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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1977 07-11 CC MIN175 MINUTES OF THE ADJOURNED MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY, CALIFORNIA (( JULY '', 1977 The adjourned meeting of the City Council of National City was called to order by Vice Mayor Pinson at 3:40 p.m. ROLL CALL Council members present; Camacho, Dalla, Pinson, Reid, Morgan. Absent: None. Administrative officials present: Campbell, Gill, McCabe, National City Chamber of Commerce representatives present: Dick Garrett, President; Marion Cooper, Past -President; and Bobby Birts, President - Elect. Vice Mayor Pinson said one of the reasons for this meeting was to hear representatives of the Chamber of Commerce in regard to reductions and deletions in amounts requested to be budgeted. (Chamber budget requests and action taken by the Finance Committee at Budget session are as follows: Information Service $4,888 changed to $1,000; Retail, Trade, Promotion $4,?00 and Industrial Promotion $2,888 changed to $6,000 for both; Freeway Signs $2,000 (unchanged); Navy Salute Program $1,580 awarded to E. Hughes in the amount of $2450; total request $1;.,808 changed to $9,000.) Dick Garrett, President, Chamber of Commerce, thanked Council for the opportunity to discuss the budget; he did not know Council had acted on the Chamber's request until he read about it in the Star -News. Mr. Garrett spoke of City Advertising and Informational Services, saying practically all cities aid their Chambers in providing informational services to citizens; this year for the first time the Chamber provided Council with detailed information on the approximately 9,000 contacts over the past year; those contacts cover a variety of information; if this were Chula Vista, some of the contacts would have been referred to the Visitors Bureau Information Center; they were strictly non -business requests; about 40% of the time the calls were wanting to know which person in City Hall to call; $5-600 is correctly designated as the cost of governmental information services; this is a vital service the Chamber has provided; and it is the only place where city funds might be used for Chamber staff. Mr. Garrett said for the past 17 years the Chamber has sponsored SALUTE TO NAVY WEEK; the Chamber has never expressed a desire to drop this event; the Chamber has tried to make the event cost effective; last year about $1300 was spent on Navy Week; some of the events have been done away with because they do not justify their cost (for example, the dance the Lions Club held in connection with Navy Week attracted only 30-40 people and was dropped); the Kiwanis Luncheon - has always been popular and cost effective; the City has been billed for actual expense; he was surprised to read that SALUTE TO NAVY WEEK was stricken from the Chamber budget and outside arrangements made; he felt it should have been.discussed with the Chamber; he was surprised Council awarded it at $1,000 more than the Chamber requested as the costs of producing Navy Week have come down. Mr. Garrett said other areas he wanted to discuss were INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT (and here the budget has increased over the past few years); they are trying to help the City Council bring in more business and industry; $1000 goes to the Economic Development Corporation of San Diego as a membership fee; last year he brought quite a few people in to see the Mayor; this is the organization that is putting together the proposal (at their expense) which may bring an auto manufacturer into National City (the #1 site for San Diego County); the $1000 is an outstanding investment; last year they produced an industrial -business brochure. Mr. Garrett continued 7/11/77 Council / saw fit to make changes in the RETAIL, TRADE, PROMOTION; the Chamber was talking about small businesses, mom and pop stores; up and down 3th and National; businesses just getting by; the costs eliminated were for a certain amount of city advertising: a Founder's Day Promotional thing; Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day which should be good to develop some business from across the border; their intention was to promote business in small stores, they would test and then follow up. Vice Mayor Pinson commented this would have nothing to do with the Cinco de Mayo celebration put on by Ernie Azhocar. Mr. Garrett said the two programs would complement each other. Councilman Camacho said one is for the residents of the city and would have no retail value; it is entertainment for the Mexican community on that day; there is no generation of income. Mayor Morgan said we appreciate that freeway sign. Mr. Garrett said that is flow -through, you pay the bill as it comes in; we only bill you for actual expenditures. There was discussion. Marion Cooper, Past -President, COC, said in the past if money was left from -the Maytime Band Review, the money left over was absorbed by the Chamber of Commerce; the last year $3100 was left...and that's taxpayer's money...that was going to the Chamber of Commerce; as a consequence you now have money in the Maytime Band Review Corporation; that money is not going to the Chamber. Vice Mayor Pinson asked in regard to Information Service if Council would care to reconsider. Moved by Camacho, seconded by Pinson, for reconsideration. Carried by unanimous vote. There was discussion. Moved by Camacho, seconded by Dalla, Council reconsider and to allow the Chamber 4800 this coming £Landa11 statistics be kept on this to prove it is worth the money the City is giving. There was discussion. Mr. Garrett said the Chamber had Salute to Navy Week in the budget proposal, the Chamber did not change it; Council changed it and increased that expenditure by over $900 in your change. Motion carried, by the following vote, to -wit: Ayes: Camacho, Dalla, Pinson. Nays: Reid, Morgan. Vice Mayor Pinson said they would now consider RETAIL, TRADE, PROMOTION. Councilman Dalla s.id there were two days celebrated in Mexico, one in May and one in September; would it not be practical to go with one of these and see how it is received. Mr. Garrett said the first would be Sept. 16, 1977, the second May of 1973; they would go with September 1977 and if it fe/1 flat, they probably would not go with May 1978. Mayor Morgan said it should be referred to the City Manager and he should study these and if he would recommend mare money we would increase it; he could not vote on this unless the manager recommends it. City Manager Gill said he recommended the $6700 for Retail, Trade, Promotion and the $2000 for Industrial Promotion be combined and reduced to a total of $6000. Mr. Garrett said in connection with Salute to Navy Week there was Retail Promotion, an attempt to generate sales in National City. Marion Cooper asked for the reason behind giving Salute to Navy Week to a private individual at a cost of about $1000 additional, he would like an answer, who is behind it? and what caused it? Moved by Camacho, seconded by Dalla, to allow their request on retail and industrial promotion. There was discussion. Mr. Garrett said if Independence Day (September 16) was not a success, they would not have the second promotion (Cinco de Mayo); he could go with $6000, City Manager Gill spoke of prior screening by his office. Mr. Garrett said he hated to think of City Council wasting their time; if the City Manager approved, Council should not have to waste their time. City Manager Gill said Council did ask for prior approval of spending ...he could screen the expenditures. Moved by Camacho, seconded by Dalla, we table it if in ay2.1....26000. Carried by unanimous vote. Vice Mayor Pinson said in regard to Salute to Navy Week, there was a request from the Chamber in the amount of $1500 and we awarded it to Edith Hughes at $2450, he would like to apologize; he did not realize Salute to Navy Week was in the Chamber of Commerce budget until after action was taken on Edith Hughes' budget. Mx. Garrett said they have 7/11/77 176 177 attempted to do away with programs, or phases of programs, which are not carrying their own weight; they feel the community should be actively involved in that program. Vice Mayor Pinson said Mrs. Hughes' budget included Golf Tournament at $300, Navy Birthday Luncheon at $300 (Mr. Cooper said that was a waste; they found it to be two years in a row.) Vice Mayor Pinson continued Miss Navy at $250, Navy Family at $250, Newest Bluejacket at $50, Press Breakfast at $200 (Mr. Garrett interrupted to say that last year at the request of the Navy P.R. Department this was dropped.) Vice Mayor Pinson continued Postage $75, Printing, $150, Mrs. Hughes $1,000. Mayor Morgan asked if the Chamber of Commerce didn't say the Maytime Band Review and Salute to Navy required more time than they wanted to give. Mr. Garrett said Maytime Band Review is a little different situation; there has never been to his knowledge any action to drop Salute to Navy Week; it is a valid function of the Chamber; they have gone from $4500 to $1500. Mayor Morgan said last year they did not have bowling or golf tournaments; he couldn't remember the trophies being given at the luncheon. Mr. Garrett said there was a golf tournament. Councilman Dalia said Salute to Navy is and has been a Chamber function. Mr. Garrett said Edith Hughes came to him about two months ago and said she had heard the Chamber of Commerce did not want to do Salute to Navy Week and he told her that was not the case; next time he heard about it was when he read in the Star -News that Council had approved Edith Hughes in the budget at a thousand dollars more than the Chamber had asked for. Marion Cooper asked what brought this about...did Mrs. Hughes come to you? City Manager Gill said the proposal was in a letter dated April 21. Councilman Camacho said but Council did not give okay...Mr. Cooper said it was the first time he heard about it; the Chamber had carried this for 17 years and without any notice... Moved by Morgan, seconded by Reid, the City Manager study this and come back with a recommendation. Councilman Dalia said we have the information; this is a policy matter; having the manager study it will make no difference; if it is a Chamber of Commerce function and they have carried it, we should budget money for the people who have carried it; the program for $1000 .less; he was not sure it is Council's place to take it away from them. Councilman Reid said this used to be one of the nicest programs put on. Councilman Dalla said he was sure Mr. Reid was right; if you will give them more money to put on those things, they can reinstitute them; he did not know where Council would get the authority to take it away from the Chamber. Councilman Reid said any time you foot the bill you have the rig t to take it away. Mr. Garrett said they had $4500 for several years. Councilman Dalla said he had heard people say in regard to some of these things that have fallen on their face (the dance for example) that if we want to pay the price to have those things, let's have them. Motion failed by the following vote, to -wit: Ayes: Reid, Morgan. Nays: Camacho, Dalla, Pinson. Moved by Camacho, seconded by Dalla, to put back in the Chamber of Commerce bud q t the $1500 instead of the $2450. Councilman Dalla said if there was something the Chamber of Commerce is not going to do that Mrs. Hughes was going to do, we should tell them and give them money for it. Mayor Morgan said he thought the Manager should decide. Motion carried, by the following vote, to -wit: Ayes: Camacho, Dalla, Pinson. Nays: Reid, Morgan. Moved by Morgan, seconded by Reid, the meeting be closed. Carried by unanimous vote. The meeting closed at 4:35 p.m. CITY CLK CIT OF NATIONAL CITY, CALIFORNIA The foregoing minutes were approved by the City Council of the City of National City, California, at the regular meeting of July , 1977. Corrections No cost c MA CITY OF NATIONAL CITY, CALIFORNIA 7/11/77