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CC – Approval of Minutes 02-24-98 Nor C.:::7-7.1:1,4L. UNTIL ADOPTED BY THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING ROSEMEAD ROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL CITY COUNCIL FEBRUARY 24, 1998 The regular meeting of the Rosemead City Council was called to order by Mayor Imperial at 8:07 p.m. in the Council Chambers of the City Hall, 8838 E. Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California. The Pledge to the Flag was led by Councilman Taylor The Invocation was delivered by City Treasurer Foutz ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS: Present: Councilmembers Clark, Taylor, Vasquez, and Mayor Imperial Absent: Mayor Pro Tem Bruesch - excused APPROVAL OF MINUTES: FEBRUARY 10, 1998 - REGULAR MEETING MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER TAYLOR, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER VASQUEZ that the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of February 10, 1998, be approved as submitted. Vote resulted: Yes: Vasquez, Taylor, Clark, Imperial No: None Absent: Bruesch Abstain: None The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered. PRESENTATIONS: A proclamation was presented to Deputy Rudy Cortez for his dedication to Rosemead's youth and his involvement in the community while serving on the Rosemead Team. 1. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE Mary Jo Maxwell, Rosemead Chamber of Commerce, announced that March 12th Chamber Mixer will be hosted by the City and extended an invitation to everyone to attend. H. PUBLIC HEARINGS An explanation of the procedures for the conduct of the public hearing was presented by the City Attorney. A. PUBLIC HEARING REGARDING ORDINANCE NO. 784 - AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD ADOPTING BY REFERENCE LOS ANGELES COUNTY ORDINANCE NO. 97-0071 RELATING TO FOOD ESTABLISHMENTS - ADOPT Frank Tripepi, City Manager, presented the staff report. The Mayor opened the public hearing for those in the audience wishing to speak on this item. There being no one in the audience wishing to speak, the Mayor closed the public hearing. CC 2-24-98 Page#1 MOTION BY COUNCILMAN TAYLOR, SECOND BY COUNCILMAN VASQUEZ that the Council adopt Ordinance No. 784. Vote resulted: Yes: Vasquez, Taylor, Imperial, Clark No: None Absent: Bruesch Abstain: None The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered. III. LEGISLATIVE A. RESOLUTION NO. 98-05 - CLAIMS AND DEMANDS The following Resolution was presented to the Council for adoption. RESOLUTION NO. 98-05 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD ALLOWING CERTAIN CLAIMS AND DEMANDS IN THE SUM OF $291,639.58 NUMBERED 22503 THROUGH 22611 Councilmember Taylor requested a description of the special equipment items listed under Check No. 22590, to Communications Systems in the amount of$166.44. MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER VASQUEZ, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER CLARK that the Council adopt Resolution No. 98-05. Vote resulted: Yes: Vasquez, Taylor, Clark, Imperial No: None Absent: Bruesch Abstain: None The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered. IV. CONSENT CALENDAR CC-A AUTHORIZATION TO ATTEND CITY CLERK'S ASSOCIATION OF CALIFORNIA 25th ANNUAL CONFERENCE - APRIL 22-24, 1998, NEWPORT BEACH CC-B INSTALLATION OF ADDITIONAL TRAFFIC CONTROLS ON MARSHALL STREET AT VANE AVENUE CC-C AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD AND LOS ANGELES COUNTY FOR THE RESURFACING OF WALNUT GROVE AVENUE CC-D SB 1243 (GRANLUND) - POOLED USE TAX DISTRIBUTION - SUPPORT MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER TAYLOR, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER VASQUEZ that the foregoing items on the Consent Calendar be approved. Vote resulted: CC 2-29-9g Page 02 Yes: Vasquez, Taylor, Imperial, Clark No: None Absent: Bruesch Abstain: None The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered. V. MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION AND ACTION A. USER FEES ON FEDERAL LAND Councilmember Clark stated that she is opposed to paying fees to access public lands for day use, and that tax dollars are currently being used to maintain our parks. Ms. Clark explained that theoretically, the user will plan vacations ahead, pay the fee and obtain a permit; however, this "user fee" discourages any spontaneity to visit our parks on short notice, such as with the recent snowfall, where the snow level was at 3,000 feet. Ms. Clark stated that enforcement by the rangers to collect fees from each car lacks uniformity, and if the ranger has to patrol the entire forest to try and collect those fees, the money collected probably will not offset the ranger's salary. Ms. Clark added that while visitors are permitted to drive through the forest; should they stop to look at the view, they can be subject to the user fee, and that that is an invasion of our rights. Ms. Clark requested that the sentence in the letter to the Chair of the House Subcommittee on National Parks referring to fees charged for camping at Yosemite or Yellowstone National Parks be deleted as fees should be charged for overnight camping. Ms. Clark stated that imposition of the day use fee would also further burden low-income families from enjoying the forests. And, as a final affront Ms. Clark continued, the original trial period to consider making the user fees permanent was for a three-year period, ending in 1999; however, the Subcommittee has moved up the public comment period to end this week (public hearing scheduled for February 26, 1998). MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER CLARK, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER VASQUEZ that the Council approve the attached letter to the Chair, House Subcommittee on National Parks and Public Lands, opposing the concept of establishing "user fees" for access to public lands and facilities; and, delete the sentence referring to camping at Yosemite or Yellowstone National Parks. Vote resulted: Yes: Vasquez, Taylor, Imperial, Clark No: None Absent: Bruesch Abstain: None The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered. B. INSTALLATION OF DECORATIVE STREET LIGHTS ON VALLEY BOULEVARD Councilmember Taylor stated that installing the decorative lights in the central business district of Valley Boulevard from Muscatel to Loma is reasonable as outlined in Alternative 2, but he cannot accept Alternative 5 which includes the installation of the decorative street lights along the length of Valley Boulevard (City limit/City limit) for $1.5 million. Councilmember Vasquez stated that he favors Alternative 2 also. MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER TAYLOR, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER VASQUEZ that the Council approve Alternative 2 -New Street Lights within Downtown Area Only with Decorative Pedestrian Lighting. Vote resulted: CC 2-24-98 Page e3 Yes: Vasquez, Taylor, Imperial, Clark No: None Absent: Bruesch Abstain: None The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered. C. POSSIBLE ACQUISITION OF PROPERTY - 9029 VALLEY BOULEVARD Frank Tripepi, City Manager, stated that the former building has been demolished and the property is now a flat piece of ground. Mr. Tripepi explained that should the City get approval to purchase that property, the property would be paved and striped to provide parking for the businesses in that area, particularly Di Pilla's Restaurant, a very successful restaurant that currently utilizes all of their twelve parking spaces. Mr. Tripepi stated that should that property be sold to another owner or developed by Edwards Theater, parking may not be available to the restaurant and the surrounding businesses. Councilmember Taylor stated that he requested that this item be placed on the agenda tonight to discuss Council policy of buying vacant properties. Mr. Taylor stated that free enterprise has not even had an option to purchase this property and that it should be put up for sale to see if anyone wants to establish a business at that location. Mr. Taylor stated that property is costly and he is not in favor of the City "land banking" properties, and that that property should be developed rather than the City buying and paving it. Mr. Taylor asked what will be the policy issue then, if the City purchases one parcel, will that open the door to purchasing a few more, how do we sell them, what happens to the other businesses, etc. Councilmember Vasquez stated that he would like to see the City become more involved. Mayor Imperial stated that other developers will not purchase that property with the Valley Boulevard business district looking as it does and that it is up to the City to spearhead the movement to make a decision to improve that business area. Mr. Imperial stated that other cities are receiving new businesses and Rosemead is not. Mr. Imperial stated that upon leaving the Council, he does not want Valley Boulevard looking as it does to be his legacy, and that it is time for the Council to develop a redevelopment project area for that business district. Councilmember Taylor stated that the City would be taking a good piece of property to pave over into a parking lot, that the City is not building a tax-producing property nor does it have any sales tax coming in, and that he does not consider that progress or improvement for the business district. Mayor Imperial stated that the area is getting progressively worse and years ago, the Edwards Theater property owners indicated that they were not interested in paving the parking lot. Councilmember Taylor stated that at the Closed Session he asked that the minutes of the meeting referring to the financing and benefits to the City from the former Nissan dealership be distributed to the Council and asked if Council had received them yet. Carol Mahoney, 3846 Bartlett, Rosemead, stated the Builder's Club (Muscatel Jr. High) cleans Valley Boulevard once a month and has observed Valley Boulevard through the years and it is depressing in its present condition and asked what can be done to bring businesses in to the City and revitalize that area. Ms. Mahoney continued that other cities around Rosemead are attracting businesses mainly because those areas are redevelopment areas and that Rosemead needs to develop such an area. CC 2-24-98 Page 44 Mary Jo Maxwell, Rosemead Chamber of Commerce, stated that the Chamber is vitally concerned with the future of downtown Rosemead and keeping the businesses that are already there and providing necessary services to them. Ms. Maxwell that the Chamber would like to see new, viable businesses being drawn into that area. Regis (Butch)Kaske, 4024 N. Rosemead Boulevard, Rosemead, stated that he owns and manages seven businesses at that address and that the parking at that location is substandard and one solution would be to share the parking area with Di Pilla's Restaurant. Mr. Kaske stated that the City needs to take action to attract major businesses. Mayor Imperial stated that the downtown area definitely needs a redevelopment business district. Mr. Imperial added that he is asking the Council to make a heroic decision to stand up and be counted. Glenn Clanton, 3244 Leyburn Drive, Rosemead, stated that the downtown business district needs to have a redevelopment business district established. Mr. Clanton then read a letter from Judy Seki of Sunny Seki Photographers expressing their agreement that the City needs to establish a redevelopment area along Valley Boulevard. Irene Hefti, Lloyd's Auto Center, Valley and Temple City Boulevard, stated that she grew up in Rosemead and can remember when Valley Boulevard was a busy, thriving area; however, today, Valley Boulevard is a desolate place other than during rush hour. Ms. Hefti explained that their business depends on traffic volume and without that, their business will fail. Councilmember Clark clarified that if the City obtains an appraisal on that property and acquires it, then, the City would not be locked into developing it as a public parking lot. MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER VASQUEZ, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER CLARK that the Council direct staff to obtain an appraisal of the property in an amount not to exceed $5,000. Vote resulted: Yes: Vasquez, Imperial, Clark No: Taylor Absent: Bruesch Abstain: None The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered. Councilmember Taylor stated for the record that he voted No because he does not believe that the City should be spending $400,000 to $500,000 to put in a parking lot when that property has just become vacant and has not been put on the market for sale. Mayor Imperial directed staff to research the process of developing Valley and Rosemead Boulevards as a redevelopment project area. Mr. Tripepi responded that that item win be on the next Agency agenda. Councilmember Taylor requested the City and Redevelopment Agency budgets of the City of Pasadena and the City of Monrovia. VI. STATUS REPORTS -None VII. MA 1 ILRS FROM OFFICIALS - None CC 2-24-98 Page#5 VIII. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE -None Irene Hefti, Lloyd's Auto Center, Rosemead, asked what is the City going to do about some of the "eyesores" on Valley Boulevard with overgrown weeds on their properties and asked what type of funding is available to help those businesses. Councilmember Taylor directed Ms. Hefti to staff and explained that at the last Council meeting Council approved the item promoting loans to small businesses. Mr. Tripepi also stated the CDBG funds are available also. Mayor Imperial stated that this is a first step for the City and he is also concerned that the Montgomery Ward shopping center will be in a worse state with the closing of Montgomery Ward and asked the community's help in making Rosemead a better place to live and shop. Councilmember Taylor asked why is the owner of Montgomery Ward shopping center renovating the entire facility if the store is closing. Mr. Tripepi explained that a new management company has taken over and are they are willing to make improvements. IX. ADJOURNMENT There being no further action to be taken at this time, the meeting was adjourned at 9:05 p.m. The next regular meeting will be held on Tuesday, March 10, 1998, at 8:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted: APPROVED: City Clerk MAYOR CC 3-3498 Page*6