The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink AboutCC Minutes 2008-11-17SRCC Minutes (Regular) 11/17/2008 Page 1 IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL, MONDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 2008 AT 8:00 P.M. Regular Meeting: San Rafael City Council Also Present: Ken Nordhoff, City Manager Robert F. Epstein, City Attorney Esther C. Beirne, City Clerk OPEN SESSION — COUNCIL CHAMBER — 7:00 PM None CLOSED SESSION — CONFERENCE ROOM 201 — 7:00 PM None. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS OF AN URGENCY NATURE: None. CONSENT CALENDAR: Present: Albert J. Boro, Mayor Cyr N. Miller, Vice -Mayor Greg Brockbank, Councilmember Damon Connolly, Councilmember Barbara Heller, Councilmember Absent: None 8:07 PM Councilmember Brockbank moved and Councilmember Miller seconded, to approve the Consent Calendar as follows. ITEM Approval of Minutes of Special and Regular City Council Meetings of November 3, 2008 (CC) Resolutions of Appreciations: a) Honoring Fire Captain James Hufford; and b) Fire Captain Kenneth Martin (FD) — File 102 x 9-3-31 RECOMMENDED ACTION Minutes approved as submitted. RESOLUTION NO. 12623 RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION FOR FIRE CAPTAIN JAMES HUFFORD RESOLUTION NO. 12624 RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION FOR FIRE CAPTAIN KENNETH MARTIN Monthly Investment Report for October, 2008 (Fin) — Accepted Monthly Investment Report for File 8-18 x 8-9 October, 2008 as presented AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Brockbank, Connolly, Heller, Miller & Mayor Boro NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None NEW EMPLOYEE INTRODUCTIONS: 4. INTRODUCTION OF NEW EMPLOYEES (CD): - File 7-5 x 9-3-85 Chief Building Official/Fire Marshal, Thomas Ahrens, introduced new employees Marlena Hart, Administrative Assistant, David Heida, Fire Inspector and John Lippitt, Deputy Fire Marshal, Fire Prevention Bureau. Mayor Boro welcomed the new employees and presented each with a City pin. SRCC Minutes (Regular) 11/17/2008 Page 1 SRCC Minutes (Regular) 11/17/2008 Page 2 SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS: 5. PRESENTATIONS OF RESOLUTIONS OF APPRECIATION HONORING FIRE CAPTAIN JAMES HUFFORD AND FIRE CAPTAIN KENNETH MARTIN (FD): — File 102 x 9-3-31 Mayor Boro acknowledged the presence of Fire Commissioners Chuck Daniels, Larry Luckham and Pete Martin. Recognizing Fire Captain James Hufford and Fire Captain Kenneth Martin, Battalion Chief Jeffrey Buscher stated that very often firefighters carry out heroic actions at work; however, in this case they were off duty and performed a heroic act in rural Tahema County. Chief Buscher stated that on October 31, 2008 Captain Hufford and Captain Martin both arrived on scene of a vehicle that had collided with a tree and the wreckage had pinned in the passenger of the vehicle. Captain Hufford left the scene in a vehicle because of the lack of cell coverage and communication and drove 15 minutes to get to an area where he could call for further help and a medical helicopter. Captain Martin remained behind and used a small camping axe, tire iron, and borrowed wrench set in an effort to extricate the victim from the vehicle. Chief Buscher remarked how their actions showed what dedication and mission -driven people there are in the organization, as they were able to help on their day off. Captain Martin spent over 30 minutes trying to extricate the person from the vehicle and was nearly successful before the local fire department arrived. He presented both with a Resolution of Appreciation. On behalf of the City Council and the City of San Rafael, Mayor Boro congratulated and expressed thanks to both Captain Hufford and Captain Martin for their great efforts, which made the City proud. Captain Martin expressed thanks and remarked how surprised he was to be honored. He introduced his wife and family to the audience. Captain Hufford thanked the Council for the recognition, and noting people do extraordinary things every day, he wished everybody could get the recognition they deserve. He introduced his wife and family. PUBLIC HEARING: 6. Public Hearing — AMENDMENT TO SAN RAFAEL MUNICIPAL CODE (SRMC) TITLE 15 — SUBDIVISIONS TO ADD SECTION 15.01.150 (SUBDIVISION ORDINANCE) ESTABLISHING AN AUTOMATIC, ONE-YEAR TIME EXTENSION TO CURRENTLY APPROVED AND VALID SUBDIVISION MAPS AND RELATED PLANNING AND LAND USE APPROVALS (CD): — File 10-3 x 10-2 x 5-1 Community Development Director, Bob Brown, explained that as they had done in other times of economic downturn, the State Legislature passed legislation this year which had extended the validity period for subdivision maps by an additional year. The challenge was that they did not change the validity of the associated entitlements that might go with a residential subdivision, so a design review permit, rezoning, etc., which staff would like to see be coterminus would no longer be so. Mr. Brown reported that Paul Jensen, Planning Manager, and Robert Epstein, City Attorney, worked together to draft an amendment to the subdivision ordinance which would ensure that those approval periods were coterminus, giving an additional year to the design review and other associated entitlements. This would affect a small handful of residential projects in San Rafael but would avoid applicants who still had a subdivision map valid, having to reapply for their other entitlements. Mr. Brown recommended that the Council introduce the ordinance this evening. Noting most of these entitlements expire in 2009 or 2010, Councilmember Brockbank indicated that two already had expired, and he inquired whether there was a problem with the fact that they expired and were being reinstated. City Attorney, Robert Epstein directed Council's attention to the Ordinance - Exhibit A, page A-2, Division 1 - and stated that the new rewritten Section 15.01.150 related back to July 15, 2008; therefore, it would encompass the two noted by Councilmember Brockbank. Staff had commenced working on this ordinance several months ago, at which time they were still valid. He clarified that in the timeframe in which staff was SRCC Minutes (Regular) 11/17/2008 Page 2 SRCC Minutes (Regular) 11/17/2008 Page 3 working, these two would have been rendered invalid, and would be so should the ordinance not be adopted this evening. Councilmember Brockbank confirmed that the ordinance took effect before these expired. Mayor Boro declared the public hearing opened. There being no comment from the audience, Mayor Boro closed the public hearing. The title of the ordinance was read: "AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL AMENDING TITLE 15 — SUBDIVISIONS ADDING SECTION 15.01.150 TO ADDRESS A ONE-YEAR TIME EXTENSION TO APPROVED SUBDIVISION MAPS AND RELATED PLANNING AND LAND USE APPROVALS (P08-006)" Councilmember Miller moved and Councilmember Heller seconded, to dispense with the reading of the Ordinance in its entirety and refer to it by title only, and pass Charter Ordinance No. 1869 to print by the following vote, to wit: AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Brockbank, Connolly, Heller, Miller & Mayor Boro NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None CITY MANAGER'S REPORT: 7. CALPELRA Award of Excellence: - File 9-3-11 x 9-3-86 City Manager Ken Nordhoff recalled that Leslie Loomis, Human Resources Director and Jim Schutz, Assistant City Manager, worked very diligently to generate a Strategic Plan for the Human Resources Department. He indicated he was privileged to submit an application to CALPELRA (California Public Employee Labor Relations Association) recognizing their work on the Strategic Plan and was proud to report that they received the top award — Award of Excellence — at a conference in Monterey last week. Recognizing them for their work Mr. Nordhoff stated it was quite extraordinary and an example of the innovation and creative thinking done by City of San Rafael employees. Offering his congratulations Mayor Boro stated it was always nice to know "San Rafael was good, but excellent to know we are the best." COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS: (includinq AB 1234 Reports on Meetinqs and Conferences Attended at Citv Expense) 8. None. There being no further business, Mayor Boro adjourned the City Council meeting at 8:27 p.m. ESTHER C. BEIRNE, City Clerk APPROVED THIS DAY OF 12008 MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL SRCC Minutes (Regular) 11/17/2008 Page 3