East San Rafael would not see the benefit of those businesses located in that area, which would be to the detriment of the existing businesses. Mr. Jordan stated if Council were to give consideration to Option No. 2, he felt it could be fairly done on only one basis. He pointed out staff had stated they did not believe Option No. 2 could provide the remedy the City needs in order to meet Council's goals, and at the end of the interim period, we would again be facing the same problems we are now, and probably the same kind of opposition from those who believe one-way streets will affect existing businesses. Mr. Jordan stated if staff is correct, and Option No. 2 is not going to solve the problem, he felt the only fair way to proceed on an interim basis would be with the understanding and full warning to those who have expressed opposition to the one-way street system, that should the four ancillary measures not prove adequate to solve the problem, Council would, at that time, implement the one-way street system. He stated this would allow existing and future applications to proceed for ultimate City review, and would assure those persons who want to locate new businesses in East San Rafael that ultimately the traffic problem will be solved, and Council will be free to consider those applications. He stated that under those conditions, if that portion of the remedies the businesses are willing to support at this point are not successful, they should be quite willing to agree to proceed with the one- way system. Mr. Jordan believed it would be a mistake for the City to delay the one-way system; however, if we should delay it, he felt it should be done on that basis only. He urged Council to approve staff's full recommendation. Danielle Graham, owner of Jay Friendly's bar on Kerner Boulevard, stated her situation was one of a unique nature, due to the fact her establishment is a neighborhood bar, with the key word being "neighborhood". She stated Spinnaker Point and the other neighborhoods in that area now have to go only 200 yards to enter her driveway. She believed if they have to go all the way around the block, for an entire mile, she will lose a lot of business. Ms. Graham completely agreed with implementing Option No. 2, stating it has no economic effect on the businesses. She noted if Option No. 2 does not work, she would be willing to look at the one-way street option. Ms. Graham pointed out she pays her taxes, both business and personal, in order to keep her business there. She stated it was hard to think that after everything she has done, her business might still be taken away from her. Ms. Graham asked what the Level of Service was at the intersection of Kerner and Bellam Boulevards with stop signs, as opposed to having a stop SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 13 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 14 light? She also asked what degree of change would be seen between the current two-way traffic and the proposed one-way? Public Works Director Bernardi reported the Level of Service with the stop signs was LOS "F", and with the stop light it is LOS "C". Mr. Bernardi explained that with a one- way traffic design, the Level of Service could not be lower than LOS "D", as outlined in the General Plan. Jerry Talman, owner of Minute Man Press of Marin on East Francisco Boulevard, stated the real problem of congestion, which is often ignored, is that people cannot get on Highway 101 from I-580, and traffic backs up, noting the only exit from East San Rafael to Highway 101 is the intersection of Bellam and East Francisco Boulevards. He pointed out one of the five lights at that intersection does not meet the City's General Plan minimum, while the rest of the lights meet the standard. Therefore, he believed we were arguing about one light that would change his life, and a lot of other people's lives. Mr. Talman felt that looking at Option No. 1 was looking at a prediction, stating there was no guarantee we would get the 800 additional cars, and no guarantee we were going to get growth. He stated many of the business owners believed this was going to hurt their businesses, and he believed Option No. 2 would allow the system to work naturally. Mr. Talman stated he has been in business for three years in his current location, and in that time he has noticed there has never been real Police enforcement. He noted that while Mr. Mansourian has gotten the Police to enforce the off- ramp activity, traffic has really increased, and there are still a lot of people running lights and stopping in the intersections. He believed, in addition to the lights, if the City increased Police activity, put up additional signs, and did a number of other things which would cost the City practically nothing, then we would get a significant increase in the (movement of) traffic without the one-way option. Mr. Talman noted the City Council, not long ago, voted to change the General Plan, and pointed out that in the past, when Downtown San Rafael had the same congestion problem, they voted to change the congestion acceptability. He stated in this case we were fighting and arguing over the congestion at one light, noting a very easy change in the General Plan would eliminate the problem, the City would be able to have its growth, and the businesses would be able to have their two-way street. He stated not every light at that intersection was bad, and he believed it could be fixed without the City spending thousands and thousands of dollars, noting he felt the City Council had the obligation to do less harm, with the least amount of money. Elissa Giambastiani, President of the San Rafael Chamber of Commerce, stated the Chamber appreciated the effort made by Council and staff to improve the traffic circulation in East San Rafael. She noted that since this plan had first been presented, the Chamber has received numerous calls from its members with their concerns about the impacts of the one-way streets, and also from those members who feel we really need the one-way street implementation in order to develop businesses. She noted she was in the unenviable position of trying to represent both segments of the Chamber's membership. Ms. Giambastiani asked, if there was a six-month trial, and the City implemented the one-way streets, or if there was a six-month trial and the City held off on the one-way streets and did all the ancillary improvements, would that hold up BMW's application, or could they go ahead? She noted the ancillary improvements would create 100 to 150 trips, and asked if that would be enough for BMW to go ahead? Ms. Giambastiani pointed out that if the City decides to put in the one-way streets now, and then does an evaluation, the evaluation staff was proposing is only traffic based, noting nothing has been discussed about how the City was going to measure the economic impact on the businesses. She felt if the City decided to do that, Council needed to do more than just state there was not going to be any impact, or that they were only going to measure traffic. Ms. Giambastiani stated if the City goes ahead with Option No. 1, she felt we really needed to set up some form of assuring the assessment of the economic impact. Ms. Giambastiani asked, if the County passes the Transportation Measure in November, and becomes a self-help County, would this enable us to be eligible for State and Federal funding to build the Irene Street SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 14 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 15 Overcrossing, funds which we are not eligible to receive right now? Ms. Giambastiani agreed with Mr. Jordan's suggestion of doing the six-month trial in the opposite way, if that would allow the applications that are already in for development, particularly BMW, to move ahead and not have to wait for that six months. Referring to self-help counties, Mr. Bernardi reported there was a prioritization process that must be worked through the Congestion Management Agency, which deals with project priorities on a Countywide basis. He believed there were currently a number of projects, on a Countywide basis, that would rank far higher than the Irene Street Overcrossing. He noted the number one project was currently the HOV Lane/Gap Closure project, the next phase of which would be the northbound, reversible lane concept. Mr. Bernardi stated there currently was no funding for that, so to consider that Irene Street would receive two-thirds of $17 million was very unlikely in the foreseeable future. Mr. Bernardi stated he did not think the City could count on State or Federal self-help issues to help us on that matter. Regarding the availability of the capacity, without the one-way, to accommodate existing applications, including the one already submitted by BMW, Mr. Bernardi stated he had discussed this with Mr. Mansourian, and it was very close. He noted if there was a Priority Projects Procedure to go through, there would be an in-depth analysis, and Mr. Mansourian's preliminary review indicates it would probably take up all the remaining capacity. Therefore, Mr. Bernardi explained that if BMW's application goes through the process and is approved, we would likely be at capacity for the area. Mayor Boro asked if this meant the first four solutions would allow enough capacity for BMW, but nothing beyond that? Mr. Bernardi stated that was correct. Thomas Young, European Auto Service on Francisco Boulevard, stated his business has been at this location since 1977, pointing out it was one of the first businesses to locate on Francisco Boulevard. Mr. Young reported his business conducts approximately 40 test drives per day on the streets proposed for the changes, and stated they have no problems with the current traffic levels, explaining the traffic level kicks in during the evenings, when there is commute traffic on the freeways. He believed it was extremely important the City does everything except the one-way street, to see how that changes the situation, noting if the City does the other improvements all at once, there would not be a true test of what all the other improvements have done, and he felt it would be a very poor way to proceed. Mr. Young believed it was important to look at the ramifications of having a 1.5 mile one-way loop, stating it seemed like a very unprofessional solution in the long term, although perhaps in the short term it would allow further development. Mr. Young stated he was all for having a BMW Dealership and other prosperous businesses down the street from him, but not at the expense of having an East San Rafael community that is not an attractive business area. He believed the businesses down the street want the one-way solution because they want to be able to have further development. Mr. Young felt it would be possible to have further development, and not have a one-way street. Mark Warner, owner of businesses on Kerner Boulevard and Shoreline Parkway, stated he supported staff's recommendation. He encouraged Council to proceed as soon as possible with the recommendation, for a number of reasons, one of which is safety. Mr. Warner stated that with regard to delivery trucks making deliveries to the various businesses in the neighborhood, with the current configurations of the intersections, the turn lanes that exist at Bellam are inadequate. He reported many times large trucks bringing material into the area have to yield for long periods of time until traffic clears, because there is not enough turn radius, specifically coming eastbound on Bellam, trying to go southbound on East Francisco. He stated the trucks and buses cannot make that turn, and stop for several minutes, which creates a traffic jam every time. He noted the same thing occurs with those going westbound on Bellam Boulevard, trying to make a turn onto the I-580 on-ramp, because there is not a large enough radius for a turn, and the trucks end up with their back wheels on the sidewalk, where pedestrians are standing to cross. Mr. Warner believed the one-way would help ease traffic in the area, and the plan, as presented, was a good one. He felt staff had done proper research, and that their recommendations were sound, and stated he supported the proposal. Jim Lyon, Real Estate Manager for Home Depot, stated they have been hopeful for a number of years that there would be some improvements made for the SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 15 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 16 relief of congestion at the key intersection of Bellam and Francisco Boulevards. He noted their interest was a concern of this "clog point" eventually causing such a negative connotation in the trade area that, at some point in time, their business stagnates. He noted just in the Western United States, Home Depot operates 120 stores, and if there is anything that will cut the growth of a store, it is traffic congestion, and having a bottleneck such as we have at Bellam and Francisco Boulevards. He noted their store was doing very well, but they were concerned that at some point in time they will stop growing. Mr. Lyon stated he was pleased to hear a number of retailers express that they consider themselves "regional" retailers, noting they now draw, and want to continue to draw, customers from a large region. However, Mr. Lyon believed, based on his experience, that if this "clog point" at Bellam and Francisco Boulevards is not relieved in some fashion, their trade area will not continue to grow, it will constrict, and they will have a tighter trade area in the years to come. Mr. Lyon believed the plan that has been proposed and researched by staff, with a high level of input from the community, was a drastic plan, and acknowledged there were others who would be affected more than Home Depot; however, the plan would loosen up traffic congestion at this bottleneck, so people can keep moving instead of sitting in a long line of traffic. He stated they believed, in the long term, it was beneficial to loosen that "clog point" at Bellam and Francisco Boulevards, and he hoped this proposal would be looked at from a regional standpoint, and for the future growth of retail business in this area. He stated Home Depot strongly supported the plan, and hoped Council would implement it on a permanent basis. Diane Henderson, business owner and home owner in San Rafael, stated what happens here is very important to her, noting the City has a General Plan that is the blueprint for this community, and she felt it was important not to sacrifice the integrity of that General Plan. She pointed out that after years of research, drafting, and hearings on the General Plan, they had come to some very serious conclusions, many of which were dictated by traffic. Ms. Henderson commended staff, stating they had done an excellent job on a very difficult subject. She believed it was important Council maintain the standards adopted in the General Plan, and she felt they had a commitment to the community to do that. She also believed that to reduce Level of Service as a solution was a very poor solution, noting the Level of Service, as mandated by the General Plan, should be maintained. She recommended Council approve Option No. 1. There being no further public comment, Mayor Boro closed the Public Hearing. Mayor Boro stated it was his understanding this plan was something Mr. Mansourian had pursued, working with a private consultant in the industry, as well as Caltrans, and he asked Mr. Mansourian to describe that aspect of the work. In addition, Mayor Boro asked for further discussion of the credibility of the traffic model, and why staff believes we would gain 150 trips with the first four options, and gain 800 trips with the loop. Traffic Engineer Nader Mansourian reported staff had been directed last March to analyze the area's traffic and recommend solutions. He reported the work continued until May or June, collecting data and walking the intersections and neighborhood observing traffic, noting at one point traffic was video taped, documenting the directions the cars come from and the directions they go. Staff then began an analysis of various scenarios, noting they originally came up with seven different solutions, and one interim solution, which was the one-way. Of the seven solutions, two were implemented. The first, the on- and off-ramp through movements, has worked, as noted in previous testimony; and the second they decided to cancel. Mr. Mansourian explained when staff came before Council in July they recommended a Peer Review be conducted, to look at the numbers and make sure they had not made any mistakes. He reported the data was given to DKS Associates, and after reviewing all the numbers and assumptions, DKS concurred the assumptions and calculations were correct, and made the recommendation that parking on East Francisco Boulevard be removed. Mr. Mansourian noted at that same time, staff met with Caltrans and presented the seven solutions and the interim solution, along with the data, and after Caltrans tested the data, they sent a letter stating the plan worked, and they concurred. Referring to calculation based on the traffic model, Mr. Mansourian stated SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 16 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 17 the traffic model has been fairly accurate, noting staff also looks at the modeling data and manually checks it. He reported staff went to the General Plan to identify all the Land Uses they could find in East San Rafael, and then tested the model for trip distribution, calculating which ways the cars would come from and which ways they would go. They then made sure that with existing traffic patterns, and also with the one-way system they were testing, these solutions made sense. He stated they were able to gain up to 800 additional trips area-wide, not just at the intersections, but throughout the entire system. He stated that with the one-way system, with the current Level of Service "D", and re-timing the signals, which would give the Level of Service with each one of the movements at the intersection, these 800 new trips could be accommodated. Mayor Boro noted one of the earlier speakers had asked, "Even if we do gain 800 trips, how can we guarantee new development will come?" Mayor Boro stated that while the City could not guarantee the development, we had an obligation, if possible, to provide for the capacity. Public Works Director Bernardi referred to the Merrydale Overcrossing as an example. He noted that before it was built, and while it was under construction, Mr. Mansourian continued to note what the traffic model indicated, and now that the Overcrossing has been completed, and there has been enough time for the traffic to stabilize, the traffic patterns and traffic distributions are very close to what the model had predicted; therefore, using the same techniques on this project as those used on the Merrydale Overcrossing, staff felt very confident that the projections would be accurate. Councilmember Miller asked why we needed the one-ways, and why they were necessary right at the start? Mr. Mansourian noted the intersection of Bellam and East Francisco Boulevards has five stages of traffic signal operations, while the others have only three stages. This means the intersection at Bellam and East Francisco Boulevards has two more stages, for which traffic needs to stop to accommodate these movements. He explained that by doing the one-way, we were taking a one-lane left and one through-lane, and adding those to the three lanes going east and west; then we can time the traffic signals better, and get 30% more progression along Bellam Boulevard and, therefore, shorter traffic signal timing than we have right now. Councilmember Heller referred to Ms. Giambastiani's earlier question and asked, if we do a review of this, how would we be able to look at the two impacts we discussed, the traffic base, as well as the economic impact on the business community? Mr. Bernardi stated staff's work would only include an analysis based on the traffic congestion, or lack thereof, noting staff had not indicated they would be doing an economic analysis. He believed it would be very difficult to establish a base, and then determine the various reasons why a particular business was doing any better or worse than it would or would not have done if the one-way was there. Councilmember Phillips stated it was his understanding that with the development that is presumed to take place at Shoreline Park, and other sites identified earlier, the only way Council could allow for that to occur, under the current traffic Level of Service constraints, was to incorporate this solution. Also, if we do the other four, that would not result in a sufficient number of trips, as would the one-way solution, pointing out it would be 150 additional trips versus 800 additional trips. Mr. Phillips stated even if the model was not exact, he did not believe it would miss by much. Councilmember Phillips stated it seemed there was an argument on two fronts. He noted the development of Shoreline Park would result in more people visiting that business area, so by allowing for that development, businesses in the area were going to benefit from more people visiting new businesses that do not exist now. He felt, for long term planning, this was going to benefit not only San Rafael, by bringing new businesses in, it would also benefit those who wish to use Francisco Boulevard as a thoroughfare, as well as the businesses on Francisco Boulevard. He noted if the traffic were static, with no additional businesses being generated as a result of this, then he would have real concerns, and would tend to lean toward delaying. However, by opening up the possibility of additional businesses, it seemed this would be a benefit, and agreed with staff's recommendation. SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 17 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 18 Councilmember Cohen asked what the 6-month trial referred to? Mr. Bernardi explained staff would first do the capacity analysis, noting Council had authorized staff to proceed with the preparation of Plans and Specifications, which they were doing. He reported the improvements were anticipated to be in around August, and the six month test period would occur subsequent to that. He noted what staff was really looking at was coming back before Council at approximately this time next year with a report on how things were going. Councilmember Cohen asked if we were going to put this in place and test it, as we did with the Merrydale Overcrossing, and see if what actually happens was correctly predicted by the model? Mr. Bernardi stated that was correct. Mr. Cohen asked what would happen if it was not as predicted by the model, yet in the meantime an application from BMW has been filed and processed? He asked how much we were going to allow in the interim? Mr. Bernardi stated staff had indicated, based on their preliminary review of the application, that BMW would work without the one-way, but that would use up the available capacity generated by the first four improvements. Subsequent to that, we would need to take a very hard look at any other development proposals that might be received in the intervening period. Mr. Cohen asked if we were aware of any other pending applications? Interim Planning Director Sheila Delimont stated there were no pending applications, although there have been conversations about potential development on various sites in that area, if the traffic capacity were freed up. She noted it had been discussed that if Council made a commitment to go forward with the one-way loop, the Public Works Department had previously indicated they would feel comfortable with 200 trips being freed up, and staff could run the Priority Projects Procedure on those 200 trips, which would allow some development to proceed during the interim period. She noted they could begin processing applications in order to get some of the approvals in place. Mr. Cohen asked if this applied only if the one-way were implemented now, and we are able to test it over the next year? Mr. Bernardi stated that was correct, noting staff had stated they felt very comfortable, even without having the 6-month test period, to allow additional capacity up to the 200 trips on an area-wide basis; therefore, other development proposals could come in, if Council were to adopt the one-way proposal, as well as the other four improvements. Councilmember Cohen stated it seemed, politically, that it would be easier and more comfortable for the City to give the appearance of responding to the testimony, and decide to go with Option No. 2, and then wait and see. However, he stated he had not, at this point, heard anything that would make him think we would learn anything illuminating by waiting six months before implementing the one-way option, and he did not believe there was any basis to conclude the other options were going to create enough capacity to be an alternative to the Irene Street Overcrossing. Mr. Cohen noted several speakers had urged Council to take the longer view, and he believed they needed to do that. He pointed out one of the speakers stated Council needed to take the option that had the least impact, and involved the least amount of money. Mr. Cohen stated Council was faced with making a business decision for the long-term future of San Rafael, including the entire City, not just those businesses that will be impacted within this area. He noted he still believed the proper business decision for the City was to take the $2 million option, as opposed to the $20 million to $30 million option, noting he could not come up with a business- based justification for Council holding on to the hope that the State of California was going to hand us the other $18 million we would need to complete the Irene Street Overcrossing. He stated he wished it was some other way, and that the State and the Federal government had a more aggressive investment program in our infrastructure, but the fact was that they do not. Referring to mitigations, Councilmember Cohen stated he had hoped this would be one of the things that would be addressed when Council asked for additional meetings with the business community to discuss the impacts of this, and he believed there were a couple of ideas that came out of that process, which should be pursued. He stated he was willing to accept, on face value, the testimony received tonight that there will be some negative impacts on the businesses within the one-way district. Based on that, he felt the City should be looking for ways to mitigate that. Therefore, he would argue that in addition to the ten mitigations recommended by staff, the City should take a serious look at its sign program, and determine if there was a way to provide for better signage oriented to the one-way circulation pattern we were creating. He acknowledged he did not know if that required modification of the Sign Ordinance, but if it does, he would support it, and draw a distinction between what was being done here, based SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 18 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 19 on the testimony received at the January Council meeting and tonight, and what currently exists in the one-way circulation pattern in Downtown San Rafael. He pointed out the City was asking these businesses to bear a burden it was not asking any other businesses to bear, and he felt that if the City could offset that a little bit by allowing a little advantage in signage, then he believed Council could make those Findings. Councilmember Cohen stated he did not know what an advertising budget would be, and would like to have more information about that. He stated he would like to know how much it would cost just to do a map, noting one idea he had was for a map that not only showed the circulation pattern of the streets, but also indicated the location of specific businesses on the map. He stated he would like to see the City do that for the businesses that are currently there, and make it available for distribution. He was certain there were advertising professionals who could assist the City in coming up with an advertising plan that would explain the circulation pattern, and create the materials the businesses could then have available and distribute to their customers. He stated he would like to know the cost of that, noting this was a $2 million project, and if the City took a small percentage of that amount as a mitigation for this, and decided to spend a certain percentage of the budget on creating advertising materials, he did not believe that would be an unreasonable use of this source of funds. He noted if we were talking about $2 million, he felt a $200,000 advertising budget would be too extreme, but if we decided on 1% at $20,000, or 2% at $40,000, then he would be interested to know, with those kinds of numbers, what we could accomplish, and what we could do on behalf of the businesses, because he felt those mitigations would be justified. Judy Johnson, representing several automotive businesses, noted no one had provided a time period under which these things would be implemented. She asked if the new traffic light system at Bellam and Francisco Boulevards would be implemented in the same six-month period as the one-way street, the purchase of Scotland Yard, and the change in the lineages in front of Marin Square, and if these were all coordinated, or if the one-way street was going in first, without any of these other items? Mr. Bernardi reported the purchase of Scotland Yard would be the last item to be implemented, noting it deals with a different issue within the intersection. However, the signal timing, whatever street signing is necessary, the re-striping, the installation of the traffic signals at Irene Street and Kerner Boulevard and Irene Street and Francisco Boulevard, and the coordination of the signals would all happen at the same time. Mayor Boro asked if that meant three of the four solutions would happen concurrently, along with the one-way street at the same time, and then Scotland Yard would be the last thing to be implemented? Mr. Bernardi stated that was correct. Mayor Boro clarified that staff planned for this to happen in August, and Mr. Bernardi stated that was correct. Councilmember Miller re-enforced the suggestions about the economic impact and the mapping, noting he would like to see the City work together with the Chamber of Commerce, in terms of developing the map, since the Chamber represents those businesses. He noted this was also a great way to go about pursuing that portion of the Economic Plan. Mr. Miller noted his particular interest, in terms of the residents of the area, was to re- enforce that the City would seriously address the issue of congestion at Kerner and Bellam Boulevards. He noted that, somehow, we have to get something done fast, and not wait around for someone to get hurt before the City addresses the problem. Mr. Bernardi pointed out that was mitigation item #6, and they would keep that issue on the front burner. Mayor Boro agreed with Mr. Cohen's assessment of the long-term needs of the City, and trying to balance those with some of the issues we have to deal with today. He felt the issue of advertising, how we deal with the signage, and some of the other mitigation points, hopefully, would work. However, at the same time, he felt that from an overall City point of view, Council was faced with a real problem of having prime land, which is suitable for development, that would be of great benefit to the entire City. Mayor Boro complimented Mr. Mansourian for his creativity in going out after this issue, and the work he has done. He pointed out Mr. Mansourian had worked on these issues in the past, such as with the Merrydale Overcrossing, and Mayor Boro believed what Mr. Mansourian was now recommending would work, noting it would certainly be verified. He noted Mr. Mansourian's past experience, and how he has had his recommendations validated by Caltrans and his peers, lends a lot of credibility to this effort. SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 19 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 20 Mayor Boro asked staff to return at the first City Council meeting in May with a report and recommendations regarding the issues of an advertising budget and signage. Councilmember Heller pointed out, as one of the earlier speakers had noted, that we must continue with enforcement, as this seemed to be a key to holding this plan together. In addition, she suggested perhaps we would not need to change the entire sign program, if we looked at this as temporary signage. Ms. Delimont stated this would be one of the alternatives staff would explore, noting we do currently have provisions for temporary signage, for such things as grand openings, and she felt this was a similar situation. Councilmember Cohen moved and Councilmember Heller seconded, to approve Option No. 1, to implement all four (4) ancillary improvements and the one-way interim solution, and to direct staff to review the Sign Ordinance, to look for ways to accommodate the need for signage on a one-way circulation, and to provide recommendations for a reasonable budget for advertising to be done by the City, to assist these businesses in retaining their customers and attracting new ones. AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None Mayor Boro announced a short recess. Mayor Boro reconvened the meeting. OLD BUSINESS: 18. REPORT ON COMMUNITY POLICING (PD) - File 9-3-30 Police Chief Cam Sanchez reported the Police Department was going to embark on Community Policing gradually, with a lot of community input, as well as employee input. Chief Sanchez stated they would have to come up with a process to review and measure the successes in the Police Department, noting he has already met with his staff to discuss this, and they were all going to take this very seriously, as they know they have an obligation to the community to do the best they can to enhance City services. Chief Sanchez stated the main thing the Police Department needs to do is solve problems, not just respond to radio calls. He stated they needed to look at this in the "big picture", and become a part of complete City services. He reported they have been dealing with Marc Waterman, an outside, non-Police consultant, who has brought forth some good issues, noting Mr. Waterman had mentioned to Captain Cronin and himself that a Police Force should be a source, not just a force. Chief Sanchez stated he believes that is what Community Policing is all about, noting it would entail cooperation with other Departments, with Department Heads, and employees who have been designated as Committee members. He reported Mr. Waterman has done quite a few focus groups within the community, as well as within the Police Department, and stated there would also be a lot of training coming up for the employees. Chief Sanchez stated the biggest change in Policing will be to begin steady beats in our community. He noted the Officers will be assigned a steady beat, and the community will be able to see the same Officers for quite awhile, and get to know them better. In addition, the Officers will also get to know the community better, and have a thorough buy-in into Community Policing. Chief Sanchez stated the Department would be providing the Officers on the street the opportunity to try to solve a problem during their initial contact with our citizens, although there will be some instances when the Police Officers will not have the resources immediately available to do so. He noted it would take some doing to put those things together, which is the reason they have come up with a strategy Chief Sanchez felt would lend itself to Police personnel utilizing all City services to solve the community's problems. Chief Sanchez reported what works in battling crime and disorder, and in building community justice and peacekeeping capacity, is the great benefit SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 20 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 21 of moving forward with a strong COPS plan. He believed the staff report being presented was indicative of a good, solid plan, which the Police Department will take six months at a time. He stated they plan to return to Council six months from now, with a report on how the program is going, how the crime statistics have been impacted by Community Policing, what types of community ties the Department has been able to put together, and how much support they have gotten from the community. Chief Sanchez noted part of the staff report refers to a Committee, and he explained they would begin discussing this with the Chamber of Commerce, neighborhood groups, and graduates of past Citizens Police Academy programs, and put together and develop a group of people he will meet with monthly, to discuss issues in their neighborhoods. Chief Sanchez believed his Department had already gone the "extra mile" in asking the community for input, noting they would continue to do this, as it is a big part of the success he believed we were going to have. He reported Sergeant Jim Kelly has been designated as the COPS coordinator, and Captain Cronin will be the Commanding Officer in charge of the Community Policing Bureau. Councilmember Miller commended Chief Sanchez for establishing clear objectives from the very beginning, from which social indicators can be developed and used for evaluating the program. He believed the name change to Community Oriented Public Services, was the hallmark of the Community Policing Program, because it defines what the program is, showing the Program had been put in terms of community oriented public services. He noted Police powers throughout the community no longer address only enforcement, but have been expanded to include basic governance, which Mr. Miller considered a hallmark, because that was going to give direction all the way through. He noted the focus groups will also mean Community Policing will evolve from the community. Mr. Miller believed the Organization Plan, and the redirection of the Street Crimes Unit to support neighborhood beats, gives direction, strength, and accountability to the entire process, and is what local policing is all about, where there are Peace Officers at work within the community, establishing relationships within the community. Councilmember Miller stated he very much liked having the COPS Team located at Pickleweed Park, pointing out the Canal Neighborhood would be undergoing a very high level of change. Referring to the Citywide COPS Committee, Mr. Miller noted this was designed to build bridges among the neighborhoods, the resources of City Government, and the resources outside the neighborhood in the City. Councilmember Miller stated the COPS Evaluation was definitely the key to successful programs, and he felt including qualitative evaluation techniques with quantitative techniques was absolutely state of the art. Councilmember Miller stated this was a Management plan, directed toward policing, so he wanted to balance that by looking at Community Policing from the community aspect, noting he had identified three main principles: Community Policing was directed toward capacity building, and then enforcement serves community-building. The second principle was to build the community from the inside out, explaining Police Services are looked at as an asset within the community, and these services act as a catalyst for community growth, by working with the community in determination of how they want to grow. He stated the final principle was the way in which we look at our residents, asking whether we look at them as consumers, or as investors. He believed, in terms of Community Development, that we should be looking at the residents as investors. Councilmember Miller stated he would like to see, at the very beginning, how we develop the community processes, noting that was the most important aspect. He pointed out that whenever the City has done things in the Canal, we have found that while they might have been great programs, we did not go in there right. Mr. Miller stated we had to find ways in which the processes will work, and where the City can really be a catalyst in driving them forward, noting that will demand a lot of work and attention, but it would be one of the most critical things we could do. He noted the report states they will be replacing the Crime Prevention Officer, and he felt there was a vital link between Crime Prevention and Community Policing; therefore, he wondered if we were missing an opportunity in not folding in Crime Prevention with the COPS Program? Captain Cronin stated that was exactly what the COPS Program would be doing, explaining there had been a sworn Police Officer in that position, and that particular Officer would now be working in the COPS Program; however, the Crime Prevention Program SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 21 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 22 was not going away, and the Crime Prevention Officer would be assigned to work with Sergeant Kelly. Councilmember Cohen believed Chief Sanchez had presented a very good approach and laid some good groundwork. He noted Chief Sanchez had discussed COPS succeeding only if all City Departments buy-in and contribute; however, Mr. Cohen believed it would succeed only if we get beyond the City Departments, stating we need to get buy-in from the County. He noted we will have a new District Attorney by November, and whoever the District Attorney is, we need to sit down with him right away and tell him what we are focusing on, stating that when we get to a situation where the only way to solve the problem is to make an arrest, we expect some support from the District Attorney's Office, and if we are not going to get that, we would like him to let us know, so we can tackle the problems in another way, or tell us why, and give us a chance to change his mind. Mr. Cohen stated we needed to get the criminal justice system focusing on the same problems the Police Officers are focusing on, otherwise we get back into a "revolving door" syndrome. Similarly, Mr. Cohen pointed out that in a lot of the cases of problem children we are dealing with, just arresting them is not going to do a whole lot. He noted we have identified some of the things that need to happen, such as a detox center, but he believes we need to have more discussions with the County and Mental Health Department, and work with them to try to figure out what we can do. He stated reducing the numbers by getting some of those people to resources that could help them, would really be problem solving, rather than just arresting people. He pointed out that was not going to happen within City Departments; therefore, we needed to be looking for partners, not only at the County, but also with the service providers. He stated he would like to see more about this in the report, and how Chief Sanchez proposes to achieve that. Captain Cronin stated he had been part of an Ad Hoc Committee for some time now, which is made up of service providers who deal with substance abusers, and people with emotional and mental health problems. He reported one of the things they are discussing and looking at is a method and ability for Officers on the street, when they encounter such people, to figure out who their service provider is, and refer them right from the street, noting the Officers now have cellular phones. Captain Cronin reported the Department recently provided training on identifying people with particular mental health problems and disabilities, and separating those from people who have substance abuse problems. He stated the object is that when they are dealing with people on the street, that they are able to immediately refer them to an effective referral, rather than the Crisis Unit or jail, neither of which satisfies the Department or the person they are dealing with. Councilmember Heller referred to that section of the report concerning Crime Analysis, stating she was not clear what Mr. Hoffman's duties were, and asking for clarification. Captain Cronin reported Consultant Al Hoffman had been a career Intelligence Analyst with the Coast Guard, where he picked up some very strong skills in basic analysis and research. Mr. Cronin noted Mr. Hoffman also has very strong computer skills, and is able to take data the Department has been storing for approximately 12 years, and give that back to the Department in a useable form, providing very useful and concise reports. Mr. Cronin stated one of the key features of an effective Community Policing Program was solid analysis of problems in particular areas, which is one of the big projects they are going to ask Mr. Hoffman to do, to identify problems and incidents that are connected, so we can see the larger problem, rather than simply dealing with the incident. Then they can focus on the root cause, and hopefully, the incidents will go away. Captain Cronin reported the Department also needs Mr. Hoffman to "benchmark" for them, pointing out they need to know where they are when they start the program, and then as they move forward, they will be able to look at how they are doing, and see whether their programs are effective. Regarding the physical arrangements, Councilmember Heller noted one section of the report discusses Pickleweed, while another refers to construction. She asked if we were building a new sub-station at Pickleweed, and also if we were building a storefront office on Fourth Street? Captain Cronin stated we would be doing both. Ms. Heller asked if there would be an office in East San Rafael, other than the Canal area? Captain Cronin stated they did not currently have plans to do that, noting there was a very low incident of reporting from that area, and not many places that would be suitable for a sub-station. He reported that at Pickleweed, they have identified space in the lobby area, immediately adjacent to the SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 22 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 23 office. Ms. Heller asked how many full-time staff would be moved from the office here at City Hall? Captain Cronin stated Sergeant Kelly would be at Pickleweed, although he is currently working out of the sub-station at Northgate, not City Hall. He noted that in addition to Sergeant Kelly, either Sergeant Keller or himself would be working at Pickleweed. Councilmember Phillips noted the staff report referred to City Hall in the Mall, stating, "In the future we are looking forward to serving the community more extensively". He asked, as a community person, what kind of things he could expect to see there? Sergeant Kelly reported members of the City Hall in the Mall Committee made site visits to Modesto and Fairfield, noting the City Hall in the Mall concept was very well accepted in the communities where it is now working, and pointing out it was initially created because of the need for more Police presence in the Malls. He reported the places they have seen have expanded from basic information services to, in the case of Fairfield, a money making operation, where they sell such things as bus tickets and movie passes. Sergeant Kelly reported there was a store front in the main part of the mall that will become available April 4th, and they would begin by staffing the sub-station with volunteers and part-time employees, who would initially be there to provide information. Later, people would be able to order library books, with pick-up and drop-off services, and eventually the Recreation Department would provide sign-ups for Recreation classes. Sergeant Kelly stated they had seen some interesting things, noting one of them was a "FAX the Mayor" program, where a FAX machine would be available for people to send messages to the Mayor. The office will be open the same hours as the Mall, so people who cannot get to City Hall during the day will be able to obtain some City services after hours. Councilmember Phillips stated, from the Police Department's standpoint, he was not clear as to what " more extensive services" meant, asking if there would be a sworn Police Officer there, and what the services would be? Chief Sanchez stated the current location of the sub-station at Northgate Mall was not a very conducive spot for the community to go in and ask questions, or perhaps even hold Neighborhood Watch meetings. Chief Sanchez reported that when he spoke with the Mall Manager several months ago, he requested we be given another location inside the Mall, which would be accessible to a lot of foot traffic. He noted the Officers would continue to utilize the office, but it would be used for several other things, such as Crime Prevention classes. He noted one of the PSA's (Police Service Aide) who is now working Crime Prevention, would be stationed there permanently; however, there would not be a Police Officer stationed there permanently, although that is something the Department would like to be able to do in the future. Chief Sanchez stated the most noticeable difference was that we would be there for a lot of foot traffic, and to actually conduct meetings during Mall hours, noting it would be very accessible to the community. The new location would be very open, people could come in and out, and it would be very conducive to conducting Neighborhood Watch meetings. He noted they had already done at least one for the Mall Security, as well as for the businesses located in the Mall. Chief Sanchez stated it would be a more friendly, accessible place, and it would be in a location where everyone who walks by will notice that we are there. He noted Mall management was especially pleased that the sub-station would be near the theaters. Councilmember Phillips referred to the Citizens Advisory Panel, noting they would be meeting on a regular basis to discuss various problems, with members of civic groups, Neighborhood Associations, churches, and the Chamber of Commerce. In addition, the report noted Police Officers would be participating in neighborhood meetings, which Mr. Phillips felt would be great outreach. He noted the only thing he might encourage Chief Sanchez to consider adding would be to include young adults, particularly "north of the hill", as he believed there was a real opportunity to create a bond there, and perhaps some appreciation for what those on the Police Force do, as well as move forward with Crime Prevention. Mr. Phillips encouraged Chief Sanchez to include high school students, and perhaps junior high school students, in these listed groups. Chief Sanchez reported part of the process with the consultant included meetings with high school and middle school students, noting there were a lot of requests from young people in our community, and several focus groups had already been held. Chief Sanchez agreed it would be a good idea to include at least one student from each high school on the Committee. Mayor Boro stated he liked Chief Sanchez' approach, noting this would give SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 23 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 24 us a lot of flexibility, so we can build on what works initially, and what does not work we can change. Mayor Boro referred to the strong focus that would be given to other Departments at City Hall. He noted, for example, that when Chief Sanchez talks about elder abuse and the physically disabled, Fire Chief Marcucci has reached out and already started a program; the Code Enforcement people are out in the community, and as they see things, they are going to start reporting it; and the Recreation people sometimes see things from a different perspective. Therefore, Mayor Boro felt it was very important that the Police Department collaborate, right from the start, with the other Departments. Mayor Boro suggested that as the Police Department deals with various problems, they might want to have some interaction with the County. He noted there were all kinds of issues, such as welfare, child abuse, and probation, that the Police Department will want to be able to address, and when they are dealing with these problems, they will want to deal with the whole problem. He suggested they might want to have internal meetings with the City's Departments each month, and also on a periodic basis, and include people from the County, as appropriate, so if there is a case where the Police Department needs some of these other services, we can get them into the loop and deal with the whole problem. Mayor Boro believed the Value Statement should contain the word "prevention", noting that while the report refers to reducing crime, it should stress we want to reduce and prevent crime. He stated that if the Police Department can intervene early, if they see someone who has been abused, or who has some other type of problem which the Police are trying to deal with, if the problem is criminally related, the Department will try to prevent it in the future. Therefore, reduction is one great goal, and we always want to see the numbers go down, but prevention is what will result in reduction. Mayor Boro noted that if the Department thought about trying to prevent things from happening, and they did it through a collaborative process, it would be a strong statement. Councilmember Miller referred to the focus groups, and asked if the consultant had prepared an Executive Summary of those? Chief Sanchez stated he was in the process of doing that, noting it would be the last piece, in conjunction with the training the Department will be doing for their employees. He stated he would share that with Council once it was completed. Chief Sanchez stated the Fire Department had taken the lead and was doing some great things in the community, as was Code Enforcement, noting they have been of great assistance to the Police Department. Chief Sanchez reported Sergeant Kelly has been dealing with them for a while, noting he felt they were a good team. Also, Sergeant Kelly would be meeting with every Department, and each Department had designated one employee to sit in with Sergeant Kelly and City Manager Gould once a month to discuss some of these issues, so we can address the problems as a city. Chief Sanchez noted the success of this philosophy and strategy was going to be a Citywide success, stating this was not a Police Department show, it was a Citywide effort to resolve some of the issues that lead to crime. He pointed out the goal was to reduce crime, and he believed that when we begin to do this and empower the community, and allow the Police Officers to play a big part in finding the solution to those problems, because many times they are right there on the spot, then we will see crime go down, and see some of the community groups begin to appreciate the Police Department, and their City as a whole. Chief Sanchez stated that was the goal, and reiterated it was a six months at a time process, noting that after six months he will share with Council how the Department is doing. Mayor Boro agreed with Mr. Phillips' suggestion of including students, noting the Department's Crime Prevention Officers already go to the schools, and he felt that if we could get the students to become part of this process, it would really contribute to the community, and be a big help to this whole effort. Councilmember Heller referred to the anticipated increase in the use of "cell" phones, and asked how that would impact the Department's record keeping, noting the one thing they do not want is for the program to "bury" them in added record keeping and paperwork. Captain Cronin stated their record keeping would remain the same, whether a call comes in through Communications in the front office, or whether it is initiated by an Officer, the Department assigns an Incident Number to the call so they can track it. He stated a large number of those calls are from people simply SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 24 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 25 seeking advice or resolve, by direct contact with an Officer. Captain Cronin explained that would not impact the record keeping, as the Officer will report the results to Communications, and they will complete the data entry through the computer. Mayor Boro noted this was an extension of the Police Officers trying to do a better job of satisfying the customer, and keeping the customer informed about what is being done in response to their call. Chief Sanchez noted people were not complaining about response time, but they are complaining about the lack of contact in letting them know exactly what has happened with their case. Councilmember Phillips pointed out not all crimes are the same, noting they range from homicides and burglaries to jay walking. He asked where we would see the greatest impact with this change to the program, what kind of crime this program was going to address, and where we could expect to see the numbers go down? Sergeant Kelly reported it would affect the "quality of life" violations. As an example, he referred to the situation at 30 Novato Street, reporting the Police Department had been called to that location over 250 times during a 6 month period, noting that in some of those cases, they were arresting the same people twice in one night. He stated the problem was that while the Officers on the scene were doing a great job, the root of the problem was the location itself. He stated there were wretched conditions, with drug dealers and other illegal things going on there. He explained that with this program, the Police Department would be working with other City Departments, noting this has already been working very well. Sergeant Kelly pointed out the Police Department has also been holding Neighborhood Watch meetings in the Canal area for the first time in twenty years, pointing out the Department had not been able to get these meetings going in the past because the Police were not trusted in many areas of that community. Sergeant Kelly reported that in working with Code Enforcement, and their bilingual assistant, the Police Department contacted some of the apartment managers and sought their advice as to how the Department could get the Neighborhood Watch Program going. He noted some of the managers agreed to garner support for the program, and actually did the work of contacting people for the first meeting. Sergeant Kelly reported the Department had a bilingual Officer conduct the meeting in Spanish, and the meeting went very well. He noted the Department has already had a report of washing machines being vandalized in an apartment laundry room, and for the first time, two tenants came forward to report they had seen who did it. Sergeant Kelly noted this was a first, and he believed that getting in on the ground level like this, we were going to see a tremendous improvement in the type and amount of crime. Chief Sanchez stated it was difficult to project exactly what types of crimes would be impacted until we move forward with the program, and see just what is going on in the community that the Department does not hear about. He pointed out the people in the community are most concerned with abandoned vehicles, broken windows, individuals drinking on their lawn, and the fear of crime, and not being able to leave their homes because there are strangers drinking alcoholic beverages in their carport. Chief Sanchez stated the people in the community want to know what the Police Department is doing about the visible problems that are bothering them. Chief Sanchez noted the focus group and the Canal Voice brought out the quality of life issues that are very important to the people of the community, and he believed the Police Department had to address those issues, noting if the Department takes care of those problems, the larger crimes and problems will also be impacted. Councilmember Phillips moved and Councilmember Heller seconded, to approve the report on Community Policing. AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Cohen, Heller, Miller, Phillips & Mayor Boro NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None MONTHLY REPORT: 19. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT (CM) - File 9-3-11 City Manager Gould reported staff is working on the Budgetary Process for 1998/99, noting on Wednesday he would be meeting with all the managers, and staff would hand out the budget booklet. He requested a study session with the Councilmembers to break down their priorities for the coming year. In SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 25 SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 26 addition, he noted Senior Planner Linda Jackson would also like to meet with the Councilmembers to discuss what they would like to see included in the General Plan revision, noting Ms. Jackson was already holding meetings with various community groups. 20. CITY COUNCIL REPORTS a. MARIN COUNTY TRANSPORTATION - File 221 x 170 (Verbal) Councilmember Heller stated she attended the Marin County Transportation Steering Committee meeting, reporting they discussed the draft ballot language, and the ratification of recommendations were signed by everyone in attendance. She pointed out presentations to each of the City Councils would be made in March and April, with San Rafael's scheduled for the first meeting in April. Ms. Heller reported there was still some dissatisfaction with the amount of money allotted for local street improvements, and the environmental organizations will not be fully onboard until all their requirements are met. City Manager Gould reported Supervisor Steve Kinsey had asked if Council would like him to address the Councilmembers at the City Council meeting on April 6th, when the Transportation item comes before them, as he would like to emphasize the point about greater resources being put into street local street repair. Mayor Boro stated he did not believe Supervisor Kinsey needed to attend the meeting, as the Councilmembers know what his interests are. He stated Mr. Kinsey had made it clear that he intended to pursue this issue before the Board of Supervisors. Mayor Boro noted Mr. Kinsey's point was that we need to get more money for streets, but the question was, where is it going to come from? He did not feel it would be good for Mr. Kinsey to poll each city, because he would receive twelve different answers as to where to get the money from. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 11:38 PM. JEANNE M. LEONCINI, City Clerk APPROVED THIS DAY OF 1998 MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL SRCC MINUTES (Regular) 3/16/98 Page 26