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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1986 04-01 CC MINBook 67/Page 10 4/1 /86 MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY, CALIFORNIA APRIL 1, 1986 The regular meeting of the City Council of the City of National City was called to order at 4:00 p.m. by Mayor Morgan. ROLL CALL Council members present: Cooper, Dalla, VanDeventer, Waters, Morgan. Absent: None. Administrative officials present: Bolint, Campbell, Eiser, McCabe, Principal Planner Ray, Stafford. The meeting was opened with pledge of allegiance to the flag led by City Manager Mc Cabe followed with invocation by the Reverend Gary Craft, Lord's Harborlight. APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the regular meetings of March 18 and 25, 1986. Moved by VanDeventer, seconded by Waters, so moved. Carried, by the following vote, to — wit: Ayes: Dalla, VanDeventer, Waters, Morgan. Nays: Cooper. PROCLAMATIONS The Proclamations of Saturday, April 12, 1986 as PROJECT READ DAY and the month of April as FAIR HOUSING MONTH. Moved by VanDeventer, seconded by Cooper, in favor of these proclamations. Carried by unanimous vote. The Mayor presented Project Read Day proclamation to Shula Monroe, City Librarian and announced the other proclamation was to be mailed. APPOINTMENTS The Mayor's recommended Appointment of Aida Rodriguez to the Street Tree and Parkway Committee. Moved by Waters, seconded by Cooper, in favor. Carried by unanimous vote. PUBLIC ORAL COMMUNICATIONS — None ADOPTION OF RESOLUTIONS Consent Resolutions (Items 14,895 through 14,897) Moved by VanDeventer, seconded by Cooper, they be accepted by title only. Carried by unanimous vote. Moved by Dalla, seconded by VanDeventer, in favor of the Consent Calendar. Carried by unanimous vote. Resolution No. 14,895, "RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING MAYOR TO SIGN AND THE CLERK TO ATTEST A QUIT CLAIM DEED TO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA." See above Resolution No. 14,896, "RESOLUTION ACCEPTING WORK AND AUTHORIZING FILING OF NOTICE OF COMPLETION FOR STREET CONSTRUCTION — HARBOR DRIVE AND EIGHTH STREET, ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT SPECIFICATION NO. 970." See above Resolution No. 14,897, " RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING APPROPRIATION AND TRANSFER OF FUNDS FOR PUBLIC LIABILITY INSURANCE." See above Resolution No. 14,898, "RESOLUTION OF CITY COUNCIL INDICATING ITS SUPPORT FOR SENATE BILL 2061 (DEDDEH) RELATING TO URBAN WATERFRONT RESTORATION PROJECTS." (This resolution was not listed on the agenda.) Moved by VanDeventer, seconded by Waters, for approval of the walk—on item. The title was read. Carried by unanimous vote. NEW BUSINESS WARRANT REGISTER #39, Demands in the amount of $311,991.22 and Payroll in the amount of ;299,113.61. Moved by Waters, seconded by VanDeventer, these bills be paid and Warrants drawn. Mayor Morgan said he would vote in favor of payroll but against the bills. Councilman Cooper announced he would abstain on Warrant No. 91564. Demands (with the exception of 91564) ratified by the following vote, to —wit: Ayes: Cooper, Dalla, VanDeventer, Waters. Nays: Morgan. Warrant No. 91564 approved by the following vote: Ayes: Dalla, VanDeventer, Waters. Nays: Morgan. Abstaining: VanDeventer. Payroll certified by the following vote, to —wit: Ayes: Cooper, Dalla, VanDeventer, Waters, Morgan. Nays: None. Book 67/Page 11 4/1 /86 WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS Petition for Special Assessment Proceedings. Moved by VanDeventer, seconded by Dalla, refer to the City Engineer for recommendations. Carried by unanimous vote. Request from the National City Chamber of Commerce to serve alcoholic beverages in the Kimball Community Building. Staff recommends approval subject to three conditions (Bldg. Rental policy). Moved by Van Deventer, seconded by Dalla, in favor of this recommendation, staff's recommendation. Carried, by the following vote, to —wit: Ayes: Cooper, Dalla, Van Deventer, Waters. Nays: None. Abstaining: Morgan. Request from the Philippine —American Society and Cultural Arts Troupe to close off the area of 16th Street between "B" Ave. and National City Blvd. from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. and permission to hold a disco dance in their parking lot from 8:00 p.m. — 12:00 a.m. The City Manager requested it be approved in concept and referred to staff. Moved by Waters, seconded by Cooper, so move. Carried by unanimous vote. Request from residents of Roosevelt Ave. between 11th and 12th Streets for a parking district. Moved by VanDeventer, seconded by Waters, so move. The City Manager said Council approval would take it to the Engineering Department. Carried by unanimous vote. OTHER BUSINESS Additional information relating to project located at 3102 Biggs Court. Staff recommendation is to refer the matter to the Building Advisory and Appeals Board. Moved by VanDeventer, seconded by Waters, so move. Carried by unanimous vote. CITY MANAGER — No report. CITY ATTORNEY — No report. OTHER STAFF — No reports. MAYOR Mayor Morgan: "Uh, I got, I got one item that uh worries me. There's not much we can do with it as this time, but uh, this contract that we have where we're putting in the sidewalk and curb, uh we're going around, and we did last year, and we did this year, and we're going around putting in curbs and sidewalks. The contract is already let and uh, there's not much we can do about it, but it seems wrong to charge these people over the years, and I've been here whenever we put in practically, uh, all uh, the streets in National City, and we did it on a 1911 Act and these people paid some cost of their, of their streets and curbs and everything. And some of it was hard. I know some of them was, had uh real heavy payments for ten years. And now we're going around and I realize we're not putting it in new all over, but we're putting in these curbs and sidewalks, and we're doing it for free for these people. And we did some alleys up there, and 1 don't want to stir up any problem on it; we'd just as well go ahead and do it, but uh, I, I really think fellas that we're getting into something that, that's wrong because most of the people in National City got their curbs and sidewalks in, and these people that paid for them, and then we do this for free. It don't seem fair to me, and uh, I say the contractor's estim ate, we let one last year. We can go ahead and do it, and I'm not gonna fuss with it, but uh, but I think we should pick out some way to do these without uh paying all of it, because uh,..." Vice Mayor Van Deventer: "But you know Mayor..." Mayor Morgan: "Unfair." Vice Mayor VanDeventer: "You know that those people are not gonna fix em up, and if we want to have any pride in our City, it's the responsibility of this Council to fill those positions that are bad out there. And the only way it's gonna be done is by this Council cause those people are just not gonna do it. Most of them are absentee owners, and uh, we, you know, I don't think anybody that sits up here wants to, to do it, but if we want to improve our City, we have some obligation to do it. And yes, there'll be some people it'll have effect on, but the overall picture of the City and the total population will benefit out of the project. "Mayor Morgan: "I, I agree with that. Uh, 1 do agree with that, but uh, but uh, see if we turn that around, we turn it around and had, had this, these streets and say all right, everyone in National City, if they want a street put in', if they put, Book 67/Page 12 4/1 /86 if they put up 50% of that street, where they pay something —well 25 or 30 or 50, some figure, this is our policy, we're gonna do it and let them choose who would put these, whether they wanted the streets and sidewalks and curbs in front of their place. There would be a lot of people say, 'all right, if they'll do that, I'll go ahead and do it.' And uh, maybe it won't work, but we do need to work on what we're doing because we're putting in curbs and sidewalks in a lot of places that needs it. But uh, it's hard for me to explain to these people that's paid. Now there's people still paying on a 1911 Act. They had ten years to pay in, ten equal payments, paying. And uh, and we, fellas we put in uh something like $20 million or $15 million or millions of dollars worth of streets, and we did it that way, and uh, and even on 8th St., we did it. So I don't know, it's uh. The contract's let and so we just as well go ahead and do it and no use fussing about it, but that's uh, that's the way I feel." Councilman Cooper: "Mr. Mayor, uh, a few months ago, this Council voted to uh, put in a couple free alleys, and uh, both Mr. VanDeventer and I are both paying on a, on a 1911 Act, or I, at least I am, I'm sure he is. I have never complained about it because 1 felt like the alleys need to be put in, we had the money to do it, and we did it. Uh, I have a little problem with your argum ent there, because just last week, you were asking this Council to take $800,000 uh, and put it aside for the Mile of Cars. And here we're spending uh, I forget what the con, the amount of the contract was two -hundred and some odd thousand..." Mayor Morgan: "$36,000." Councilman Cooper: "$36,000." Mayor Morgan: "$236,000." Councilman Cooper: "$236,000. Okay, thank you. Uh, I have no problem with that, putting that money back into the community. This Council has sat up here for years and promised the community some of that, some day, just wait and be patient, some of that money will come back. I think now is payback time, and I think it's good if we can do it." Mayor Morgan: "I, I realize that if we can do it. Now, what we're doing is fix, putting ourselves in a corner where there's no other way we can do it. And, uh, because we'll have to pay all of it because we have the others, and I want to tell you, I just as well, since we're into it, I'll tell you, when I come in here as Mayor, they, they, you couldn't hardly get a 1911 Act through. Now it's a big job to get a 1911 Act through, or get some order to your policy. I've set down meetings, I've worked nights, I've worked days, I've went out to people's houses and, and, and these 1911 Acts, and I've reached over the fence and have someone with me and they'd sign the deed, and they'd, over the fence, and there might be a dog in there, we didn't get in there, but they would sign those uh, deeds over the fence, and we did work. I mean it's really work to get that through. And I can see it's the easy way to do, just throw that, you got the money, just throw it out and don't have any policy, and, and if you got that policy where we can do it from now on, well I have no quarrel with that. But it's uh, it's uh, and I'm not arguing on this contract because it's already let, and we'd just as well go ahead, but I didn't realize just exactly how this was going to work, the same way as the alleys over there. I'm going to look this stuff over and 1 tell you, m ake my decision before, before the mule is out of the barn. l think it's uh, (cannot hear 1-2 words) we're going in the wrong direction where we don't have any policy." Councilman Dalla: "Under, I'd just offer a few comments. Mayor, you've had 26 years to work with the people on 1911 Acts, and there were a lot of them that were accomplished, whether you can drive around this City and find that there's a lot more work that needs to be done, and it's not gonna happen with 1911 Acts. I mean that's, that worked before, 1 don't, we're not gonna see those things anymore, given the uh, the uh, the community and the amount of money people have, and the costs of these projects. Uh, you said that there's a need for these things. You agreed that there's a need for some of these things that are gonna be installed, and I think that should be the bottom line. Do we need 'em? And if we're gonna be celebrating our hundredth birthday next year, I find it much harder to explain being a hundred years old and having as many areas as we do that do not have curbs, gutters and sidewalks. That's what I find hard to explain. Uh, not the fact that the City is going to take some of the money that the people pay in various forms, various taxes, and funnel that back into their neighborhood. That is easy to explain as, as far as I'm concerned. And I think Mr. Cooper hit it right on the head. Last week we talked about contributing a certain amount of money to businesses. And I'm sure that there are some car dealers, for example, that paid the market rate for the land, and they did not get any loans from the City, they built their dealerships and their businesses the hard way. They worked at it. And now we're gonna, we're talking about the possibility of $800,000 to bring Book 67/Page 13 4/1 /86 some new people into the community. Uh, that's what I would find hard to explain to the people that don't have sidewalks, curbs and gutters in front of their houses. How we can have the money to do that and not have the money to complete the community that's a hundred years old. Uh, point in fact, the sales tax which we talk about as being so important is paid by the consumer. It's paid by the people that buy the cars. It's not paid by automobile dealers for example. They collect it and they pass it on, and we're simply funneling the money that the people have paid back into the community. Uh, I may be looking at this the wrong way, but it seems to me that's about the easiest thing in the world for an elected official to explain, is funneling the money back into the community where it belongs." Mayor Morgan: "I want to tell you. Whenever we, we're getting into too much discussion here. Maybe.. Councilman Waters: (Voice can be heard but his words cannot be understood. Mayor Morgan: "But whenever you get a dealer in National City, uh National City, you expect them to sell 20, 30, 40 and 60 million. Mr. VanDeventer and I have been working on a dealer where he says 'I can sell in National City, I'll sell 40 million, or I'll sell 60 million. I know I can sell $40 million.' And when a dealer comes in town, he creates for the treasury of National City, if he sells 40 million, he creates $400,000 to the City with that one penny. If he sells 60 million, that creates $600,000 to the City of National City. And uh, we need this business so we can go and do these things. If we're gonna, if we're gonna (cannot hear 1-2 words), we're gonna put in all the streets and everything like that, !'11 tell you, we're gonna have to get some of these dealers in where they'll create the $400,000, or ;600,000 or $200,000, or whatever it is. We're gonna have to work to get that in. It's the same thing as when we started here. We had no money to do anything, and we had to have the money first to build the parks and uh, everything that we got, ballfields, and everything we got in the City. Vice Mayor VanDeventer: "Mayor..." Mayor Morgan: "...and streets, and drainage. We've, we've, we've put in $20-30 million worth of streets and drainage in National City in these years. The money had to come in someplace to where we'd have our share when the property owners said 'I'll put mine in.' Well, we'd have the money to do our share. And that's the way we did it." Vice Mayor VanDeventer: "Mayor, the only, only comment I want to say is is that uh, relating, is that I think it's gotta be a two—way street today. And uh, and I support the, and I think the Council supports, the bulk of Council supports uh, funding if the right proposal comes forward. But I think they says do feel also that there are certain things in the community that need to be fulfilled, and uh, that's the way it seems to be going. And I think uh, to make it the community that you'd like to see, and I'd like to see, and the general public would like to see, I think it's gonna take a joint effort in the future years to come. And I think we're on it, and I'd hate to get us to the point of where we're discouraging one side, the other side's gonna lose too." Mayor Morgan: "I brought this up. Next order of business." Councilman Waters: "No, wait a minute. I haven't said a thing." (Laughter) Mayor Morgan: "You haven't had a chance. George hasn't said a word." Councilman Waters: "I've been here much longer than...well, almost as long as you." Mayor Morgan: "I thought this was April Fool and you were fooling us tonight." (Laughter) Councilman Waters: "Well I didn't think you were gonna...Uh, let's go, let's go back to the beginning of tim e (Laughter) when 1 know certain people uh, were afraid to uh, get involved in Federal money here. They said to stop the bulldozers, the Federal Government would be taking over. We used to have people that talked that way here. You took Federal money, it wouldn't be acceptable. So I was involved in, in the great industrial project here. At that time, after we got it all the way through, then of course, the Mayor, I'll never forget him saying one night in these chambers when I was on the Planning Commission, 'If people don't think the way I'm gonna think, I'm gonna put people on this commission that think that way.' And so I was real mad over that because we just got through an election where the people voted 2-1, 1 think it was around 70%, said we want industrial development. And of course, at the time, the Mayor had ideas about the Mile of Cars. We did have some of the car dealers here then, but their places looked pretty shabby. At that time, I said when 70% of the people say they want something, and I've been involved in that campaign, in fact I even gave a dozen typewriters to help them, I do that to, to run the campaign. Uh, then right shortly after that, he wanted to make the Mile of Cars, at that time it didn't exist, and I objected very strongly to that at the time. But since that was over, Book 67/Page 14 4/1/86 after we got the industrial thing squared away, and part of it went for the Mile of Cars, I supported everything that they've ever uh brought up. And 1 believe in that, but the uh, the money, the reason why all these years I've voted, I think for every major project from the Town and Country to the shopping center, to the industrial complex, you name it. But uh, I was doing that all for a reason. I felt someday we could go out here and help the neighbors when, when the Mayor knows, and we all know that the average income over the years have been around $8- 10,000 per family. So that's why you can't get your sidewalks, curbs and gutters in, and I was involved in a lot of the 1911 Acts, and they, they got pretty nasty up here. We've had some pretty hostile people many times. But we were, our main objective was, is to clean up the City. Now here in the last week, and I didn't think you were gonna bring that up, we, we've been going around looking at all these here uh, uh, installations supposed to take place as far as sidewalks, curbs and gutters. My ambition, my reason for that was to see that, that the money was strictly going to the residential area and not to some business properties. Well, I think our, our report will be about finished I think next week, and I think at 7:00 we ought to bring that up next week. There is some, some areas uh for example, where you'll see two, well several big chunks of business properties are, are in this sidewalk program that we left loose, and I object very strongly to that. I think that that money ought to be shifted over to the, the uh, m ore residential than, than and take it away from those business properties, and we'll have that, that all ready for you uh, by next week, where you guys should take a look at it and see if you agree with me. Uh, because I see some vacant business properties are gonna be sidewalked for almost a City block. And uh, and here there's an awful lot of residential areas that do not have sidewalks, curbs and gutters, and 1'd like to shift that money over, or, not shift the money, the money's in the contract, it's out, but I'd like to see a shift, uh, off of those business properties, drop that off of that, that contract, and, and swing in some more residential to offset it and equalize it so to speak. So uh, over the years though, I'm, I'm, I'm real proud that the money's starting to come in and 1 agree 100%. And just because you paid for it last year, I didn't used to have to hand in estimated taxes in my business. Now I gotta give them 8-10 thousand every quarter. They have my money all year long. I don't like that either, so times change and you gotta change with the times. Uh, or, or you get lost. So 1 would say uh, you uh, it's good to have the extra money. If I had my way, I brought it up once before. I'd like to pay a trash bill for every residential home of this City because you see people going out here hiding their trash down in the canyon. You wake up in the morning, some people call you and complain uh, 'Hey, someone left their four or five bags of trash in my yard last night, or down in somebody's parking lot.' So, I, since we have almost the, we enacted an Ordinance that says it's mandatory, and I understand we still have about a thousand that's not on the trash pickup. And so where do you think that trash is going? Some of it might make it out to the old, old dumps, but a lot of them make it in your backyard, or out in the front, or down in the canyon, and uh, and just like I said to the City Attorney, I said if we go ahead and bring uh, file suit against this thousand that's not on the trash bill, I think we'd have a recall. So uh, I, I believe that it, that automatic trash uh pickup for residential only would help to clean this City up considerably, along with the sidewalks uh, program and I believe that if we can do it for them free, let's do it because they have to put up with all the Town and Country, the Mile of Cars, the industrial area, the, you name it, all this business, and uh, I think they ought to gain something from it. I give you my speech. Mayor Morgan: "Now you're talking about my report. Have you got a report?" Councilman Waters: "Yes 1 do, 1 have, I have, I have one other item here, "Feeling Good and Health Fair". I saw that every mem...this must be my week to give you something. Feeling, er, uh, this Feeling Good and Health Fair, this is where they come out here free of charge at the Kimball Park Community deal scheduled. Every year someone else paid that $100 for coffee and cookies for the workers that spent all day there and they check your hearing, you know, and your visual, and your height and your blood pressure. And it's free to the general public, and they're asking for a little assistance of $100 for coffee and cookies, and it'll be under the control of Mrs. uh, what's her name? No, uh..." Mayor Morgan: "Maria. Mary." Councilman Waters: "Mary. Uh, she'll be handling money through the Asst. City Manager." Vice Mayor VanDeventer: "At this time I..." Councilman Waters: "$100 is what they need." Book 67/Page 15 4/1/86 Vice Mayor VanDeventer: "I move that each Council member give $20 to this good cause as there's no adequate funds left." Mayor Morgan: "I'II second the motion." Vice Mayor VanDeventer: "Okay." Councilman Waters: "Well, if the, if the rest of us don't all pay, make sure you take up the slack." (Laughter) Mayor Morgan: "Vote please on the motion." Councilman Cooper: "If we don't pay, he'll take up the slack." Councilman Waters: "The motion is if we don't pay, he'll take up the slack, Jess." Vice Mayor VanDeventer: "No, that isn't the motion." (Laughter) Mayor Morgan: "Anyone else got something?" City Clerk: "Carried by unanimous vote." Councilman Cooper: "Yes, I have, I have one thing. A few weeks ago, I brought up about the uh, pedestrian crossings in the City, and each week 1 get probably two or three calls from near misses that we've had. Uh, whether the Council realizes this, or whether we realize it uh, this is serious problem in this City, especially young kids and older adults crossing the streets. They can't, the kids can cross fast, in fact sometimes, they can cross a little too fast. Uh, I would like, I would like to have the City Engineer with the uh, blessing of the Council, to look into the, what we can do, or what signs we can use, or what we can do to help uh, these people get across the street. I'm talking about places like uh, down on Plaza Blvd., between uh, well it's between Highland and "L" St. There's no signal, yet we have a nicely marked crosswalk. And I'll, I defy you to go down there during the rush hour and try to get across that street, because you're taking your life in your own hands when you do. And I would like, if the Engineer is listening uh..." City Engineer Stafford: "Damn right." Councilman Cooper: "...that this Council okays for them to go ahead and bring back a report on what, what we can do to these crosswalks to help the people get across the street." Mayor Morgan: "I'll second the motion." Councilman Cooper: "Okay." Mayor Morgan: "Vote on the motion please." Councilman Cooper: "Thank you." Mayor Morgan: "Anyone else?" City Clerk: "Carried, by unanimous vote." Mayor Morgan: "I'll call an Executive Session now and we'll have a vote on this Executive Session." City Attorney: "Your Honor, this uh, is a closed session to discuss two items, one of pending litigation, Easley vs National City; this is pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(a). Another matter is of uh threatened litigation, the Gina Gaylord claim. This is pursuant to Government Code Section 54959.B(1)." Mayor Morgan: "Could we have a motion?" Councilman Cooper: "I move in favor." Vice Mayor VanDeventer: "Second." Mayor Morgan: "Discussion? Vote please." Mayor Morgan: "Executive Session." Councilman Cooper: "Executive Session." City Clerk: "Carried by unanimous vote." Council reconvened at 4:58 p.m. ROLL CALL Council members present: Cooper, Dalla, VanDeventer, Waters, Morgan. Absent: None. ADJOURNMENT Moved by Waters, seconded by Cooper, the meeting be adjourned. Carried by unanimous vote. The meeting closed at 4:59 p.m./ 74-2 CITY CLER The foregoing minutes were approved at the regular meeting of Corrections No correions MAYO CITY OF NATIONAL CIT CALIFORNIA