Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCC Minutes 2010-02-01SRCC Minutes (Regular) 02/01/2010 Page 1 IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBER OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL. MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010 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 Members of the public may speak on Agenda items. OPEN SESSION — COUNCIL CHAMBERS — 6:30 PM Mayor Boro announced Closed Session items. CLOSED SESSION — CONFERENCE ROOM 201 — 6:30 PM Present: Albert J. Boro, Mayor Damon Connolly, Vice -Mayor Greg Brockbank, Councilmember Barbara Heller, Councilmember Marc Levine, Councilmember Absent: None a) Conference with Legal Counsel – Existing Litigation Government Code Section 54956.9(a) Case Name: Cole, Janet & Richard v. Citv of San Rafael Marin County Superior Court Case #CV092469 b) Conference with Legal Counsel—Existing Litigation Government Code Section 54956.9(a) Case Name: MHC Financing LP, et al. v. City_ of San Rafael, et al. U.S. Court of Appeals for Ninth Circuit, Case # 09-16447, 09-16451, 09-16612, 09-16613 C) Conference with Labor Negotiators – Government Code Section 54957.6(a) Negotiators: Jim Schutz, Leslie Loomis, Cindy Mosser, Robert Epstein, Ken Nordhoff Employee Organization(s): San Rafael Fire Chief Officers' Assn. San Rafael Firefighters' Assn. San Rafael Police Mid -Management Assn. San Rafael Police Association Western Council of Engineers Local 1 - Confidential SEIU Miscellaneous & Supervisory SEIU Child Care Unit Unrepresented Management Unrepresented Mid -Management Elected City Clerk and Elected Part -Time City Attorney City Attorney, Robert Epstein, announced that no reportable action was taken. Any records relating to an agenda item, received by a majority or more of the Council less than 72 hours before the meeting, shall be available for inspection in the City Clerk's Office, Room 209, 1400 Fifth Avenue, and placed with other agenda -related materials on the table in front of the Council Chamber prior to the meeting. American Sign Language interpreters and assistive listening devices may be requested by calling (415) 485-3198 (TDD) or (415) 485- 3064 (voice) at least 72 hours in advance. Copies of documents are available in accessible formats upon request. Public transportation is available through Golden Gate Transit, Line 22 or 23. Paratransit is available by calling Whistlestop Wheels at (415) 454-0964. To allow individuals with environmental illness or multiple chemical sensitivity to attend the meeting/hearing, individuals are requested to refrain from wearing scented products. CC 02-01-2010 ORAL COMMUNICATIONS OF AN URGENCY NATURE: 8:11 PM Community Development Director Bob Brown reported two changes to Agenda Item #2 on the Consent Calendar: 1) Not To Exceed amount increased by $50,000 — contingency in the event the document needed to be re -circulated for public review; and 2) Term of Contract — February 1, 2010 to February 1, 2011. Councilmember Connolly moved and Councilmember Levine seconded, to approve the Consent Calendar as follows: CONSENT CALENDAR: ALL MATTERS ON THE CONSENT CALENDAR ARE TO BE APPROVED BY ONE MOTION, UNLESS SEPARATE ACTION IS REQUIRED ON A PARTICULAR ITEM: Resolution Authorizing the City Manager to Execute an Amendment to the Agreement for Professional Planning Services with Lamphier-Gregory for Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for the Recreation Facility at the San Rafael Airport Project (Agreement Term: January 4, 2010 through January 4, 2011; Amount Not to Exceed $257,961.00) (CD) — File 4-3-460 x 9-3-85 Second Readinq and Final Adoption of Ordinance No. 1879 AN ORDINANCE AMENDING THE MUNICIPAL CODE INCLUDING: 1) AMENDING CHAPTER 12.44 TO REPLACE ENERGY EFFICIENCY STANDARDS FOR SINGLE FAMILY DWELLINGS WITH GREEN BUILDING REGULATIONS; 2) AMENDING CHAPTERS 12.16 (CALIFORNIA PLUMBING CODE) AND 12.20 (CALIFORNIA ELECTRICAL CODE) TO INCLUDE REQUIREMENTS FOR PRE -WIRING AND PRE -PLUMBING NEW RESIDENTIAL AND NON-RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS FOR SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC OR SOLAR HOT WATER SYSTEMS; 3) AMENDING CHAPTER 12.16 (CALIFORNIA PLUMBING CODE) TO INCLUDE A REQUIREMENT FOR INSULATING HOT WATER PIPES WHEN EXPOSED DURING REMODELING; 4) AMENDING CHAPTER 12.12 (CALIFORNIA BUILDING CODE) TO INCLUDE A REQUIREMENT FOR INSTALLATION OF A RADIANT BARRIER DURING REROOFING; 5) ADDING CHAPTER 12.46 CONSTRUCTION AND DEMOLITION DEBRIS; 6) DELETING SECTION 14.16.365 (GREEN BUILDING); AND 7) DELETING DEFINITIONS PERTAINING TO GREEN BUILDING REQUIREMENTS FROM CHAPTER 14.03 (CD) — File 10-2 x 10-3 x 115(2020) x 13-1 RECOMMENDED ACTION: APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING ACTION: RESOLUTION NO. 12909 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AMENDMENT NO. 4 TO THE AGREEMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL PLANNING SERVICES WITH LAMPHIER- GREGORY FOR PREPARATION OF AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT FOR THE RECREATIONAL FACILITY AT THE SAN RAFAEL AIRPORT PROJECT (Agreement Term: February 1, 2010 through February 1, 2011, amount not to exceed $307,961.00) Approved final adoption of Ordinance No. 1879. 4. Resolution of Appreciation to the League of Women Voters RESOLUTION NO. 12910 Proclaiming Sunday, February 14, 2010 "MAKING RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO THE DEMOCRACY WORK DAY" in the City of San Rafael (CM) LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS, PROCLAIMING File 102 SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2010 AS "MAKING DEMOCRACY WORK DAY" IN THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL Report on Communications Plan for the City of San Rafael Accepted report. (CM) — File 9-3-11 CC 02-01-2010 Monthly Investment Report for Month Ending December, 2009 (Fin) — File 8-18 x 8-9 Accept Completion of the Third Street and Union Street Improvement Project, Project #11025, and Authorize the City Clerk to File the Notice of Completion (PW) — File 4-1-608 Resolution Authorizing the Director of Public Works to Amend Local Measure A Funding Agreement (#2007-012) between the Transportation Authority of Marin and the City of San Rafael by Adding $454,934 for Fiscal Year 2009-2010 (PW) — File 170 x 9-3-40 Accepted Monthly Investment Report for Month Ending December, 2009, as presented. Approved staff recommendation. RESOLUTION NO. 12911 RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS TO AMEND LOCAL MEASURE A FUNDING AGREEMENT #2007-012 BETWEEN THE TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY OF MARIN AND THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL BY ADDING $454,934 FOR FISCAL YEAR 09-10 Resolution Authorizing the Temporary Closure of City RESOLUTION NO. 12912 Streets for the Weekly Downtown Farmers' Market Festival RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE on Thursday Evenings from April 1 — September 30, 2010 TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF CITY STREETS (RA) —File 11-19 FOR THE WEEKLY DOWNTOWN FARMERS' MARKET FESTIVAL ON THURSDAY EVENINGS FROM APRIL 1 — SEPTEMBER 30, 2010 10. Resolution Authorizing the Temporary Closure of City RESOLUTION NO. 12913 Streets for the Italian Street Painting Festival on June 12-13, RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE 2010 from 9:00 a.m. — 7:00 p.m. (RA) — File 11-19 TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF CITY STREETS FOR THE YOUTH IN ARTS ITALIAN STREET PAINTING FESTIVAL ON JUNE 12 —13,2010 AYES: COUNCILMEMBERS: Brockbank, Connolly, Heller, Levine & Mayor Boro NOES: COUNCILMEMBERS: None ABSENT: COUNCILMEMBERS: None SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS: 11. PRESENTATION OF RESOLUTION OF APPRECIATION TO THE LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS (CM) — FILE 102 Mayor Boro stated the resolution addressed the fact that the League of Women Voters had long been a leader in Marin County promoting good government. He quoted: "The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan political organization that has fought since 1920 to improve our system of government and impact public policies through citizen education advocacy; and the League of Women Voters of Marin County believes in representative government and in the individual liberties established in the Constitution of the United States; and the League of Women Voters of Marin County has always worked to promote the values and processes of representative government; and the Marin league collaborates with other organizations to achieve mutual goals, increase public participation, create lasting change in the community and to make democracy work; and for 90 years, the League had held public trust by respectfully bringing elected leaders and the public together through non-partisan, civil means and through thoughtfully advancing solutions; and San Rafael and Marin County have benefitted tremendously from the countless volunteer hours donated by the League over its 90 -year history. Be it Resolved that the Mayor and the City Council of the City of San Rafael hereby proclaim Sunday, February 14, 2010 as "Making Democracy Work Day" in the City of San Rafael and express sincere appreciation to the League of Women Voters for 90 years of commitment to Marin County." CC 02-01-2010 Expressing congratulations, Mayor Boro presented the Resolution of Appreciation to Margy Eller, President of the Marin County League of Women Voters. Marqv Eller thanked the City of San Rafael and the City Council for the resolution, and commenting that over a hundred years ago, women did not have the right to vote, she reported that the League was still working on getting more people to vote. Ms. Eller stated that the League of Women Voters would be holding a celebration on Thursday in Greenbrae, details of which were available at: www.marinlwv.ora.. Noting membership was open to both men and women, she encouraged all to join. 12. PRESENTATION ON POSSIBLE LIBRARY SERVICES PARCEL TAX (LIB) — FILE 9-3-61 David Dodd, Library Director, stated that since he had spoken to the City Council at the January 19, 2010 Special Study Session regarding the possibility of a Library Services Parcel Tax, many people had been hard at work developing the framework of what they hoped could become a successful campaign for such a measure. City Council questions included: • The type of committee • Fundraising potential • Ballot language • Return to City Council on February 16, 2010 with an agenda item for Council consideration Regarding the ballot language and process for a Parcel Tax Measure, Mr. Dodd stated that working with the City Attorneys Office, they had generated a ballot statement and first draft resolution and ordinance. Council could approve by resolution, by the deadline of March 12, 2010, placing the ordinance on the June, 2010 ballot. City Attorney Robert Epstein stated that having researched and discussed the issue staff confirmed that such a measure placed on the ballot, if passed, would become an ordinance of the City of San Rafael; however, the City Council could take the action by way of resolution rather than the usual first and second readings of an ordinance. Referring to the draft language for the measure, Mr. Dodd explained that currently this was a flat rate $49 Parcel Tax, based on residential and commercial properties with no variation between the two. Staff, however, was considering how best to approach the fact that some properties had multiple residences, together with the possibility of scaling the tax so that it applied at a different rate to multi -residence parcels Regarding sunsetting, Mr. Dodd noted the main criterion was to evaluate where future tax measures on a regular rotation for the City of San Rafael would fall, i.e., Paramedic Services Tax and the Transactions and Use Tax — Measure `S'. He noted the Measure `S' tax sunsets in 2016 while the Paramedic Services Tax is renewed every four years; therefore, the Library Services Parcel Tax could sunset at five or seven years. Seven years could be more expeditious in order to afford an opportunity of returning to the voters with the Measure `S' renewal prior to requesting a Library Services Parcel Tax a second time. Regarding the fiscal impact of placing a measure on the June 2010 ballot, Mr. Dodd reported that the Marin County Registrar of Voters indicated the cost was pro -rated based on the number of voting opportunities. This could range from $1.50 - $2.50 and with approximately 28,000 registered voters in San Rafael, the cost of putting a measure on the ballot could range from $40,000 - $70,000. He explained that this being a statewide rather municipal election, the City would need to request consolidation, which had a lot of associated costs. Mayor Boro inquired whether there could be a reduction in cost because of the Marin County Supervisorial District 1 seat on the June, 2010 ballot. As a member of the Elections Advisory Committee, Councilmember Brockbank explained that the state does not reimburse the County for its election costs on state elections. Statewide or state legislative offices are not counted; however, local races are. Placing something on the ballot at a special election would incur very high costs; however, UDEL (Uniform District Election Law) elections in the fall of even -numbered years were the least expensive because of the large amount of items on the ballot. Noting the June election was in between, Councilmember Brockbank stated there were not as many items on the ballot compared to the fall of odd -numbered years. He believed it not quite accurate to state it was more expensive because of no City Council elections, rather it was relative to the overall length of the ballot and San Rafael's percentage of it. 4 CC 02-01-2010 Commenting that he had learned a lot about elections in the past two weeks, Mr. Dodd expressed appreciation for the help of the City Clerk and former City Clerk, Jeanne Leoncini. Councilmember Levine inquired whether the City would still bear the cost should the item be placed on the ballot by signature. Mr. Dodd stated it would be the jurisdiction's responsibility. Councilmember Heller inquired as to the cost of a Vote by Mail measure, noting there was such a process not too long ago in San Rafael in connection with schools. Unaware of the exact numbers, City Manager Ken Nordhoff stated these Vote by Mail processes were being done in compliance with Proposition 218. Being a broadly defined law, he stated that a lot of time is spent focusing on how it applies to city government and whether it was general or parcel taxes, etc. The process, regulated by a set of laws, involved producing, mailing and tabulating upwards of 28,000 pieces of mail, which he believed would not be entirely different from the traditional methods. Regarding the campaign work of the past few weeks, Mr. Dodd reported that a group of residents met a number of times since January 19, 2010, several of whom were in attendance. He read the list of those interested in being involved in the campaign, either with the committee or the exploratory group: Carol Manashil, President of the Friends of the Library — Co -Chair Gary Phillips, former City Councilmember/former School Board member — Co -Chair Mary Jane Burke, Marin County Superintendant of Schools — Honorary Co -Chair Patty Garbarino, CEO of Marin Sanitary Service — Honorary Co -Chair Kerry Mazzoni, former Assemblymember — Honorary Co -Chair Mike Watenpaugh, Superintendant of Schools, San Rafael City Schools — Honorary Co -Chair Paul Cohen, School Board Member and former City Councilmember Glena Coleman, Board of Library Trustees Randy Coleman, former Finance Director with the City of San Rafael Pam Dixon, former President of Friends of the Library and Citizen of the Year in San Rafael, 2005 Jeanne Leoncini, former City Clerk Gordon Manashil, Co -Chair of the "Yes on G" Campaign and member of the Critical Facilities Committee Karen Nielsen, Past -President of the Friends of the Library Sean Prendiville, Board of Library Trustees Tracy Tandy, Library supporter Mr. Dodd believed this to be a stellar group to have come together in a short period of time to discuss the ways they could help make this a reality for San Rafael's Public Library. With regard to fundraising, Mr. Dodd stated they realized that an effort of this type required a significant budget and, having begun approximately one week ago to seriously request pledges of support, thus far $15,500 had been pledged. It was believed that this could grow quite significantly, given the network of people who could be tapped into through the campaign committee. Mr. Dodd reported that the committee had begun collecting signatures, not because it was an initiative drive, rather because it was a good way to show support from the community. It was also a recommendation by Chip Nielsen, an earlier advisor. He indicated that 630 signatures had been gathered in 20 hours, which demonstrated, that if needed, a petition drive could be mounted to place the issue on the ballot at some point. Mr. Dodd confirmed for Councilmember Connolly that 4,500 signatures were required for an initiative. Noting the committee's campaign slogan — "Open Doors, Open Minds — Your San Rafael Public Library" Mr. Dodd indicated that the committee would be named: The Committee for San Rafael Library Services, and would register with the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). A draft FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) had been generated. He reported that a few potential professionals from the political consulting field were interested in doing some probono work and there were many ideas for fundraising and getting out the vote through all types of methods, especially utilizing the web, Facebook, etc. Referring to the recent parcel tax possibility article in the Marin Independent Journal, Mr. Dodd indicated it had generated a large amount of online commentary. A poll was run on the same day inquiring whether readers would support a $49 parcel tax for library services. Initially, the results stood at approximately 66% against the idea; CC 02-01-2010 however, on the day the committee began to use media such as facebook and the web the results were 51 % in favor and 49% against. Having categorized the online comments, Mr. Dodd indicated he found the commentary to be balanced and very useful, and the source for issues that needed to be addressed in the campaign. He noted that approximately 20 favorable comments had some very good points. In terms of political advice from experts and professionals, Mr. Dodd noted that Godbe Research Associates carried out a poll for the Marin County Library Parcel Tax measure which indicated support at 72% in favor of a $49 Parcel Tax, sun -setting in seven years. Strongest arguments in favor included: • Library was linked to education • Local tax that could not be taken away • Strong need for open hours at public libraries Mr. Dodd reported that he and Mr. Nordhoff had a conference call with Charles Heath and Brian Godbe together and they made a strong case for the need for professional leadership on a campaign of this type. They estimated that $100,000 would be needed to run the campaign and noted some efficiencies to be gained from concurrent campaigns. They advised against placing the parcel tax on the November, 2010 ballot simultaneous with the Paramedic Tax. Given the amount of time spent informing the public that fire stations could collapse should Measure G fail, in concert, the message needed to be conveyed that the library measure was not at the expense of safety services. Mr. Dodd reported that Mervin Field, The Field Poll, who provided him with advice and information, having evaluated the Godbe poll stated it appeared quite sound. He offered the opinion that the election would be difficult because June was extremely uninteresting for progressives and a lot of apathy would have to be overcome to get people out to vote; however, given the modest amount being sought and likely lack of an organized opposition, it would not be impossible. Mr. Field indicated however, that how the funds were to be used should be carefully delineated. Having conversed with Yvette Davis, BergDavis Public Affairs, San Francisco, who recently ran successful Library parcel Tax campaigns for San Francisco and Berkeley, Mr. Dodd reported that the Berkley measure just passed was somewhat similar in timing — not a lot of lead time. They were successful in mounting, mostly a grassroots campaign with only one direct mail piece, raising $50,000. He noted that such a campaign needed diligent, focused volunteers, paying someone to help and securing endorsements early. Based on City Council questions and direction this evening, Mr. Dodd stated that further work would be carried out in preparation for the staff report on February 16, 2010, including finalizing the language of a potential resolution, ordinance and ballot measure, while continuing to build the committee, and gather pledges and endorsements. Mayor Boro thanked Mr. Dodd for his thorough report and expressed appreciation to everyone rallying around this issue. Regarding Mr. Fields' comment that June could be a bad election time because of nothing on the ballot for progressives, Councilmember Brockbank inquired whether this implied that only progressives would vote for a library tax. Not wishing to offend anyone from any party, he indicated that in looking at the numbers, a strict and obvious analysis appeared to be that a higher percentage of Republicans in any given election would hurt the likelihood of passage of any such measure. Five years ago, November, 2004 — an even -numbered year - the College of Marin passed its $250 million bond measure with a 90% turnout and a much higher percentage of Democrats voting and he recalled the comment of a newspaper editor who stated that the only reason the bond measure passed was because of the large turnout to vote against the Republican Presidential Candidate. Councilmember Brockbank stated he believed this was the biggest single difference between why the $250 million bond measure of the College of Marin passed five years ago, even with a somewhat controversial reputation, and three months ago, San Rafael failing to pass Measure G even with a very good reputation — it was an odd -numbered year with a lower percentage of Democrats and higher percentage of Republicans voting. For June, Councilmember Brockbank advised checking past records to ascertain the percentage of Democrats voting. He feared this would be closer to November of an odd -numbered year, such as last fall and Measure G's loss, compared to November of an even -numbered year and a presidential year, such as November 2004, when College of Marin's bond measure passed. Councilmember Connolly inquired whether the College of Marin bond measure required a two-thirds vote. Councilmember Brockbank stated that it required only 55%; however, received 63%. CC 02-01-2010 Councilmember Connolly noted this was a big difference Regarding the $15,000 pledged for the campaign fund, which was great, Councilmember Brockbank questioned how much was needed. He noted Charles Heath had suggested $100,000, which appeared high given the budget for Measure G was $60,000 or $70,000 and deemed sufficient; therefore, he questioned why more was necessary for a $49 parcel tax. He appreciated the fact that Mr. Dodd had checked with several political professionals, some of whom offered probono advice; however, there were also several local consultants, including some who ran the campaigns of various Councilmembers. Councilmember Connolly commented that $100,000 sounded very high. Mr. Nordhoff reported that polling was embedded in the cost, not just traditional fundraising, mailing and professional overview. He questioned the idea of extrapolating from the poll whether that profile fit San Rafael or whether it was worthwhile to do polling at some level that could tease out some of the issues and questions and help shape the campaign by vetting out favorable and unfavorable arguments. Councilmember Brockbank expressed concern that often less money was raised than was required, although apparently, this was not the issue with Measure G in 2009. He recalled a budget of a few hundred thousand for the College of Marin Bond Measure, albeit less than that was raised. With regard to the initial pledge amount of $15,000, he inquired whether this represented perhaps half, quarter or a tenth of what actually could be raised and how it portended total fundraising ability. Indicating that it was just speculation at this point, Mr. Dodd stated that perhaps he could have one of the exploratory committee members address the issue. Indicating he was just as aghast as everyone else at the cost, Councilmember Levine urged that consideration be given to the options on whom to hire as a consultant. He suggested casting a net to gauge what consultants believed the requirements were and whether they could meet the expectations of the campaign committee. Councilmember Levine stated that in his recent campaign he spent less than $40,000, which to him appeared to be a lot of money, albeit much less than his colleagues spent to run for City Council, even with three pieces of mail. He advised caution in hiring a consultant. With regard to his concept of enlarging the constituency of support for the measure by engaging the educational community, Councilmember Levine was pleased to learn of the educational leaders on board. While it might not be the correct vehicle, it could be a great vehicle for engaging the educational community and schools in a really substantive way involving funding, and City -schools partnerships. The blanks could be filled in regarding what schools wanted from the City or vice versa, long-term. Should polling be undertaken, he would be interested in what was considered a reasonable figure and stating he would send $49 to his public library, he suggested that perhaps he would send $79 or some other amount should there be a partnership that would strengthen the schools and public library. Councilmember Levine stated he was interested in engaging in that brainstorming with educational leaders. He did not want to pass up the opportunity to enlarge the constituency of support and make a difference beyond the City's funds and services to something that would strengthen the community as a whole. Glena Coleman, Board of Library Trustees and former Sun Valley Elementary School teacher, reported that she had already spoken with the Sun Valley PTA. Signatures had been gathered outside the library; however, they learned today that the proposed measure was featured in the Sun Valley PTA newsletter. She felt the committee was hampered by the fact that the measure was not officially on the ballot and believed it a major concern for schools, parents and teachers that the Library remain open as much as possible. As a teacher at Sun Valley Elementary School, Ms. Coleman stated she used MarinNet to search for author studies and picked the books up at the library, noting Hollie Stanaland and the children's section of the library did an incredible job. She stated that, although schools still had libraries at their sites, they no longer had librarians, rather library clerks. She believed if the measure went on the ballot schools would be key and the fact that San Rafael Schools Superintendent Watenpaugh and Marin County Superintendent of Schools Burke were in support of the Library Parcel Tax were plusses. Attending a fundraiser this evening for Sun Valley School, Ms. Coleman reported a willingness to support among attendees. Jon Orteqa stated that in March, 2009, a study was conducted on the different agencies and departments in Marin County; however, Canal residents were excluded. Noting the Pickleweed Community Center and Library was in the Canal, he indicated there were 1,640 voters, of which roughly 200 were Vietnamese and about 240 had Spanish CC 02-01-2010 surnames. He indicated that apparently, they were not included in the process of deciding how the poll would work. Indicating 52% of high school students were Latino, he stated it would appear reasonable that parents should be contacted in terms of legislation since they had a vested interest. Additionally, the resources of public access were available, free and could be used by the City in Spanish, English or Vietnamese. He suggested the Library could go into production capability to produce their own work in the public access system. It was a beautiful studio and a resource which taught users to work the cameras, edit and work on marketing. Mr. Ortega commented that no one really knew how many residents lived in the Canal area, but estimated it was about 12,000-13,000, with only about 1,600 registered voters. Having worked as the Chief Inspector at a polling place during the City's last election, he stated that very few people vote in City elections. He reported that only 30-40 Spanish or Vietnamese people checked into the polling place and noted candidates Levine and Mayer attended to explain their programs to the Canal residents. Reporting on his attendance at a San Rafael Homeowners Association candidates' meeting, Mr. Ortega stated that not one issue was raised regarding the Canal by any candidate. He felt Canal residents were not integrated or assimilated into the total community of San Rafael. He believed Mayor Boro had shown interest in issues regarding the Canal; however, there was not much he could do in terms of voting. Voters had the responsibility to communicate their needs. Mr. Ortega believed that the library system was a wonderful program and a place for exchanging information; however, it lacked a bulletin board. Believing people were visual he suggested that the program dealing with public access could be an extra concentric ring around the pebble in the quiet pool of the library system. The issue was not to complain about what was not there rather to expand the program of contact with parents and schools of the Canal and acknowledge their presence. Randv Coleman stated that the committee had looked at the Pickleweed Library and would begin circulating the signature sheet there tomorrow. He added that a former Councilmember stated he would be quite willing to work in the Canal area if the measure made it onto the ballot. Regarding finances, Mr. Coleman commented that the committee was strong in stating they did not wish to have an expensive consultant; therefore, the budget for a consultant would be small should that route be taken. The anticipated budget was in the region of $30,000 - $35,000, without a high-priced consultant. Mayor Boro stated that the City Council and the City were very committed to Pickleweed and the Canal community. The library was fully staffed and proceeds from the measure, should it pass, would be proportionately spent at the Pickleweed Library. He concurred with Mr. Ortega's point that it would be advantageous to have someone on the Committee who lived in the Canal, knew the community and could reach out. Additionally, he agreed that it was not just the grammar schools, rather junior high and high schools, including Terra Linda. Mayor Boro stated he believed it worthwhile to pursue the issue of a mail ballot versus a regular ballot to get to homes that normally did not vote on election day because of disinterest in the campaign or election. He suggested that consideration be given to two mailers, noting that with Measure G, Vote by Mail ballots accounted for 72% of the poll; therefore, those registered Vote by Mail voters needed to be informed, and this was an area where a good consultant could assist. Mayor Boro invited Mr. Nordhoff to evaluate the impact on the Paramedic Tax in November. Councilmember Connolly commended Mr. Dodd on his great presentation and thanked the committee members for their time. He inquired whether there was a strategy to obtain the 4,500 signatures. Mr. Dodd stated that the signatures would not be required if the City Council placed the measure on the ballot. Councilmember Connolly noted that he was not necessarily coming from that angle, rather he believed it would send a tremendous message to gather the signatures, not only to the City Council but the community at large. Furthermore, gathering that many signatures in all quarters of the City would spread the word while carrying out some grassroots work. Mayor Boro requested clarification on whether this was an attempt to commence an initiative at this point. Mr. Nordhoff confirmed that an initiative process could not be undertaken for a June election at this time. Mr. Dodd confirmed for Councilmember Connolly that 4,500 signatures was the amount needed for placing a measure CC 02-01-2010 on the ballot by popular initiative. Mayor Boro stated that all the signatures gathered could be used in campaign literature. Regarding the limitation of 75 words for the ballot language, Councilmember Levine suggested keeping it as short as possible. Mr. Nordhoff noted that 75 words in the ballot world was very little in terms of trying to convey the message; therefore, they tended to be short and broad statements, particularly when some of the words had to be given up due to length of a tax running a certain period of time, a committee oversight, or another issue. He believed the measure would be widely defined and open ended. Regarding the cost of a measure to the City, Councilmember Heller stated that all forms of conducting an election should be evaluated, noting a School District mail ballot which allowed a month to mail in ballots. Noting every signature collected indicated a `Yes' vote, she suggested the committee visit people's houses to ensure they signed up for a vote by mail ballot. She also suggested having some guarantee a loan or two as $15,000 was not a lot of money and would barely pay for hiring someone to target groups and she offered her assistance with consultants. Councilmember Brockbank suggested that Patty Garbarino be listed as County Board of Education member which would have more relevance. In response to Mr. Coleman's comments on the budget, Councilmember Brockbank suggested reconsidering the following: 1. While $15,000 initially pledged was good, albeit it might not all come through, he suggested not limiting the budget to o $30,000-$40,000 as he feared this could be too low, notwithstanding Councilmember Levine's comments that $40,000 was enough to get him elected. He thought upwards of $60,000-$80,000 would be a more accurate number to aim for, because a high-priced consultant might be necessary. 2. He recommended that the campaign conduct a poll 2 or 3 weeks before the election in order to determine how far behind the campaign was, what messages were resonating or not and what might need to be done to win, noting an additional $5,000415,000 could be needed for further mailings, etc. Councilmember Brockbank urged that the committee keep in mind the possibility of a higher budget, campaign consultant and additional, last-minute campaigning. He suggested a simple idea for fundraising would be to visit the City Clerk's office and obtain the lists of donors of $100 or more, generate a database and send them a letter. He believed that dozens would donate at least $100. Councilmember Heller noted that the records were online and it was not necessary to go to the City Clerk's office. Indicating that no action would be taken this evening, Mayor Boro noted Mr. Dodd had received lots of advice and could avail of free help from the City Council at some point. He requested that Mr. Dodd return with answers to questions raised, especially the issue of mail ballots, the impact on the Paramedic Tax in the fall, etc. He invited all to work to make the campaign committee as inclusive as possible. Mr. Nordhoff inquired whether returning with the answers would be in concert with bringing back the documents referred to earlier by Mr. Dodd, with assistance from the City Attorneys Office, for the City Council meeting of February 16, 2010. Mayor Boro believed the documents should be ready assuming the City Council was willing to act. Mayor Boro expressed thanks to those in attendance and for their time. 13. PRESENTATION ON COUNCIL CHAMBERS TECHNOLOGY UPGRADE (MS) — FILE 9-3-88 x 9-1 Explaining why the item was on the agenda given recent budget actions, Assistant City Manager Jim Schutz stated part of the reason was that with regard to technology, the Council Chambers was very 1970. Specifically addressing funding, he indicated that approximately $25,000 was set aside in special funds from fees received through the Community Development Department earmarked for technology purposes; such funds could not be used for unrestricted General Fund purposes. Outside of that, grant funds were being sought to be used in combination with the special funds. Information Technology Manager Gus Bush stated he planned to update the City Council on the status of the council CC 02-01-2010 chambers audio -video project and provide background and funding updates. Currently in the design phase Mr. Bush reported that a consultant was assisting staff with the final design for the new system; the City Council would have an opportunity to provide input and direction. Mr. Bush stated the goal for the current project was to update the equipment which up until now consisted solely of the sound system — portable equipment was required for presentations with no capability to record video. Mr. Bush reported that the primary functions for the new system would be to support the meetings and EOC (Emergency Operations Center) operations as well as any training efforts departments might have. A digital sound recorder was installed approximately one year ago to record meetings in MP3 format which could be made available on request. The design phase of building an integrated system was in process and would explore future plans for the council chambers. Subsequent to design, cameras, projectors and other necessary equipment would be installed, depending on available resources, prior to distribution of the information to the public. Regarding the project timeline, Mr. Bush reported that in September, 2009, a design RFP (Request for Proposal) was issued for a consultant to assist in assembling the final details. A representative from Avidex Industries was in attendance and could answer questions. Mr. Bush reported that a number of design interviews were completed with different staff, agencies and organizations that worked with the City, primarily those who had an interest in the City Council Chambers or the ability to record and distribute City Council meeting videos. That phase began in the week of January 12, 2010 and included representatives from the MTA (Marin Telecommunications Agency), Community Media Center Marin, the local government channel and city representatives. Mr. Bush stated that currently, staff was in the process of completing a grant application (due February 18, 2010) to hopefully obtain federal funds, and the detailed design was estimated to be completed by the end of February, 2010. On completion of this design a further RFP would be issued in March, 2010 to implement the system — implementation process should begin end of April, 2010, depending on available resources, with subsequent media distribution. Mr. Bush reported that to date, approximately $25,000 had been expended on the project, most of which related to design services, with a small amount for project management and the purchase of digital sound recording equipment and related software. He indicated that planned expenses could range from $30,000 - $155,000, depending on options and phases. Follow up costs were anticipated to be in the region of $10,000 - $75,000. Mayor Boro inquired whether the additional costs were annual. Mr. Bush stated that some were annual, together with a maintenance and upkeep component. Councilmember Heller inquired whether the planned expenses included the Granicus system. Responding, Mr. Bush stated that a system such as Granicus would be included in the follow-on costs. Planned expenses would cover the equipment in order to prepare for such a system. This also explained the difference in price range for the follow-on costs — Granicus was approximately $40,000, including approximately $20,000 for procurement and yearly maintenance; however, going with a different system could perhaps save some money. Additional capabilities with any of these systems would increase costs. Councilmember Heller inquired as to the status regarding other cities potentially sharing the costs of a system such as Granicus. Mr. Nordhoff reported having learned at the Marin Managers' meeting last week that smaller cities that had not made similar upgrades were interested in doing something collaboratively. He informed his colleagues of the status of San Rafael's process and would share information and wherever possible partner.. Aside from necessary equipment, software installations and training could be shared across multiple agencies. Mr. Bush noted that representatives from other agencies had been included in these discussions because not only did they use the council chambers, rather they had an interest in possibly being able to share the solution chosen. Regarding funding opportunities, Mr. Bush reported that $25,000 was set aside in the General Fund's technology fund for this project. Staff had preliminary discussions with partner agencies concerning the possibility of sharing costs. Mayor Boro inquired as to the amount of the grant being applied for. 10 CC 02-01-2010 Mr. Bush stated that the grant being applied for was the Homeland Security EOC grant for this fiscal year. Staff would evaluate not only how the system would work for meetings, but also specifically for emergency operations. He explained that the grant would not only cover meetings in the council chambers but also in a primary EOC that could possibly be built at a new location. Regarding partner agencies, Councilmember Heller suggested making policy decisions with them regarding whether they would provide money initially or a rental fee for use of the facilities. Mr. Nordhoff stated he envisioned some type of letter agreement or MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) being developed for member agencies, whether cities, JPAa, etc. Councilmember Heller stated that LAFCO would be considering their budget in May, 2010. Mr. Bush reported that topics discussed with the consultant and potential agency partners included electrical and lighting - the council chambers was not designed for this type of operation - general aesthetics, and current resource constraints, grant, phased implementation, etc. Regarding the types of equipment being considered, Mr. Bush reported that these included cameras, control system, different locations and angels, zooming capabilities, etc. Projection sources, including computer type projection were also being considered, which could be built into a fixed system of audio -video, together with VCR or DVD capabilities, including projection of maps, posters, letters, etc. He indicated that screens to meet different needs were also being evaluated, as well as distribution of recordings to the public. Mr. Bush displayed a map of the council chambers identifying locations and types of equipment and indicated that staff would be pleased to hear comments from the City Council in this connection. Regarding cost estimates, Mr. Bush stated that the absolute minimum to include portable camera and operator would be $30,000. Follow-on for media distribution would provide simple capabilities to provide DVDs or make the images available to the Media Center for distribution via the web or delayed television feed. Regarding the preferred minimum, staff recommended one single camera fixed in the back of the room with a wide angle view of most of the front of the council chambers, utilizing a defined camera without an operator. Mr. Bush reported that the original recommended option involved using three different cameras affording the ability to zoom in different parts, including the dais and podium. This would allow the use of two screens for ease of projection to different areas of the room; however, at this point a system operator would be necessary. He noted the recommended option also included being able to install equipment that would allow a system such as Granicus. Indicating that a long-term option would be approximately $155,000 for equipment, Mr. Bush stated this would add cameras and screens together with multiple types of input for different types of documents, etc. Essentially this would represent everything staff believed to be good features and the media distribution follow-on would provide the ability for additional expanded functionality. Mayor Boro thanked Mr. Bush for the excellent, thorough presentation. Councilmember Brockbank shared a comment handed to him at the City Council Retreat last Wednesday by Sharlene Moss, who had to leave: "Get school media departments to install." He suggested that staff check this out. Regarding grants, Councilmember Brockbank indicated it sounded as though staff was applying for the grant primarily on the basis of it being good for emergency management services, and also to broadcast meetings. He hoped to receive more details on the percentage of time being considered to allocate for EMS versus City Council and other groups uses. Mr. Nordhoff stated that as is normally done with grants, staff was looking for creative ways to find funding, Steven Hancock, Emergency Services Manager, was leading the grant writing efforts. As many funds as possible would be sought to be used as widely as possible under the grant provisions. With regard to cost, Councilmember Brockbank stated he was astounded at the relatively high cost of this project compared to what he had anticipated. Having served on the Media Access Advisory Committee, which was advisory to the Marin Telecommunications Agency, he reported that a long-time member invented "studio in a box" to reflect the fact that prices of equipment were a fraction of what they had been, including cameras; they all could be put in a small box to take to a studio anywhere for a few thousand dollars. He believed members of the public would want to know why the City was looking at cost estimates upwards of $100,000 to install cameras in the council chambers, compared to how inexpensive these were at stores such as Best Buy. 11 CC 02-01-2010 Regarding design, Councilmember Brockbank stated he assumed staff was checking out designs of other council chambers with or without the EMS function. With regard to camera operators he believed this could be a very high percentage of the budget and wondered whether a designated, highly -paid operator was necessary. Having toured a number of media centers, he noted that Santa Rosa had something like a remote studio where the host of a television program while interviewing guests could operate the cameras with a joystick, thus requiring no crew. He suggested staff could be trained to operate the cameras. Councilmember Levine inquired whether retaining the same furniture was anticipated, whether the council chambers was the best design for the future and how much would be expended on a format that no longer served the purpose. He questioned whether any of the cameras could be microphone compatible. Responding to Councilmember Levine's comments, Mr. Nordhoff recalled the recent Christmas tree in the lobby which could only be lit by running an electrical cord halfway down the council chambers, which was an illustration of some of the costs that needed to be embedded in the project. As a lot of infrastructure investment was necessary, he suggested that, should a complete renovation of the facility be done in the future, the equipment would be reusable. In addition to the infrastructure costs outlined, in terms of the operating system, such as Granicus, Councilmember Connolly inquired as to how much it would add to the total charge, and how much annually. Mr. Bush stated that just for the council chambers it would cost approximately $20,000 to buy into the system and roughly $20,000 annually for Granicus to host and provide updates and support. Mayor Boro commented that in a particular council chambers he attends for meetings, a screen was located in each position whereby, sitting properly meant not seeing the audience, or vice versa, and he did not wish this to happen in San Rafael. Mr. Nordhoff believed a hybrid with some elevation was being considered. Having experience with County operations, Mayor Boro stated that they did have an operator who ran all the cameras positioned in three locations - dais, podium and staff member presenting, and he suggested they would be a good resource to talk to in addition to other cities and communities. Barbara Thornton, Marin Telecommunications Agency (MTA), commented that she and Michael Eisenmenger, Community Media Center of Marin, had worked closely with Mr. Bush through the planning and RFP process. She reported that several other cities in Marin were interested and a ground swell was emerging with regard to those who wanted to both webcast and broadcast council and other meetings. She stated that the MTA would be working with the Media Center to obtain estimated costs on the full spectrum of not purchasing any equipment to having equipment that would be close to self-operating. Ms. Thornton reported that the Civic Center was now broadcasting live on Channel 27 (Comcast Channel 99 with AT&T U -verse). That model could be used in other city halls with regard to live broadcasting, webcasting and delayed. With regard to systems similar to Granicus with meeting and record support for the Clerk's Office, Ms. Thornton reported that Michael Eisenmenger was familiar with some lower cost solutions and was ascertaining whether these were full solutions. She noted the Media Center had outsourced some of their webcasting. Summarizing, she reported that the Media Center became up and running last year and for the first part of this year had worked at the Civic Center, with existing cameras, on the aspect of broadcasting live. MTA on behalf of the cities was evaluating the spectrum of solutions and what could be done together to use buying power and key learnings to reduce costs as much as possible. Councilmember Connolly inquired as to the system used by the City of Novato. Ms. Thornton explained that their media center is in the school district where until recently they held their council meetings. In relocating to their new council chambers she was unsure what they intended as far as moving the three cameras. The cameras were mounted in the ceiling and managed from the media center on site. She reported that approximately 200 people had been trained by the Media Center in San Rafael in the last six months. Councilmember Heller stated she would like to see the MTA put this project front and center on the burner. She had been requesting something to happen for the past four or five years, noting the City Clerk eliminated a staff position to assist in funding for this project and it should be a top priority. Ms. Thornton stated it was a top priority for the Marin Telecommunications Agency. 12 CC 02-01-2010 Mayor Boro and Councilmember Heller expressed thanks to Mr. Bush for the update and looked forward to hearing more on the subject. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT: 14. None. COUNCILMEMBER REPORTS: (including AB 1234 Reports on Meetings and Conferences Attended at City Expense) 15. New Mavors and Councilmembers Conference — Leaque of California Cities: - File 9-11-1 Councilmember Levine reported on his attendance at the League of California Cities New Mayors and Councilmembers Conference in Sacramento a week and a half ago and noted it was a great conference which enabled him to meet other Councilmembers from across California and swap stories about how different cities were dealing with budget crises. SB 83 — Vehicle Registration FEE (VRF): - File 9-1 Mayor Boro distributed a copy of a staff report from the Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM), Board of Commissioners, dated January 28, 2010, regarding SB 83 — Vehicle Registration Fee (VRF) Program, which the County through TAM was pursuing at this point. This legislation which would allow a County to put something on the ballot to place a $10.00 fee on the Vehicle License Fee for transportation improvements throughout the community. Although it was just a start, it was the first time TAM was involved and Mayor Boro noted the colored chart at the end showed the steps. A preliminary poll would be undertaken throughout the County on this subject - a 50% affirmative vote was required - and should it go forward it would be on the November, 2010 ballot. He reported having requested TAM to approach city councils earlier rather than later so that it could be evaluated, commented on and supported if it made sense. There being no further business, Mayor Boro adjourned the City Council meeting at 9:50 p.m. ESTHER C. BEIRNE, City Clerk APPROVED THIS DAY OF 2010 MAYOR OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL 13 CC 02-01-2010