HomeMy WebLinkAbout1999/11/03 - Minutes - Fire November 3, 1999
CITY OF RANCHO CUCAMONGA
FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT MINUTES
Reaular Meetina
A. CALL TO ORDER
A regular meeting of the Rancho Cucamonga Fire Protection District was held on Wednesday, November
3, 1999, in the Council Chambers of the Civic Center, located at 10500 Civic Center Drive, Rancho
Cucamonga, California. The meeting was called to order at 7:17 p.m. by President William J. Alexander.
Present were Boardmembers: Paul Biane, James Curatalo, Bob Dutton, Diane Willjams, and President
William J. Alexander.
Also present were: Jack Lam, City Manager; James Markman, City Attorney; Linda Daniels, RDA
Director; Rick Gomez, Community Development Director; Shintu Bose, Deputy City Engineer; Rebecca
VanBuren, Associate Planner; Sal Salazar, Associate Planner; Kevin McArdle, Community Services
Director; Paula Pachon, Management Analyst II; Deborah Clark, Library Director; Diane O'Neal, Assistant
to the City Manager; Jenny Haruyama, Management Analyst I; Chief Dennis Michael, Rancho
Cucamonga Fire Protection District; Captain Rodney Hoops, Rancho Cucamonga Police Depadment;
and Debra J. Adams, Secretary.
B. ANNOUNCEMENTS/PRESENTATIONS
No announcements/presentations were made.
C. COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC
C1.
C2,
C3.
John Lyons of Etiwanda talked about the fire that occurred on October 21 and the blockade that
prevented the water trucks from getting up there to put out the fire. He told about the amount of
equipment it took to get this fire out. He stated another disaster like this can't happen again.
John Allday wanted to commend everyone's efforts towards putting out the fire. He commended
officers Dora Kruz and Jamieson for their efforts in trying to get Malissa McKeith to move her
vehicle that was blocking the water truck. He felt once the investigation is complete it will be
found that it is Ms. McKeith's efforts that caused the fire to get out of hand.
Malon Sampson, 4965 Calico, stated an article was in the newspaper insinuating that it might be
the Haven View homeowners causing the fire. He felt the article was incorrect and mentioned
that the Lauren Development equipment operators did not have any safety equipment on hand as
they began their work. He stated that at the hearing in, court against the City, the judge wanted to
Fire Protection District Minutes
November 3, 1999
Page 2
go to the property to see if Lauren was violating their grading permit. He invited the Council and
anyone else to the site next Monday to see if they are violating the grading permit.
C4.
Tom Bradford, Haven View Estates, commended the fire department for the work in putting out
the fire. He said the fire occurred on DWP property and that the grading was not supposed to
have started yet. He stated Lauren Development should have had fire safety equipment on the
site to go with their grading equipment.
James Markman, City Attorney, said because they are in litigation, he wanted to make a few comments.
He said the grading permit was issued with a 72-hour notice to every attorney and the homeowners
association, per Council's direction, so they could take whatever action they wanted if they thought there
was something wrong with the grading that was being permitted. He said the attorneys, including his firm,
paid for by the developer, but representing the City per Council's direction, has spent the last two
business weeks in court on this matter. He said there have been about three or four attempts on the
homeowner's association part to obtain a temporary restraining order to stop this activity, all of which
were denied, the last being this morning. He stated the judge decided to arrange a site visit on Monday
and he has not invited the world, but will control this as he would a court proceeding. He advised the
Council not to be there as this is a court proceeding. He said there was a condition that was imposed for
any grading on this site in 1990 or 1991. He said the conditions stated that no grading will be done on the
levee until the alternate drainage structure, the V-ditch, is operative. He stated the grading that occurred
was to remove material that had been put in the breach of the levee which was put there as a prior
condition, which was another lawsuit that the City was not involved in, but has since been settled. All of
these facts have been presented to Judge Johnstone, but he has not yet seen fit to issue a temporary
restraining order. He stated he wanted to reiterate for the record that he has studied the City's obligation
and responsibilities whether or not to issue a grading permit and decided they could do so. He stated if
you consider all of the swales up there as part of the levee, you would have to consider everything
because everything is arguably part of the swale which causes the water to run west to east. He stated
for the record, the City's view is the levee is the levee, swales are swales, and presumably the court will
see that Monday. He said the City has to do what they think is right even though there is a difference of
opinion between two parties, and they will continue to do what they think is the right.
D. IDENTIFICATION OF ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING
No items were identified for the next meeting,
E. ADJOURNMENT
MOTION: Moved by Willjams, seconded by Biane to recess to the conclusion of the City Council meeting
for an Executive Session to discuss Labor Negotiations per Government Code Section 54957.6 to give
Larry Temple, Administrative Services Director, direction in regards to the Meet and Confer process.
Motion carried unanimously, 5-0. The meeting recessed at 7:36 p.m. No action was taken in Executive
Session.
Res cffully submitted,
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Approved: January 19, 2000