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Agenda Item No. S(A) EL CERRITO CITY COUNCIL MINUTES SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING- CLOSED SESSION Tuesday, May 1, 2012 - 6:30 p.m. Hillside Conference Room CITY COUNCIL MEETING Tuesday, May 1, 2012- 7:00 p.m. City Council Chambers Meeting Location El Cerrito City Hall 10890 San Pablo Avenue, El Cerrito Bill Jones - Mayor Mayor Pro Tern Greg Lyman Councilmember Rebecca Benassini Councilmember Ann Cheng Councilmember Janet Abelson 6:30p.m. ROLLCALL Present: Absent: Councilmembers Abelson, Benassini, Lyman and Mayor Jones Councilmember Cheng CONVENE SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING- CLOSED SESSION Mayor Jones convened the Special City Council Closed Session meeting at 6:33p.m. ANNOUNCEMENT OF CLOSED SESSION Conference with Labor Negotiators (Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957. 6) Agency designated representatives: Scott Hanin, City Manager, Sky Woodruff, City Attorney, Glenn Berkheimer, IEDA, Sukari Beshears, Employee Services Manager Employee organizations: Service Employees International Union, Local 1021 Unrepresented Employees Police Employees Association International Association of Firefighters, Local 1230 Public Safety Management Group ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC- No comments. RECESSED INTO CLOSED SESSION at 6:34p.m. POSSIBLE REPORT OUT OF CLOSED SESSION ADJOURNED SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING- CLOSED SESSION at 7:06 p.m. ---PAGE BREAK--- 7:00p.m. Version: 519/2012 ROLLCALL Present: Absent: Councilmembers Abelson, Benassini, Lyman and Mayor Jones Councilmember Cheng CONVENE CITY COUNCIL MEETING Mayor Jones convened the regular City Council meeting at 7:11 p.m. 1. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG was led by Mayor Jones 2. COUNCIL I STAFF COMMUNICATIONS Page 2 of 6 Mayor Jones reported that the Council had just met in closed session and provided direction to staff. Councilmember Abelson reported that she attended a forum on public health and climate change in Richmond on April 24, 2012. Councilmember Abelson was also in Sacramento twice for a total of three days. Fiona Ma, through Assembly Bill2200, is proposing that there be a change from three occupants to two occupants per vehicle in HOV lanes during off- peak hours between the Bay Bridge and the Carquinez Bridge. The West Contra Costa Transportation Advisory Committee (WCCT AC) has yet to take a position on AB 2200 but will be considering the issue at its next meeting. Councilmember Abelson testified at the Assembly Transportation Committee hearing to express concerns about the proposed bill, which passed. WCCTAC and the Contra Costa Transportation Authority (CCT A) will be looking at the bill in the coming months and will then present a position to Sacramento. Councilmember Abelson requested that the Council consider taking a position on the AB 2200 at its next meeting. Councilmember Abelson also attended the League of California Cities Annual Legislative Action Days in Sacramento where she visited with Susan Bonilla, Senator Mark De Saulnier and Senator Hancock's Chief of Staff, Hans Hemann. The League discussed replacing redevelopment with another system and also discussed concerns about state revenue. There is a projected $10-12 billion state deficit for next year which is less of a shortfall than last year. Legislative Action Day attendees also heard about a number of initiatives and discussed the mood of the voters. Locally, the City celebrated Earth Day on April21, 2012. Councilmember Abelson thanked everyone who participated in the Earth Day event and expressed appreciation for the tremendous volunteerism throughout the city. Additionally, on April 22, the City celebrated the grand opening of the new Recycling Center. Everyone is invited to visit the new Recycling Center and tell staff what you want the new Center to be doing that is not already being done. There will be a Baxter Creek Clean Up on May 5. Those interested in helping should meet at the Greenway and Conlon A venue. Councilmember Lyman announced that the annual National Night Out event is August 7 this year. Councilmember Lyman stated that he echoes Councilmember Abelson's comments about the new Recycling Center and encouraged all to visit and explore the site. On Earth Day Councilmember Lyman worked with the City Arborist who is in the process of moving the Tree Committee forward. Councilmember Benassini also praised the new Recycling Center and stated that she is so impressed that the Recycling Center takes prescription drugs because they are very difficult for people to dispose of. Councilmember Benassini thanked Councilmember Abelson for all of her work on Earth Day and noted that she participated in a clean up at the Del Norte BART station. ---PAGE BREAK--- Version: 519/2012 Page 3 of 6 Mayor Jones announced the success of the Streetplay event on Key Boulevard next to Baxter Creek on Sunday. The music was good and a lot of people had fun. On May 18 at the Craneway Pavilion in Richmond, the annual Ed Fund Dinner Gala will be held to honor students and teachers. Many people from across the district will be in attendance. Mayor Jones encouraged all to look at the Ed Fund website http://edfundwest.org/ for more information. 3. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE PUBLIC Tom Panas, El Cerrito, spoke in favor of Consent Calendar Item No. 5(D), a letter to Governor Brown regarding support for libraries and Item No. 5(F) the renaming of Eastshore Park to McLaughlin Eastshore State Park. Al Miller urged the City Council to support Consent Calendar Item No. 5(D) in support of library funding and informed the Council that a new group is forming to discuss the future of a new El Cerrito Library which includes fundraising. Anyone interested in becoming involved with the library group or finding out more information about the group's efforts can access the group's new website. Mr. Miller also acknowledged and thanked volunteers and staff for their commitment and enthusiasm for Earth Day and also for those who worked so hard on the Recycling Center on Sunday and on the many city events. Patricia Jones, El Cerrito, Executive Director of Citizens for East Shore Parks, spoke in support of the resolution honoring Sylvia McLaughlin by renaming Easthore State Park to McLaughlin Eastshore State Park. Ms. Jones stated that Ms McLaughlin is an environmental pioneer and was instrumental in creating Save the Bay, Bay Conservation and Development Commission and Citizens for East Shore State Park. Sylvia Levinson, El Cerrito, spoke in support of schools and the library. Ms. Levinson stated that she is not opposed to new construction of a library but believes that making the library more accessible by increasing hours of operation, paying librarians better salaries and providing more books should be the top priorities. Mayor Jones acknowledged receipt of a communication from Tess Taylor regarding comments on Item No.7, contract award to Management Partners. 4. PRESENTATIONS-None 5. ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR- Item Nos. SA through 5H Moved, seconded (Lyman/Abelson; Ayes- Councilmembers Abelson, Benassini, Lyman and Mayor Jones; Noes- None; Absent- Councilmember Cheng) and carried to adopt Consent Calendar Item Nos. 5A-5E and 5H in one motion as indicated below. Item No. 5F was removed from the Consent Calendar by Mayor Jones. Item No. 5G was removed from the Consent Calendar at the request of Councilmember Abelson. A. Minutes for Approval Approve the April 1 7, 2012 City Council meeting minutes. Action: Approved minutes. B. Second Reading of the Measure A- Swim Center Special Tax Ordinance Approve second reading and adopt Ordinance No. 2012-02, setting a reduced tax rate only for Fiscal Year 2012-13 for the special tax imposed pursuant to Chapter 4.56 of the El Cerrito ---PAGE BREAK--- Version: 519/2012 Page 4 of 6 Municipal Code. Action: Adopted Ordinance No. 2012-02. c. Accept the Engineer's Report of Landscape and Lighting Assessment District No. 1988-1, Order Improvements and Set the Public Hearing Date Accept the Engineer's Report specifying assessments for the Landscaping and Lighting Assessment District and adopt a Resolution of Intention to Order Improvements pursuant to the Landscape and Lighting Act of 1972, and setting the date for the public hearing as May 15, 2012. Action: Accepted Engineer's Report and adopted Resolution No. 2012-26. D. Support Libraries At the request of Mayor Jones, authorize the Mayor to sign a letter urging Governor Brown to reinstate $15.9 million in funding that was eliminated from the State's Fiscal Year 2011-12 budget and to include a similar amount of funding in the 2012-13 budget. Action: Approved recommendation. E. Contra Costa 350 Home & Garden Challenge At the request of Mayor Jones adopt a resolution expressing the City Council's support for the Contra Costa 3 50 Home and Garden Challenge by declaring the weekend of May 12 & 13, 2012 350 Home & Garden Challenge weekend, and encouraging the community to work together during these countywide days of community action to build a stronger, healthier and more sustainable City. Action: Adopted Resolution No. 2012-27. F. Support for the Renaming of Eastshore State Park At the request of Councilmember Abelson, adopt a resolution expressing support for the renaming of the Eastshore State Park to McLaughlin Eastshore State Park. Action: Removed from the Consent Calendar by Mayor Jones who expressed his support for honoring Esther Gulick and Kay Kerr in addition to Sylvia McLaughlin by renaming the Eastshore State Park after all three women. Moved, seconded (Lyman/ Abelson; Ayes - Councilmembers Abelson, Benassini, and Lyman; Noes- Mayor Jones; Absent- Councilmember Cheng) and carried to adopt Resolution No. 2012-28 renaming the Eastshore State Park to McLaughlin Eastshore State Park as amended on the floor to add an additional enacting clause to state: BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the City Council of the City ofEI Cerrito that it hereby expresses its support for the naming of other State parks to recognize Esther Gulick and Kay Kerr. G. Confirm Fiscal Year 2012-13 Budget Schedule Approve the City Manager's recommendation to convene a special City Council meeting on June 12, 2012 for the purposes of scheduling a public hearing on the budget. The budget is scheduled for introduction on June 5, 2012. A public hearing, questions and comments on the budget would be received on June 12. The City Council would then consider adoption of the budget on June 19, 2012. Action: Removed from the Consent Calendar at the request of Councilmember Abelson ---PAGE BREAK--- Version: 51912012 Page 5 of 6 who requested changing the proposed June 12 special meeting to June 11, 2012 due to a conflict. Moved, seconded (Abelson/Lyman; Ayes- Councilmembers Abelson, Benassini, Lyman and Mayor Jones; Noes -Non~; Absent- Councilmember Cheng) and carried to approve the following Fiscal Year 2012-13 budget schedule to convene meetings on June 5, 11 and 19,2012. H. Confirm a Reduced City Council Summer 2012 Meeting Schedule Approve a recommendation to adopt a reduced City Council Meeting Schedule consisting of the third Tuesday in July, August and September 2012. This practice is consistent with the reduced scheduled approved in the past eleven years. City Council Meeting dates in July, August and September would be July 17, August 21, and September 18,2012 with an additional request to keep the first Tuesday in each month reserved for special meetings as needed. Action: Approved recommendation. 6. PUBLIC HEARINGS -None 7. POLICY MATTERS Award of Contract to Management Partners for the Development of a Citywide Strategic Plan Adopt a resolution authorizing the City Manager to enter into an agreement with Management Partners to assist the city in development of a Strategic Plan in an amount not to exceed $45,000. Presenter: Karen Pinkos, Assistant City Manager. Action: Moved, seconded (Lyman/ Abelson; Ayes- Councilmembers Abelson, Benassini, Lyman and Mayor Jones; Noes- None; Absent- Councilmember Cheng) and carried to adopt Resolution No. 2012-29. 8. COUNCIL ASSIGNMENTS/LIAISON REPORTS A. Mayor Jones reminded all that the second meeting of the Oversight Board of the Successor Agency of the former El Cerrito Redevelopment Agency will meet on May 7, 20 12 at 8:00p.m. The Board will be taking up the Second Recognized Obligation Payment Schedule (ROPS). The City is responding to questions the State had about the first ROPS. Mayor Jones also reported on his attendance at the West County Mayors Conference. The Mayors are becoming concerned about the decline in property tax revenue coming from the County and the different rates and amounts of money that each city receives. According to some Mayors who have looked into the matter, each city is treated a little differently and questions are being raised. Additionally, El Cerrito made a presentation on its new Recycling Center at the meeting which was very well received by the Mayors in attendance. B. Mayor Pro Tern Lyman reported that the Planning Commission met, provided input into three items and passed each item, including the Chipotle project and a project involving an existing heating company that is operating out of someone's house in El Cerrito that will be relocating into an industrial building within El Cerrito. Mayor Pro Tern Lyman stated that it is good to see that the City's local businesses are staying local. C. Councilmember Abelson reported on her attendance at the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) meeting which featured many discussions on sustainable communities strategies that arose out of Senate Bill 3 7 5, which is part of the Climate Action Plan for the State. The sustainable communities strategy is being developed on a regional level among Bay Area Counties. Some of the sub-topics that were discussed were the jobs/housing connection and an overview of the Climate Plan that the State is still working on. Additionally, the ABAG Assembly met and passed the ABAG budget. ---PAGE BREAK--- Version: 519/2012 Page 6 of 6 D. Councilmember Benassini reported that the Arts and Culture Commission met and discussed the responses to the Call to Artists that had been received for the Recycling Center One Percent for Art project., Many of the responses were incomplete and non-responsive. The Commission will reissue the Call to Artists within the next couple of months in hopes of receiving more responses. At the Parks and Recreation Commission, commissioners were introduced to the new city arborist, Stephen Pree and also received a presentation by Robin Mitchell on the new community garden pilot project located on the Ohlone Greenway near Fairmont School. E. Councilmember Cheng - Absent. SUPPLEMENTAL COMMUNICATIONS Item No. 7 Award of Contract to Management Partners for the Development of a Citywide Strategic Plan 1. Comments on the contract award and the Strategic Plan Process - Submitted by Tess Taylor. 9. ADJOURNED CITY COUNCIL MEETING at 8:39p.m.