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CC - Minutes - 10-13-20 MINUTES OF THE CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL AND REGULAR MEETING OCTOBER 13,2020 The special meeting of the Rosemead City Council was called to order by Mayor Armenta at 6:00 p.m., in the Rosemead City Council Chamber located at 8838 East Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California. PRESENT: Mayor Armenta, Mayor Pro Tem Low, Council Members Clark, Dang, and Ly ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Molleda, City Attorney Richman, and City Clerk Hernandez 1. CLOSED SESSION A. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL-ANTICIPATED LITIGATION Initiation of litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9 (d)(4): (1 matter) B. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL-ANTICIPATED LITIGATION Significant exposure to litigation pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(2): (1 matter) Mayor Armenta recessed to Closed Session. RECONVENE TO REGULAR MEETING The regular meeting of the City Council was called to order by Mayor Armenta at 7:03 p.m. STAFF PRESENT: City Manager Molleda, City Attorney Richman, Chief of Police Duong, Assistant City Manager Kim, Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking, and City Clerk Hernandez PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE was led by Council Member Dang INVOCATION was led by Council Member Clark City Attorney Richman stated there was no reportable action taken in Closed Session. 2. PUBLIC COMMENT Mayor Clark opened the Public Comment period. Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes of October 13, 2020 Page 1 of 9 Speaker Alice Espinoza, Rosemead resident, called on 10/13/20 at 4:46 p.m., expressed concern of a homeless situation on the 3000 block of Earle Avenue, just north of Garvey Avenue; reported seeing approximately 10-15 transients setting up camp at the north-east side of Zapopan Park, stating these individuals lay out and store their belongings at the park; emphasized this is a public nuisance as the homeless participate in drug use, urinate and defecate on the streets. Ms. Espinoza indicated she along with multiple residents have reported the problem already on the City's website "Rosemead Round the Clock"; asked for staff to follow-up with her regarding the issue; opined the homeless encampment is affecting residential property value and overall safety in the community. Mayor Pro Tern Armenta requested staff follow-up with Ms. Espinoza; asked Code Enforcement and the Deputies to check for needles during their inspection. City Manager Molleda affirmed Code Enforcement and Deputies will be out there tomorrow. There being no other comments, Mayor Armenta closed the Public Comment period. 3. PRESENTATION -None 4. PUBLIC HEARING -None 5, CONSENT CALENDAR ACTION: Moved by Council Member Ly and seconded by Council Member Clark to approve Consent Calendar Items A and B (minutes as amended). Motion was carried out by the following vote AYES: Armenta, Clark, Dang, Low, Ly ABSENT: None A. Claims and Demands • Resolution No. 2020-42 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD, CALIFORNIA, ALLOWING CERTAIN CLAIMS AND DEMANDS IN THE SUM OF $1,452,351.23 NUMBERED 107482 THROUGH NUMBER 107558 THROUGH NUMBER 107481 INCLUSIVELY Recommendation: Adopt Resolution No. 2020-42. B. Approval of Minutes Recommendation: That the City Council adopt minutes of the special and regular meeting of June 11, 2019, special joint meeting of November 12, 2019; regular meeting of November 12, 2019, and special meeting of September 22, 2020. 111 Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes of October 13, 2020 Page 2 of 9 6. MATTERS FROM CITY MANAGER& STAFF A. Update on Garvey Park Dog Park This item is to provide the City Council a progress update for the proposed Dog Park at Garvey Park. At the direction of the City Council and as a part of the Rosemead 2016-2018 Strategic Plan, staff was asked to evaluate the development of a dog park. Staff identified a portion of Garvey Park as the project location. A grant application was submitted to the California State Parks Department. In October of 2019, staff was notified that the grant application was awarded. Staff received the fully executed contract from the State on January 21, 2020. Recommendation: That the City Council receive and file. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking stated the designated area is on the west side of Garvey Avenue around the tennis courts,, located just north of the parking lot on Emerson Place; indicated that the dog park will have two separated fenced areas, one for small dogs and the other for large dogs, and will also include a shaded area that will cover a portion of each dog area as well as play amenities and water features. Mr. Boecking informed Council that the City is responsible for matching 50% of the total cost of the project, noting the State's portion cannot exceed $290,375 and the total project amount is $580,750; asserted that the project must be closed out by June 30, 2022 per State requirements. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking stated that staff has reviewed a design proposal from a local landscape architect and park planning company and plan to enter into a service agreement; noted the design period will take roughly two months;explained once an initial design has been developed, staff will present the design to the Parks Commission before presenting it to the City Council at a future meeting. In response to Council Member Clark, Mr. Boecking clarified the project must be finished as well as all necessary documents completed and submitted to the State by June 30, 2022. Council Member Ly inquired if the grant was awarded and its funding was also allocated in January 2020, why has it taken staff ten months to present to Council; asked if staff has gathered potential names for the dog park. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded he has been looking into the project, however unfortunately it has not been on the forefront due to other priorities; assured Council that we are moving forward and hope to have the conceptual design finished within the next two months; indicated a discussion of potential names for the dog park will be brought to Council at a future meeting. Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes of October 13, 2020 Page 3 of 9 Mayor Armenta asked since the tennis court and dog park are in proximity, what will happen when the dogs see the tennis balls rolling around. Mr. Boecking opined that will be an added amenity for the dogs. Mayor Pro Tem Low inquired if there will be dividers between the tennis courts and dog park so that patrons playing tennis are not distracted by the barking dogs. Mr. Boecking affirmed there will be added screening through the fences for privacy and safety purposes; emphasized there will be separate entrances that do not conflict with each other as the tennis courts are on the north side and the dog park's is a little farther east. Mayor Armenta posed the question if we see a possibility of having a dog park at Rosemead Park as well, if there is funding available. Mr. Boecking remarked it would be great to have more than one dog park,however it would depend on funding, the design itself and where would be the best fit for that park location. Council Member Dang commented he understands the idea of separate areas for smaller and larger dogs; shared design constraints he has encountered on his projects, noting whenever we have trapezoidal geometry, layouts become difficult as it creates some dead space; suggested designing two rectangular shapes instead of a trapezoidal configuration; inquired what the dimensions are for the walkway adjacent to the tennis court as they are not noted in the displayed site plan. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking affirmed he will be sure that Council Member Dang's rectangular shape suggestion is noted in the updated conceptual design; informed Council what they are looking at is the initial conceptual that was submitted with the grant; asserted once staff works with the park designer then exact dimensions and a solid design will be presented to Council. Mr. Dang referenced Mayor Armenta's inquiry of a dog park at Rosemead Park, noting there is a professional dog trainer that utilizes Rosemead Park; asked if there is a dog trainer on the park design's team. Mr. Boecking stated the park design team only comprises of landscaping architects. Council Member Dang suggested collecting input from a dog trainer to help their design team in creating a fully functional dog park. Mayor Armenta inquired if we have background of the design team's experience in creating dog parks. Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes of October 13, 2020 Page 4 of 9 Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking responded that they have quite the resume, noting they recently created two dog parks; indicated he would provide their resume to Council in the Weekly Update. Council Member Ly noted that the skate park was designed based off the users input; suggested conducting a virtual Parks Commission meeting, in which we invite residents to share their input as to what amenities they would like to see at the dog park. Mr. Boecking remarked staff will'be happy to issue a survey for the community to respond to and discuss further at a Parks Commission meeting. Council Member Clark queried if we will have staff monitoring the park for patrons that do riot clean up after their dogs and if dog waste bags will be made available. Mr. Boecking stated we will not have staff stationed at the dog park area as it will be the residents' responsibilities, however there is Parks staff on site, a Public Works Maintenance person at the park, and night supervision that can keep an eye out; confirmed there will be dispensers for dog waste bags at the dog park. City Manager Molleda affirmed there is a maintenance person assigned to that park. Mayor Armenta asked if there is a set time the dog park will be open or if the same regular park hours from dusk to 10 p.m. will apply. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking replied if we can budget for lights, the dog park will have the same regular park hours, however if not, then we will have to close it at dusk. Council Member Low reiterated it is important to keep the tennis players in mind when updating the conceptual design. B. Update on 2nd Temporary Community Garden Project This item is to provide the City Council a progress update on the 2nd Temporary Community Garden Project. Recommendation: That the City Council receive and file. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking stated on June 11, 2019, the Council approved this project located at 3224 Del Mar Avenue,between Dorothy Street and Emerson Place; noted it is approximately double the size of our current community garden as it was three properties becoming one garden; expressed appreciation to the Public Works Department for their hard work over the last few months in prepping the location by bringing in dirt, leveling and grading the area, installing a fence and building the garden plots. Mr. Boecking discussed the site in detail: Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes of October 13, 2020 Page 5 of 9 fencing around perimeter of property, a designated parking lot in the north area, twenty-five (25) 5x10 ft. garden plots, creation of a show garden and class area (this component will not be available until pandemic restrictions are lifted), decomposed granite walkways, and a small area for Public Works storage; opined we anticipate having the garden finished by mid-November, start advertising and accepting applications in December, and hold the grand opening in January 2021; shared that the cost of rentals will be prorated at$60 for the calendar year. Council Member Ly commented that he was happy we are moving forward with this project, especially as it can serve as a therapeutic outlet during these challenging times. In response to Mayor Pro Tern Low, Mr. Boecking replied that we are almost full at our current community garden, the last count there was only four (4) open plots remaining; we advertise via social media to attract more people. Mayor Pro Tem Low indicated support for classes being offered to the community. Council Member Dang opined this is a great idea to utilize this property to increase the City's green space and provide residents a place to enjoy gardening. Mayor Armenta stated she supports the educational component, particularly since this will help the students at Duff Language Magnet Academy located so closely to the garden; expressed she is glad we are renovating this area as it is one of our major corridors; recognized Council Member Ly for initiating our first community garden and ensuring it came to fruition; asked if staff can look into utilizing the vacant area behind the plots or the additional open area displayed in the site plan for a pumpkin patch,noting it would be great to have a local one in our community. City Manager Molleda asserted that the plan was for Mr. Boecking to reach out to the schools,inviting the students to plant the pumpkins and return when it was time to cut them, unfortunately that was not possible with the current pandemic. Director of Parks and Recreation Boecking indicated the ideal time to plant pumpkins is in April; affirmed staff will look in to having a pumpkin patch in the community garden next year. Council Member Clark expressed kudos to staff for their efforts. C. COVID-19 Update This is a recurring item that will be on the agenda to update the City Council on items related to COVID-19. Recommendation: That the City Council discuss and provide further direction. Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes of October 13, 2020 Page 6 of 9 City Manager Molleda reported that as of last week the Safer at Work Orders have been amended; stated as of today, the City of Rosemead has a total of 867 positive cases and the City has given out 106 home test kits; noted the following updates: • Nail salons and mall shopping centers can open indoor operations at a maximum of 25% indoor capacity; • Outdoor children playgrounds and fitness equipment located at City parks are open to the public; • Cardrooms are also open. Council Member Ly urged the residents as a City to be careful as more places reopen and to be cognizant of limiting the spread as much as possible. Mayor Armenta inquired what measures the City is taking to sanitize the playgrounds at the parks; expressed concern that many retail stores are not following the County's guidelines; asked what actions can be taken if the City sees that retailers are in violation. City Manager Molleda responded that staff is following specific rules from the Los Angeles County to clean the equipment and restrooms once a day; informed Council that the City has sent Code Enforcement and the Chief of Police to speak to these specific retailers and advise them of the County's guidelines. City Attorney Richman asserted that the City is doing their due diligence to see that retailers are informed of the guidelines, however it is the County's Order, so the County should be contacted as they issue the violations. City Manager Molleda stated she would be happy to inform residents how to report violators on the City's social media outlets. 7. MATTERS FROM MAYOR& CITY COUNCIL A. Presentation by the San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control on Pool Maintenance The San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control staff will provide a presentation regarding a proposed Pool Maintenance Ordinance. Recommendation: That the City Council discuss and provide further direction. Jared Dever, District Manager, San Gabriel Valley Mosquito and Vector Control, advised that mosquitos are the world's deadliest animal as they are responsible for more human death and disease than all other animals each year; noted the West Nile Virus is a constant threat as it occurs every year within the San Gabriel Valley, especially found in out of service swimming pools; asserted that there are approximately 193 non-functional pools identified in the City of Rosemead, 77 of those owners have enrolled in the pool maintenance text verification program Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes of October 13, 2020 Page 7 of 9 and are considered compliant with the pool maintenance standards — blue and functional or completely dry. Mr. Dever stated the Mosquito and Vector Control 111 encourage their member cities to adopt a swimming pool maintenance ordinance to prevent stagnant sources of water from becoming breeding grounds for mosquitoes in unmaintained swimming pools. Mayor Armenta commended Mr. Dever and the Mosquito and Vector Control for their efforts, especially as the San Gabriel Valley has yet to have a human case of the West Nile Virus; expressed appreciation they are providing educational outreach, ensured the communities are being protected. Council Member Clark emphasized this ordinance is extremely important to pass this ordinance and remain vigilant as this can happen to anyone. Mayor Pro Tem Low requested Mr. Dever explain how they identify pools that are not low maintenance and how does the City approving this ordinance help the Mosquito and Vector Control. District Manager Dever responded that pools are identified in the aerial surveyance program that occurs the first to second week of April, in which the aerial contractor uses aircrafts with cameras mounted to the bottom that takes pictures(date and time stamped) of pools within the City, similar to what you would see in a Google satellite image; advised that the Mosquito and Vector Control agency send letters to current non-compliant owners whose pools are green or very dark colored and educate them how to become compliant without ever having to speak to or have a visit from any technicians. Mr. Dever explained ,that residents can simply text a picture of their pool in violation, along with updated pictures of how they fixed their pool; indicated this ordinance establishes administrative procedures which allows the Vector Control immediate access along with the City's Code Enforcement into those few problematic owners' properties that refuse to comply to abate these inadequately maintained swimming pools. City Attorney Richman informed Council that this item was agendized as a presentation only, so it can be presented by staff for first reading at the next City Council meeting City Manager Molleda affirmed it will be agendized for the next Council meeting. B. Council Comments Council Member Ly wished everyone a safe holiday season. Council Member Dang expressed appreciation to staff for putting together the drive-thru flu clinic as it was a successful event; asked staff to reach out to the Wealth by Health agency to share photos of this partnership with the community; requested a Certificate to recognize Wealth by Health for their efforts. Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes of October 13, 2020 Page 8 of 9 Council Member Low echoed thoughts on the successful drive-thru flu clinic. Mayor Armenta thanked Parks staff for providing family events to celebrate the holidays safely, noting she and her family had fun at the Fall Fiesta/Dia De Los . Muertos drive-in movie event. Ms. Armenta stated she is working directly with Tania, our representative from Republic Services, to arrange removal of bulky items when reported to her by residents; emphasized the importance of keeping the City clean. City Manager Molleda informed Council that Republic Services has been invited to participate in our Community Area Watch meeting to educate residents on the bulky item pick-up program; noted staff will continue to promote bulky item pick- up on our social media outlets. Mayor Armenta sent well wishes and a speedy recovery to our female Deputy that was accosted. 8. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Armenta adjourned the regular meeting at 8:12 p.m. The next regular City Council meeting is scheduled to be held on October 27, 2020, at 7:00 p.m., in the Rosemead City Hall Council Chamber. -. Ericka Hernandez, City Clerk APPROVED: 4t-anomu Alinuen*-?A‘f-r....ppa, Sandra Armenta, Mayor Rosemead City Council Special and Regular Meeting Minutes of October 13, 2020 Page 9 of 9