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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015/02/18 - Minutes - Special February 18, 2015 CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING MINUTES I A. CALL TO ORDER I A special meeting of the Rancho Cucamonga City Council was held on Wednesday, February 18, 2015, in the Tri-Communities Room at City Hall located at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho Cucamonga, California. Mayor L. Dennis Michael called the meeting to order at 2:00 p.m. Present were Councilmembers: Bill Alexander, Lynne Kennedy, Diane Williams, Mayor Pro Tern Sam Spagnolo and Mayor L. Dennis Michael. Also present were: John Gillison, City Manager; Jim Markman, City Attorney; Linda Daniels, Assistant City Manager; Lori Sassoon, Deputy City Manager/Administrative Services; Bill Wittkopf, Public Works Services Director; Jeff Bloom, Deputy City Manager/Community and Economic Development; Candyce Burnett, Planning Director; Nettie Nielsen, Community Services Director; Mark Steuer, Director Engineering Services/City Engineer; Veronica Fincher, Animal Services Director; Tamara Layne, Finance Director; Erika Lewis-Huntley, Management Analyst II; Fabian Villenas, Principal Management Analyst; Francie Palmer, Communication Manager and Marie Macias, Interim City Clerk Services Director. I B. PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS No communication was made from the public. I C. ITEM(S) OF BUSINESS C1. Review of Results from the West-Side Parks and Street Lighting Districts Public Engagement Project and Consideration Regarding Next Steps John Gillison, City Manager, provided a history of the City's Assessment Districts dating back to 1985. He advised that at the conclusion of the study session, staff would be asking the City Council to consider staff's recommendation over the next two weeks and come back for a formal vote on March 4, 2015. Lori Sassoon, Deputy City Manager/Administrative Services, introduced Ruth Bernstein, Principal, EMC; Pablo Perez, Director, NBS; and Mrunal Shah, Attorney, Best, Best & Krieger, and stated that they were available to respond to any questions from the Council. Ms. Sassoon provided background information on the Assessment District structures, as well as a summary of the West-Side Districts. She noted that there were 28,400 parcels in the West-Side Districts, with ten parks, and that the rates had remained the same since 1993. She mentioned that budgets were currently balanced due to significant maintenance cuts, which had brought the service level down to a "D" in most cases. She mentioned that the City provided Story Maps of Neighborhood Improvements on the City's website, which were a great resource to the public. She discussed West-Side efforts to date, focusing on two community surveys which had been conducted in January and December, 2014. February 18, 2015 I City Council Special Meeting Minutes City of Rancho Cucamonga I Page 1 of 4 Ms. Ruth Bernstein provided details surrounding the surveys conducted in January and December, 2014. She explained that the focus had been on the four largest districts, and that there had not been much change throughout the years, even with the outreach that had been done. The focus of her discussion was on the residential property owner surveys, noting that there was quite a bit of "anti- tax" sentiment, and little awareness of the amount of the current assessment fees paid. Councilmember Alexander inquired and Ms. Bernstein responded that the surveys had been conducted via telephone to approximately 22,000 individuals. She informed that 750 interviews had been completed as part of the first survey, which was normal. She explained that numbers were very similar during the second survey, as well as the responses, even though the participants were not the same. She noted that the residents' trust in the City remains very high, and that the vast majority feel that parks, trails, and facilities are well maintained. She stated that the margin of error was ±3.0%. With respect to a proposed ballot measure, Ms. Bernstein informed that in January, 2014, 32% had responded that they would vote in favor and 56% had responded that they would vote in opposition. In December, 2014, 35% had responded that they would vote in favor and 55% had responded that they would vote in opposition. She stressed the need to educate voters to provide them with an understanding of what the tax would do for them. She mentioned that after hearing additional information, West-Side voter support had increased by nearly 15 points (60% in favor and 33% opposed). Ms. Bernstein advised on the steps that could be taken to increase the chance of having the voters approve this ballot measure, noting that it would require a two thirds vote. Councilmember Alexander stated that it made more sense for the public to place the initiative measure on the ballot, since the public does not trust government. This led to discussion regarding time constraints and how this would affect the City. Erika Lewis-Huntley, Management Analyst II, provided information on how the City could move forward and advised that staff was recommending a West-Side Community Facilities District (CFD) as the most viable option for a long—term revenue source. She provided an overview of the proposed CFD, noting that it would consist of a single residential rate of $89 per unit, which would increase to $178 upon sale. She advised that non-residential rates would vary, $740 per acre developed and $50 per acre undeveloped, and that low income seniors would be entitled to a discount of 50%; senior housing units at 50% rate; non-taxable parcels exempt, targeting November 2015 for a special election. If approved, the CFD would restore the service level to a "B" and would increase the operating budget from $4 million in Fiscal Year 2014/15 to $5.8 million. Ms. Lewis-Huntley advised that the Citizens' Oversight Committee would be expanded to include review of the new CFD; all revenues would be deposited into a separate fund; revenues could only be spent to maintain or improve the local community's parks, lighting, and landscaping; and that annual independent audits would be published. She provided examples of possible improvements to the West-Side parks. It was noted that these were examples only, and that the public could provide feedback during community meetings to determine what they would prefer to have done. She also discussed the urgency to act on this immediately or the City could face a significant negative impact to its parks if nothing was done. Mayor Michael inquired and Bill Wittkopf, Public Works Services Director, responded that the City did not have the required funding to repair irrigation lines at this time. February 18, 2015 I City Council Special Meeting Minutes City of Rancho Cucamonga I Page 2 of 4 Mayor Pro Tern Spagnolo inquired and Ms. Bernstein replied that their firm had worked with many communities in the past who were seeking to increase revenues in similar situations, and had to re- evaluate what they should do. Should the City decide to put a measure on the ballot, she recommended the City hire a consultant. This led to discussion regarding limitations on campaigning and how these limitations could be addressed. The following staff recommendations were made for Council's consideration: 1. Discuss and consider the CFD option. It's not an easy option, but appears to be the best option at this time. 2. Return on March 4 for decisions regarding how to proceed. 3. Staff will continue to refine details on CFD option (election timing, public information and election costs, etc.) John Gillison, City Manager, stressed the urgency of this matter, and compared it to running a marathon, noting the importance of being well prepared. He advised that in order to succeed in placing a measure on the ballot in November, a decision would have to be made in March, to allow enough time for preparation. Discussion then ensued with respect to ballot arguments, campaigning, and election timelines. Council Member Kennedy thanked staff for the information provided. She stressed the need for all Council Members to be in agreement with respect to the ballot measure and not work against each other. She inquired and Ms. Sassoon informed that the $89 fee would only change if the budget were to change. Mayor Michael confirmed that the meeting of March 4 would include discussion as to whether or not the City Council would like to proceed with the CFD. He stated that he did not want to wait for the service level to drop down to"F' level, which would cause the public to question why the Council didn't act on this sooner. Council Member Williams inquired and City Manager Gillison advised that previously, with the Landscape and Lighting District, a Blue Ribbon Committee had been formed, but the measure had failed to move forward and the committee had been disbanded. He indicated that the members of the Blue Ribbon Committee had been notified of the Study Session and that they would have an opportunity to come forward if they so desired. Lori Sassoon, Deputy City Manager/Administrative Services, informed that this matter would be placed on social media to obtain feedback. And, City Manager Gillison informed that staff would notify the park user groups that the City Council would be considering this item. Council Member Kennedy asked, and City Manager Gillison clarified that this was the appropriate time for the City Council to ask questions in order for staff to have the answers prior to the meeting on March 4. Mayor Michael inquired and Ms. Sassoon advised that staff would prepare talking points for the Council. Discussion ensued regarding concerns voiced by Council Member Alexander, and the fact that the entire Council should be privy to those concerns previously discussed with the City Manager. February 18, 2015 I City Council Special Meeting Minutes City of Rancho Cucamonga I Page 3 of 4 City Manager Gillison shared that Council Member Alexander had expressed concern with the need for more outreach to the community and a more inclusive process to ensure that the public's voice was heard with respect to proposed improvements. He mentioned that another concern was with the reductions in water usage and reflecting this in the budgets. He explained that yes, this information was reflected in the budgets, and noted that this would be included as part of a "FAQ" with dollar figures. He added that staff could take the top items from the needs assessment so that Council could see how the surveys were all in alignment. Council Member Alexander suggested that he could meet with City Manager Gillison to transcribe notes so that all Council Members were aware of his concerns. Motion by Council Member Williams, seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Spagnolo, approving the staff recommendation to provide direction to staff at the next regularly scheduled City Council Meeting on March 4, 2015 in open session. Motion carried 5-0. I D. ADJOURNMENT The meeting adjourned at 3:40 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Marie Macias, M lMC Interim City Clerk Services Director Approved: Wednesday, March 4, 2015 February 18, 2015 I City Council Special Meeting Minutes City of Rancho Cucamonga I Page 4 of 4